The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) established and first presented the Victor Stello, Jr. Award for Safety Leadership to Victor Stello, Jr., Principal Deputy Secretary for Safety and Quality, Office of Defense Programs, Department of Energy (DOE), to honor him in recognition of his outstanding service, exemplary performance, and admirable leadership in promoting public health and safety in the Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the United States. The DNFSB established and presented the Award for Safety Leadership to Mr. Stello in January 1999.
Mr. Stello was a civilian nuclear power regulator who played a key role in the response to the accident on Three Mile Island. He worked for the DOE from 1989 until 1999 and worked in many areas highlighting his expertise in nuclear operations safety. In his last position at the DOE, Mr. Stello focused on safety and quality in defense programs. “He instilled a serious safety culture in everything we do,” said Dr. Victor Ries, the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs.
Prior to joining the DOE, Mr. Stello spent many years working for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission. He was involved in the response to the commercial nuclear accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1979.
The DNFSB is pleased to have honored Mr. Stello’s legacy and commitment to safety with an award in his name and honor. The DNFSB is appreciative of Mr. Stello’s work as a proponent of nuclear safety.