Shirley J. Olinger

Proven Experience

Shirley Olinger has 32 years of experience managing multi-billion dollar environmental cleanup and nuclear projects and operations with a proven track record of obtaining solutions in complex, controversial and heavily regulated work environments.  She has directed projects that employed more than 5,000 employees with a budget of $1.1 billion per year and contract values totaling $18 billion.

Ms. Olinger has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Sustainable Results

Most notably, Olinger was the Manager of the DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) from 2007 to 2010 and oversaw Tank Farms and the vitrification plant at the Hanford Site. The Tank Farms contain 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste left over from the production of nuclear weapons. The Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) is designed to vitrify that waste into more stable glass logs to protect the contamination from reaching the Columbia River. Throughout her career, she has led efforts to improve relationships with workers, regulators, public stakeholders and Native American Tribes.  This has resulted in developing sustainable decisions with significant public and regulatory acceptance.

Former ORP Manager Shirley Olinger wins DOE Award

Longtime Department of Energy official Shirley Olinger has been awarded the Secretary of Energy Exceptional Service Award as she retires from DOE. In the award certificate, Olinger was praised for serving with “distinction” throughout her federal career, which ran for 32 years, and was described as “a national leader and expert in the areas of nuclear safety, nuclear operations and worker safety.” Among her previous positions in DOE, Olinger served as manager of the Department’s Office of River Protection at Hanford and as Associate Principal Deputy for Corporate Operations in DOE’s Office of Environmental Management. 

— Weapons Complex Monitor 11/30/2012

Shirley Olinger wins DOE Exceptional Service Award