The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) is pleased to announce that Marcelyn Atwood has been named the Board’s General Manager.

Before accepting the position at the Board, Ms. Atwood owned her own consulting business and served as the business manager for a law firm. As President of her own company, she provided organizational development and management consulting. Ms. Atwood also served as business manager of a law firm, directing the expansion of a solo practice to a four-partner, three-staff firm. She had positions in the defense industry, in both large and small companies, providing human capital strategic analysis, Arms Control analysis, and business development management.

Ms. Atwood had a distinguished military career culminating with a tour on the Joint Staff as the Vice Director of Manpower and Personnel providing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff advice on human capital strategies. In the Air Force, she held command positions including one of the largest operational commands in Air Combat Command. While commanding the 55th Operations Group, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, NE she deployed with and commanded the 398th Air Expeditionary Group, with crews flying over 1800 hours and 230 Reconnaissance combat missions over Iraq in 2003. A master navigator, Ms. Atwood was the first Air Force commander of the joint navigator training squadron where she safely led over 30,000 annual flight hours.

Ms. Atwood’s personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with one device, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one device, and the Air Force Achievement Medal with 2 devices. She retired as a Colonel from the Air Force in 2005.

Ms. Atwood earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management and Development from Chapman University. In addition, she was hand-selected for and completed a National Security Fellowship at Harvard University. Her undergraduate studies include a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Management from Bellevue University and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Oregon.