Steven Ashby, who has led Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the past 10 years, is stepping down from his role. 

PNNL, managed by Battelle on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, announced Ashby’s transition on April 14.  

His successor has not been determined and Battelle will conduct a roughly four- to eight-month national search. However, once a new lab director is appointed, Ashby “will assume a new leadership position with Battelle as senior vice president of strategic partnerships to help manage the portfolio of Battelle-affiliated laboratories.” 

“When I began my career with DOE as a graduate student, I never imagined that I would have the honor of leading one of its great national laboratories. It has been the highlight of my career,” Ashby said in a statement. “I am proud of all that we have accomplished, and I look forward to watching PNNL continue to thrive and deliver amazing outcomes for our nation.” 

The lab has an annual research budget of $1.6 billion and employs 6,400 people, about 2,000 more than were at the lab’s north Richland campus 10 years ago. Several new research facilities have been built during Ashby’s tenure or are currently under construction, all part of a decades-long $1 billion dollar campus transformation effort. 

Ashby’s record includes maintaining PNNL’s consistent top rating among DOE’s laboratories, forging partnerships with six joint institutes and five universities and growing the lab’s research portfolio in areas such as chemistry, Earth sciences, energy, biology and data science. 

“As Battelle’s longest-tenured laboratory director, Steve has built a remarkable legacy of scientific discovery that has contributed to the advancement of our nation’s health, safety and prosperity,” said Battelle president and CEO Lou Von Thaer in a release. “We are grateful to Steve for his decade of leadership at PNNL and look forward to further benefitting from his knowledge and expertise as he takes on an expanded role with our national laboratory operations team.” 

The Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) praised Ashby's accomplishments at the lab, which included the launch of the Energy Forward Alliance, which demonstrated his commitment to uniting diverse voices around transformative ideas. 

“Under Dr. Steven Ashby’s leadership, PNNL has not only achieved scientific excellence but also deepened its engagement with the region, supporting both community growth and economic vitality. His forward-thinking approach fostered stronger partnerships and positioned the lab as a leader in collaborative innovation," TRIDEC said in a statement.