Jud Virden — President and Laboratory Director
Jud Virden has served as director of NREL and president of the Alliance for Sustainable Energy—the company that operates NREL for the U.S. Department of Energy—since October 2025.
Virden joined NREL after more than 30 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he most recently served as associate laboratory director for the Energy and Environment Directorate. As ALD, he oversaw a $500 million budget and led more than 1,700 scientists, engineers, and staff in support of the Department of Energy's applied energy priorities, including modernizing the nation's power grid; improving the reliability, resilience, security, and affordability of the energy system; and addressing complex issues in nuclear science and environmental management.
Virden has built a strong reputation as a thought leader in energy technologies and energy systems. He led the establishment of the Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center, a research lab funded by the Office of Electricity focused on the nation's most important grid challenges. He also led the development of PNNL's $75 million Grid Storage Launchpad, a facility designed to overcome barriers to widespread deployment of energy storage for grid applications.
Virden's career is marked by a strong record in forging industry collaborations. At PNNL, he established a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership delivering actionable cybersecurity information to combat threats to critical U.S. infrastructure. He co-chaired the 21st Century Truck Initiative with U.S. trucking companies and the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, and initiated DOE's Grid Modernization Initiative and Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium.
He is eager to build on NREL's scientific excellence and drive meaningful, lasting transformation, growing collaborations within DOE, industry, academia, and the national labs to accelerate energy innovation and impact.
Among numerous honors, Virden has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. His research was recognized with an R&D 100 Award in 1993.
Virden received his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Washington, which has honored him with the Moulton Distinguished Alumnus Award and College of Engineering Diamond Award.
Julie D. Baker — Deputy Laboratory Director and Chief Operating Officer
Julie Baker guides laboratory operations and assesses the effectiveness of business systems and infrastructure in supporting mission outcomes and NREL's vision.
Baker came to NREL in 2016 as associate laboratory director for Facilities and Operations, overseeing the laboratory's Site Operations; Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality; Information Technology; and Security and Emergency Management organizations.
Prior to NREL, she worked at Idaho National Laboratory for 27 years. She has expertise in many aspects of nuclear facility operations, business, and mission development. Baker has served in a variety of operations, engineering, science and technology, and management positions throughout her career. Among these assignments was her role as special assistant to Idaho National Laboratory's laboratory director. During that time, Baker engaged in the full array of the laboratory's internal and external strategic priorities.
Baker has a bachelor's degree in process technology from the University of Idaho and studied mechanical engineering at Utah State University. She also serves on the governing committee that oversees operations at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Jennifer Logan — Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Logan serves as chief financial officer and ensures NREL receives the highest level of financial services support and business tools to effectively manage projects and budgets.
Logan joins NREL from the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia, where she served as chief financial officer and business/finance director for 4 years. In this role, she was responsible for leading, overseeing, and integrating the procurement, accounting, and finance functions necessary to operate the laboratory.
Logan also served in various federal contracting and acquisition roles for 18 years within the Department of the Defense, including as deputy chief of contracting and business operations division head contracting officer at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. She also served as submarine contracting division head at the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. Logan began her career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Logan holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from East Carolina University and a master’s degree in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University.
John Stolpa — General Counsel
As general counsel, John Stolpa provides legal advice and counsel to the laboratory on the development and administration of policy, compliance with the prime contract, procurement and intellectual property issues, employment issues, and other legal and management concerns.
He also serves as corporate secretary and provides counsel to the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC (Alliance), the managing and operating contractor of NREL. Prior to being named general counsel, Stolpa was NREL's deputy general counsel, providing counsel on all legal and compliance matters confronted by the laboratory as well as assisting with the management of the Office of General Counsel. He joined NREL in 2008 as senior intellectual property counsel and later served as associate general counsel of intellectual property.
Before joining NREL, Stolpa was in private legal practice as a registered patent attorney focused primarily on intellectual property and transactional law. His prior legal experience included positions with Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett, and Dunner LLP; 3M Innovative Properties Company; and Sheridan Ross, PC. Stolpa also previously investigated the molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte signal transduction at the University of Colorado and National Jewish Health.
He has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Colorado College and a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Colorado. Stolpa obtained his doctorate of law at the University of Minnesota Law School and is admitted to practice law in the states of Colorado and California and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
