James Rispoli
Bio
James Rispoli is a licensed professional engineer in North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and Hawaii. At NC State University, he serves as a professor of the practice with the Center for Nuclear Energy Facilities and Structures. His public service includes nearly four years as the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management. In July 2005, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed his nomination. That appointment came from President George W. Bush. He led the nationwide cleanup of waste and environmental contamination caused by nuclear research and production.
With a $6 billion annual budget, the cleanup program operated in more than a dozen states. Among its projects was a $12 billion nuclear waste processing complex in Washington State. This program also held the largest portfolio of nuclear construction mega-projects in the Department of Energy. Rispoli’s leadership spanned technical, financial, and operational responsibilities across multiple regions.
His earlier role was Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Engineering and Construction Management. That office oversaw policies, project assessments, and capital project management across the agency. The Department’s facilities and infrastructure have a combined value exceeding $80 billion. A project portfolio of 125 capital efforts totaled $38 billion in value. These included both complex laboratories and standard buildings.
Currently, he serves as Senior Executive Advisor to PT&C LLC. This Atlanta-based engineering firm is ranked among the ENR top 25. Specializing in nuclear mega-projects, the company supports owners in facility and construction management. Between 2010 and 2013, Rispoli served as PT&C’s president and CEO. His prior role was Executive Advisor at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he focused on government infrastructure initiatives.
His private sector work also included positions at Dames & Moore and M&E Pacific. As Vice President and Managing Principal, he led Dames & Moore’s Pacific-Ocean operations. He also served as President of M&E Pacific, managing Metcalf and Eddy’s offices in Hawaii. In both roles, he delivered large-scale engineering and construction projects for public and private clients.
His Navy career included high-level engineering leadership positions. At one major Naval Air Station, he served as Public Works Director overseeing 24/7 operations and four runways. He also led public works and environmental programs for Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, managing 1,600 employees. Responsibility for Camp David’s infrastructure fell under his command as well, where system reliability was vital. While deployed, he supervised all construction for a 1,000-person Naval Construction Battalion. Contract-based construction projects also came under his management during that time.
Across military and federal roles, Rispoli has built a reputation for engineering leadership. His experience and knowledge are well respected throughout the profession.
He holds numerous licenses and certifications, including P.E. (NC, GA, VA, TX, HI), BCEE, NAC, and Dist.M.ASCE.
Publications
- Independent Assessment of Science and Technology for the Department of Energy's Defense Environmental Cleanup Program , National Academies Press eBooks (2019)
- Advancing Risk‐Informed Decision Making in Managing Defense Nuclear Waste in the United States: Opportunities and Challenges for Risk Analysis , Risk Analysis (2018)