Reffett Associates Fills Senior Role for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
May 24, 2024 – After a rigorous, nationwide search, Seattle, WA-based Reffett Associates has placed John McCarthy as the director of digital analytics for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In this role, he will lead the lab’s digital transformation process. Thomas Young, director of operations of the firm, led the assignment. Reffett Associates focused their national recruiting efforts to find technology leaders from the private sector to bring industry knowledge, best practices, and a depth of personal and professional experience in digital and data analytics to the role. “The high level of interest in candidates for this role from a wide variety of backgrounds, from start-ups to major corporations, is a testament to the important and innovative work that the PNNL is involved in,” Mr. Young said.
Mr. McCarthy will lead and develop a team of data architects and engineers through a transition that will bring together PNNL’s current data architecture and reporting with contemporary cloud technologies, enabling dynamic data storytelling through visualizations and empowering data scientists to mine for insights that help PNNL make better business decisions.
Reffett Associates explains that the director of digital analytics is a central part of the lab’s effort to modernize their technology platforms across the organization and advance a bold digital transformation agenda to leverage the latest in cloud architectures, agile, user experiences, and continuous integration/continuous delivery to create a cutting edge PNNL digital workplace.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has grown its staff by 50 percent in the last five years and currently has more than 6,200 total employees and 580 scientists, engineers, and professional staff. With more than $306 million in funding, PNNL has spearheaded research including molecular activity in COVID-19 and drug resistance in cancer patients as well as core capabilities in chemical and material sciences, computational and mathematical sciences, earth and biological sciences, engineering, user facilities and advanced instrumentation.
Reffett Associates is a nationally recognized executive search firm. The boutique talent provider has extensive experience in retail and consumer packaged goods, private equity, commercial and federal services, government sectors, and associations and non-profits. Its team is made up of executives with tangible industry experience, possessing real world, relatable knowledge about the challenges executives face in managing talent in a competitive marketplace.
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Mr. Young has 13 years of federal legislative, policy, and constituent services experience. He works closely with a number of leading industry groups including the Clean Technology Alliance, The Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound and the aerospace and maritime supply chain.
Recent Work
Reffett Associates recently recruited Alicia Thompson as administrative officer of Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD). Speaking to the placement of Dr. Thompson, mayor Kevin Freeman, City of Millwood and SRHD board of health chair said: “The board of health is delighted to welcome Alicia Thompson as our administrative officer. Both staff and the board are enthusiastic about the public health skills, knowledge and experience Dr. Thompson will bring to our work for a healthier Spokane region.”
Reffett Associates Recruits President for the United States Army Historical Foundation
After a nationwide search, Seattle, WA-based Reffett Associates has assisted in the recruitment of U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Burt Thompson as the new president of the United States Army Historical Foundation (AHF) in Washington, D.C. Managing director Eric Reffett led the assignment. He succeeds Roger Schultz, who has led the foundation since 2015. Eric Shinseki, chairman of the board of the AHF, praised Mr. Thompson as the right person to lead the AHF and the Museum of the United States Army into the future. Mr. Thompson joins the AHF after a career in industry and the military. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer at Data Machines Corporation in Ashburn, VA, which specializes in cloud architectures, data analytics, DevSecOps, machine intelligence, and data science.
“Reffett Associates was great to work with on our administrative officer search they worked diligently to recruit a diverse candidate pool and were always available to meet any needs that we had during the process,” said Mr. Freeman.
“Partnering with a client like SRHD, that is focused on serving every member of their community and on making lives better in tangible ways everyday has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience for our team,” said Mr. Young.
Dr. Thompson brings more than 25 years’ experience in the public health and non-profit sectors to SRHD. Her leadership background includes serving as deputy director of the Cowlitz Health & Human Services department and as director and CEO of the Cascade City-County Health Department in Great Falls, MT.
Related: Reffett Associates Places Senior Advisor to Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
