SRNS engineer has more than 28 years of executive, professional experience
Van Pelt
JUNE 9, 2016 — A Savannah River Site executive with broad strategic experience has been named the new coordinator for the six counties in the federally-designated S.C. Lowcountry Promise Zone, officials announced today.
Dean Van Pelt, who has 28 years of experience of management and engineering support at the site as a contractor, has been named a loaned executive by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SNRS). He will coordinate efforts to improve economic, employment, educational and other outcomes, said Danny Black, president and CEO of SouthernCarolina Alliance (SCA). The Alliance is lead organization of the Promise Zone, which includes all or parts of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
“Dean will be an asset to the Promise Zone and to our organization in our regional efforts to identify and implement the benefits of the Promise Zone program and related community, workforce and economic development opportunities,” Black said. “We appreciate the support that SRNS has demonstrated in providing services in this effort through Dean’s leadership in our Promise Zone endeavors.”
Van Pelt, who most recently has served as director of Program Support for SRNS Environmental Stewardship and Safety and Health (ESSH) , will focus on implementing economic initiatives throughout the Promise Zone, one of 22 special federal areas of economic focus across the nation. He will take over the position from longtime SCA economic development consultant Ed Burgess, who has served as interim coordinator for the last year.
“I’m excited to partner with SouthernCarolina Alliance to continue to bring economic growth and employment opportunities to the area through Promise Zone initiatives,” Van Pelt said. “SCA and our 40 partner and supporting organizations will work with the federal government to gain access to critical resources and expertise to help these counties grow and thrive. “
Van Pelt said he looked forward to leveraging his years of service at Savannah River Site (SRS) to bring more jobs to the region.
“With more than 4,000 jobs already created in the six-county region and more than $1 billion in capital investments in those areas since 1996, SCA has proven that some of our most rural counties have the potential for tremendous economic advancement,” he said.
Van Pelt has more than 28 years of experience at the U.S. Department of Energy’s SRS, providing engineering support to chemical separation facilities, technical support and management of the Site’s electronic security system, and management of the Emergency Preparedness organization.
In his most recent assignment, he was responsible for staffing and financial resources, continuous improvement and strategic planning for the ESSH enterprise. In addition to his ESSH responsibilities, he also served as an organizational culture resource for SRNS. Dean, who lives with his wife and two sons outside of Aiken, has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio University.
- CONTACT: Dean Van Pelt, 803.541.0023
