By Lacey Desserault

Washington State University Tri-Cities Cougar Tracks is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Field Office (DOE) and its Hanford contractors to host the One Hanford Leadership Academy. In six learning sessions throughout 2025, the program will develop the next generation of executive leaders to advance the One Hanford mission and drive impactful progress.

Cougar Tracks, WSU Tri-Cities’ continuing education department, was invited to serve as a bridge to connect its innovative academic resources with the real-world demands of the department and its contractors. By aligning leadership development programs with the needs of industry, Cougar Tracks ensures that professionals in the region gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to address complex challenges and drive economic growth.

“The One Hanford Leadership Academy is an opportunity to invest in the future of Hanford and the Tri-Cities region,” said Brian Stickney, deputy manager of the Hanford Field Office. “By partnering with WSU Tri-Cities and leveraging their academic excellence, we are equipping our next generation of leaders with skills and vision to advance progress in the One Hanford mission.”

The academy kicked off on Jan. 9 with an orientation for 15 participants from the Hanford field office and Hanford contractors Bechtel, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS), Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo), Navarro-ATL, Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). The sessions will conclude on Dec. 18.

Director of Cougar Tracks at WSU Tri-Cities Michelle Hrycauk Nassif explained that the university is cultivating a workforce that will not only excel within the Hanford ecosystem but also drive economic and technological growth in the Tri-Cities region. “Our Cougar Tracks programs are designed with industry collaboration at their core, ensuring that we not only meet but anticipate the workforce development needs of STEM-driven enterprises. The One Hanford Leadership Academy exemplifies this partnership, leveraging the strength of our research expertise and our innovative learning programs to prepare mid-level managers for transformative leadership roles.”

The academy concept arose organically, beginning with a simple mention of management training for leadership positions in an unrelated meeting. The concept was passed on to the program managers of Cougar Tracks, who began working interactively and iteratively for approximately six months to develop the curriculum topics, curriculum and project faculty, schedules, venues, budgets, and relationships with the DOE and the Hanford contractors.

The academy will prepare individuals in mid-level management roles for challenges in C-suite executive roles. Six faculty members from WSU will individually lead each session, covering the following topics:

• building trust
• communication and persuasion
• teamwork and collaboration
• negotiation and managing conflict
• diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB)
• One Hanford collaboration

The learning sessions will be separated by project workshops, where participants work alongside Learning Integration Project Facilitators. Each participant will complete a project that applies the knowledge and skills the participants develop in the seminars.

Chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities Sandra Haynes said that the Academy is instrumental in developing the next wave of innovative leadership. “By drawing on the unique strengths of both Washington State University and the world-class work being done at the Hanford Site, this program offers a rich blend of theory and practice that will help professionals thrive in their careers while making a meaningful impact on the region’s clean energy future.”