PNNL

Dennis Nelson is the interim associate laboratory director for the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), overseeing national security initiatives and steering pivotal programs and partnerships. 

Before this role, Nelson served since 2019 as director of the National Security Directorate Program Development Office (PDO), where he was responsible for oversight of a $600M portfolio, developing business strategies, and leading a team of sector and subsector leads focused on expanding PNNL’s national security impact with the National Nuclear Security Administration, Special Programs, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and other industrial/commercial sponsors. Nelson and the PDO team work to understand complex sponsor requirements and how those requirements affect their mission objectives. This valuable insight informs and shapes internal investments and strategy. The technical portfolio of capabilities PNNL delivers to sponsors includes work in areas such as cyber, data analytics, nonproliferation and counterproliferation support, biology, chemistry, and material development/analysis, to name a few. 

Before his PDO role, Nelson served as the Special Programs sector manager, leading PNNL’s work with the Intelligence Community. Nelson leveraged his 25-plus years of experience working in the field to build key relationships and develop strategic programs that meet long-term mission requirements in national security. Nelson also served as vice president and sector leader within National Security Global Business at Battelle as well as a product line manager for the Transportation and Economic Development Product Line. 

Nelson holds a BA in international relations and political science from Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from Otterbein College, and a Master Certificate in Managing Services from Ohio State University. He is also a Seminar XXI Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• MBA, Otterbein College 
• BA, International Relations and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University 
• Master Certificate, Managing Services, Ohio State University

• Seminar XXI Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology