Department of Defense news release : DoD appoints new director of Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Defense AT&L, May-June, 2005

The Department of Defense announced today the appointment of James A. Tegnelia as the new director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs Dale Klein said, "The appointment of Jim Tegnelia as the director of DTRA is another significant step in transforming how we defend against the threat of weapons of mass destruction. He brings exceptional talent, skills, and management experience to this new role and responsibility."

DTRA is a Department of Defense combat support agency with an annual budget of more than $2.6 billion and a military/civilian workforce of approximately 1,890. DTRA focuses on reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction through a combination of advanced technology programs and innovative operational methods. Several technologies developed at DTRA have made significant impact in Afghanistan and Iraq. DTRA also has an integral role in several international WMD-related treaty verification programs.

Tegnelia is currently the vice president, Department of Defense programs at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M. Under his leadership, this program has experienced an unprecedented growth of 147 percent in the past four years to a budget topping $183 million. Tegnelia also served as chairman of the Army Science Board and as co-chair of the Sandia National Security Advisory Panel. He was a member of the board of directors of the Sandia Technology Park and a member of the National Advisory Panel of The George Washington University School of Engineering.

Tegnelia earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Georgetown University, a master's degree in engineering from The George Washington University, and a doctorate in physics from The Catholic University of America. He served in the Army from 1968 to 1971 and was awarded the Bronze Star during a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam.

DTRA headquarters is located at Fort Belvoir. Va. The agency operates field offices in Alexandria, Va.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and San Francisco, Calif. Overseas locations include Darmstadt, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Moscow and Votkinsk, Russia; Kiev, Ukraine; and Yokota, Japan.