Oppenheimer leadership network

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The Oppenheimer Leadership Network (OLN) is a network of Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program (OSELP) alumni that collaboratively engages on strategic issues of concern to the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories and that serves as an intellectual resource to support the National Laboratory leadership in stewarding the DOE National Laboratory Complex into the future.  

The OLN was unanimously approved by the National Laboratory Directors’ Council (NLDC) in December 2019 as a network dedicated to engaging on significant National Laboratory issues, such as inclusion and diversity, workforce development, and branding; continuing and enhancing communications on topical issues that are common to the Laboratories; and building a network of leaders to facilitate inter-Laboratory development of best practices and collaborations. 

The OLN will consider issues that are of common importance to the National Laboratories, with particular emphasis on topics suggested by the NLDC and its subcommittees, and those raised in OSELP think-pieces. Issues that are narrow in significance or only relevant to one DOE National Laboratory are out of scope. 

Open to alumni of the OSELP. 

The OLN will select two members, the Chair and Vice-Chair, who will serve as the primary points of contact with the National Laboratory leadership. The Chairs shall serve for two years, sequenced so that annually the Chair rotates out, the Vice-Chair becomes the Chair, and a new Vice-Chair rotates in. The Chair and Vice-Chair will (i) coordinate with the OSELP Director and the Chairs of the NLDC committees to define the OLN activities, (ii) record and disseminate summary notes from these communications to the OLN, and (iii) lead periodic meetings during which the OLN will self-organize into cooperative working groups that will take on new assignments, and during which ongoing activities will be discussed.

The working groups will conduct the primary work of the OLN, which will vary and can include partnering with NLDC committees in the collection and analyses of data and the development of presentations, white papers, and other products. Each working group will select one member to serve as a lead, who will be responsible for communicating and coordinating with the OLN Co-Chairs. The working groups and their leads will be created as new assignments arise and dissolve as assignments are completed. 

The OLN will organize a biennial in-person conference of alumni from all Oppenheimer Cohorts. The conference will coincide with the OSELP year-end gathering and will seek the participation of National Laboratory leadership. The conference will serve as a forum at which new OSELP cohort think-pieces and products of the OLN are presented, and ongoing and emerging issues are discussed.

The OLN capitalizes on and maintains the momentum gained from each cohort’s OSELP experience. The OLN ensures that the OSELP alumni will function as a network within the National Laboratory System, that they will remain engaged with National Laboratory leadership, and that they will contribute to overcoming the pertinent strategic challenges facing the National Laboratories in our common quest to best serve the nation’s interest.