2008 ORAU Annual Report - Oak Ridge Associated Universities

5
Statement from the President
n times of great change come great opportunities…
ORAU is facing such a time with the departure of President and CEO Ron Townsend, who provided
such tremendous vision and leadership for ORAU since 1997. Ron helped the organization grow from
$85 million in annual expenditures, 650 employees, and 88 member institutions in 1997 to more than
$235 million in expenditures, nearly 1,000 employees, and 99 member institutions today.
The accomplishments of this organization have indeed been many and great under his leadership, and
I invite you to read them for yourself in a special tribute to Ron on pages 6 and 7 of this report. In 2008
specifically, ORAU reached a major milestone in the construction of a new 73,000 square-foot
building, which will house the Center for Science Education and an impressive classroom with the
purpose of “bringing tomorrow’s science to today’s classroom.”
ORAU is truly an organization of great purpose and mission, and I am honored to be serving as interim
president and CEO. In looking to the future, while this change will bring with it some challenges, we
are prepared to take advantage of great opportunities. Ron infused ORAU with an unequaled commitment
to quality and excellence, and we intend to continue that and build upon it. We absolutely will
not stand still.
We will stay true to our mission, providing our customers with the same high level of quality and
performance that they have come to expect from ORAU. We will continue to provide value in all that
we do and will keep steadfastly focused on our value-based strategy to
• strengthen America’s scientific research and education enterprise to enhance global competitiveness
• build public trust and confidence in the management of worker health and environmental cleanup
initiatives
• enhance our nation’s preparedness to respond to emergencies related to terrorist incidents, natural
disasters, and health threats
Interim ORAU President and CEO Homer S. Fisher
The ORAU Board of Directors remains a strong, guiding body of this organization. They are absolutely
committed to finding the right individual to serve as ORAU’s president, and a nationwide search is
already underway.
While changes such as these are inevitable, the essence of ORAU remains the same—an organization
founded on the principles of advancing scientific research and education and focused on providing
innovative solutions to strengthen and secure America.
As Ron himself once said: “How we manage change will determine how high we can go.”
We are already looking up.