ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The National Nuclear Security Agency Albuquerque Complex Project, located on Kirtland Air Force Base, received the Department of Energy’s Project Management Achievement Award for 2022.
David M. Turk, deputy secretary, Department of Energy, officiated the department’s Project Management Awards ceremony at their annual Project Management Workshop in Washington, D.C., April 12, 2023.
During the awards ceremony Turk recognized the NNSA Albuquerque Complex Project (NACP) for the Project Management Achievement Award. Three other projects also received the award.
The Secretary’s Achievement Award is presented to project teams that have demonstrated significant results in completing projects within cost and schedule. The awards program was introduced in 2006 and annually recognizes the work accomplished by the project teams and federal project directors from across the Dept. of Energy complex.
The NACP project team successfully completed the new facility providing critical working space for approximately 1,200 Dept. of Energy employees and contractors. The $174 million project allowed NNSA to replace 23 existing substandard or inadequate buildings and consolidate previously dispersed and disconnected elements in a single, high-efficiency facility. The project was delivered $6.2 million under budget and on schedule.
The USACE-Albuquerque District CX project delivery team was the design/construction agent for this interagency project for the NNSA.
Several district employees worked on the project including Filemon Gallegos, project manager; Kevin Vigil, project engineer; Chris Velasquez, tech lead; Erin Larivee, lead civil engineer and administrative contracting officer; Jacob Chavez, alternate administrative contracting officer; and quality assurance representatives Richard Banker, Timothy Tetrick and Garry Vollbrecht (retired).
Construction on the building began in May 2018 and it was officially opened April 19, 2022.
In addition to the Project Management Achievement Award, “the U.S. GBCI [Green Business Certification Inc.] awarded the NACP LEED Platinum certification!” said Amanda Tapia-Pittman, construction lead, Infrastructure Modernization Division, NNSA.
To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality. Projects are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification. Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification.
Tapia-Pittman was also recognized during the April ceremony as the Federal Project Director of the Year. She is a former USACE-Albuquerque District employee.