DOE SELECTS NEW DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WASTE AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

Jeff Baran has been selected as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Waste and Materials Management (EM 4.2). Jeff has more than 20 years of experience across all three branches of the federal government. 

He served as a Commissioner at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 2014-2023, focusing on the safety and security of the country’s civilian nuclear facilities. He also worked on numerous policies and rulemakings to protect public health and the environment, including those related to decommissioning, environmental remediation, and waste disposal, storage, and transportation. As a Commissioner, Jeff built lasting and productive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders through hundreds of in-person meetings, site visits, keynote speeches, and panel discussions.

Before serving at NRC, Jeff worked for the U.S. House of Representatives for over 11 years. During his tenure with the Energy and Commerce Committee staff, oversight of DOE was one of his primary areas of responsibility. Among Jeff’s key initiatives was working to coordinate the efforts of six federal agencies, including DOE, and two Native American Tribes to clean up uranium contamination in and around the Navajo Nation. From 2003 to 2008, he was counsel to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. 

Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, Jeff served as a law clerk for Judge Lesley Wells of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political science from Ohio University. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School.