By Bulletin Staff, October 11, 2013
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is 5 Minutes to Midnight
CHICAGO – October 8, 2013 – Lew Watts, president of Lew Watts & Associates LLC, an energy consultancy firm, has joined the Governing Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, effective October 2013. In 2009 he was the Chair of the World Bank’s external expert panel on Climate Change, Energy Access & Energy Security, and currently sits on several boards in the US and Europe. "Dr. Watts brings to the Bulletin deep expertise on energy and environment issues, as well as experience in the corporate world," noted John Balkcom, chair of the Governing Board. "We are very pleased to welcome Lew as the newest member of our Board.”
From 2006 to 2009 Watts was President & CEO of PFC Energy, one of the largest global consulting firms in energy. He has over 35 years’ experience within the oil and gas industry ranging from upstream, gas and power, to the service industry. "I am thrilled that Dr. Watts has joined the board," said Bulletin executive director Kennette Benedict. "His expertise in strategy, branding and marketing, along with his creative intellect and deep knowledge of the energy industry, add new dimensions to the Governing Board."
The Governing Board of the Bulletin ensures that the organization has the management, policies, and resources to fulfill its mission. "I am honored to join the leadership of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists," said Watts. "I look forward to working with staff and the Science and Security Board to expand the Bulletin’s reach, bringing expert knowledge to even more policy makers and the general public about the threats from nuclear weapons and disruptive changes to the climate."
Watts has a First Class honors degree in geology from the University of Bristol and received a PhD from Reading University, both in the UK. He is a published poet and lives in Chicago, Illinois, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
ABOUT THE BULLETIN OF ATOMIC SCIENTISTS
Founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists who had helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists subsequently created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero), to convey threats to humanity and the planet. The decision to move the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock is made by the Bulletin's Science and Security Board in consultation with the Governing Board and the Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel Laureates. The Clock has become a universally recognized indicator of the world's vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change, and emerging technologies in the life sciences.
CONTACT: Janice Sinclaire, 707.481.9372, or jsinclaire@thebulletin.org
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