December 11, 1998

Open Letter to Jefferson Lab

As many of you are aware, I will be retiring from the Department of Energy (DOE) on January 2, 1999. It has been my great pleasure to work with you over the last ten and a half years to build and operate this extraordinary research facility that we call Jefferson Lab.

Jefferson Lab is the product of a unique partnership of many organizations and people who have had a common vision and will to succeed. As a member of the DOE Site Office team that participated in this partnership, I am extremely proud of what has been accomplished through our cooperative efforts. Jefferson Lab is now prominently featured on the world's scientific map while being recognized as a "good neighbor" in our local and regional communities. As our users begin to uncover many of the secrets of nature's most fundamental building blocks and we look forward to initial operations of the Free Electron Laser in the very near future, the outlook for the future is extremely bright.

As with any successful venture of this size and complexity, there is no substitute for strong leadership, commitment, and a highly talented and motivated team. Jefferson Lab has had the benefit of these qualities and more. The Department of Energy has provided policy guidance and funding while the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Newport News, the Department of Navy, industry and many others have contributed valuable resources and other forms of support. SURA has rendered the corporate sponsorship and vision that have enabled the Laboratory to meet its objectives. Within the Lab, special recognition must be directed to Hermann Grunder and the Director's Council for their unparalleled levels of leadership, inspiration, and energy that have guided and sustained the collective efforts of so many for so long. Finally, the magnificently gifted Jefferson Lab scientific, technical, and support staff has established an extraordinary reputation by consistently delivering on challenging commitments and often performing miracles when the chips were down. To see all of these individuals and organizations blend their efforts in such a harmonious manner to achieve a common goal has been one of the true highlights of my career.

In closing, I salute the DOE community including my many colleagues at DOE Headquarters and the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office who have played such a vital role in the Jefferson Lab success story. My warmest expressions of admiration and appreciation are reserved for the local Jefferson Lab Site Office staff for their enormous support to me and their many valuable contributions, unwavering dedication, and incredible sense of humor over the years. They are a terrific group!

With pride, I look forward to many, many more Jefferson Lab successes in the future.

"Beamingly" and with best regards,

K. Dean Helms, Manager Jefferson Lab Site Office

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