Rita Wells
Executive Director for Field Operations
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Administration (Acting)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Rita Lappin Wells, Ph.D., is the Executive Director for Field Operations in the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In this capacity, she manages the Golden Field Office in Colorado, DOE's primary organization for managing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the Nation. The Golden Field Office, which has recently experienced a growth rate of more than 50%, as well as a significant increase in workload and budget, also manages the contract for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a government-owned contractor-operated facility.
Previously, Dr. Wells served in Washington, D.C., as the EERE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Administration. She came to the Department of Energy from the U.S. Department of Transportation where she was the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Associate Administrator for Administration. At FTA Dr. Wells managed human resources, information technology, management planning, administrative services, financial resources and acquisition in support of an organization with an annual appropriation of more than $7.65 billon. She began her career with the Department of Defense (DOD) where she served in a variety of acquisition management organizations including the TOMAHAWK Cruise missile program office, the Pacific Command of the Air Force, and field offices of the Defense Logistics Agency. She also served as a member of the acquisition management faculty at both the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Dr. Wells teaches business administration and contract management courses for the University of Virginia, and was a Faculty Associate at Johns Hopkins University for graduate courses in leadership and global strategic management.
She holds a doctorate from the Ohio State University, an M.B.A. from Southern Illinois University, and a B.A. from the University of Illinois. Dr. Wells is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense Senior Executive Leadership Course.
She is the recipient of many awards including the Presidential Rank Award, Commander's Award for Public Service and the Meritorious Civilian Service award. Dr. Wells is a National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Fellow and a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM).
