Rick Bloemhard Email & Phone Number

Albany, Ca, Us

Operations Group Leader of the Advanced Light Source, a 1.9 GeV Electron Storage Ring run by LBNL for the US Department of Energy. This scientific user facility hosts ~ 2000 users per year from around the world.I supervised the daily activities of 9 Accelerator / Experimental Floor Operators, a Floor Operations Section Leader and the ALS Procedures Center Manager. I scheduled beam time and operator shifts and helped to coordinate maintenance activities with the various electronic, electrical, mechanical, vacuum and facilities engineering groups.As Principal Investigator for the Radiation Work Authorization of the ALS I held primary responsibility for the configuration control of all radiation shielding. I made sure all work was performed in a safe manner consistent with safety procedures. I made sure accelerator operation was always conducted within the bounds of the Accelerator Safety Envelope. I worked closely with the EH&S manager to investigate any adverse incidents that occurred and to recommend and implement required corrective actions. During my time at the ALS, the rate of adverse incidents related to radiation shielding was lowered dramatically.I implemented a program to 'cross-train' accelerator operators to also perform experimental floor coordination work. This provided three major benefits:1) Efficiency - I scheduled two operators per shift. One concentrated on floor operations and one on the accelerator. They backed each other up.2) Increased Floor Operator Support - previously we only had day shift floor coordination support.3) Better Control Room situational awareness - the accelerator operators are more aware of what happens out on the floor and why. They now take this activity into consideration when reacting to machine problems.I oversaw the development of a comprehensive and documented Operator Training Program for both Accelerator and Floor Operations work. I built a diverse high functioning team.

Operations Supervisor for the Applied Technology Group at TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC. We operated, maintained and repaired 3 compact proton cyclotrons to generate medical radio-isotopes in collaboration with Nordion International Inc. I supervised 10 operators and scheduled their daily operation and maintenance activities. I hired new operators when required and organized their training (you usually can't hire accelerator operators off the street). I interacted with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.I helped develop various scheduling and database tools to keep track of and organize staff shift schedules, beam time and machine maintenance scheduling. On the required technical jack-of-all-trades side I performed component level repairs, developed beam instrumentation circuitry and integrated upgrade high voltage and high current power supplies. I also worked on both low & high (high & low?) level vacuum systems & dipole and focusing magnets.

- Sales of electronic components - Sales of Commodore personal computers and peripherals.- Established a comprehensive repair & servicing department as computer sales grew.- Presented off-site seminars on service issues to major clients like various British Columbia school boards.

Served as Company Communications Sergeant for a Mechanized Infantry Company In Baumholder, Germany.My job was to keep the company's complement of comm gear in good repair and to control the communication nets during battle exercises.Secondary responsibilities of trinken der gutes deutches bier und foosball spiel.