LM Gets New Deputy Director

Lara Beasley has taken her post as acting deputy director of the Office of Legacy Management (LM) effective Monday, Dec. 1.

Beasley, a Chicago-area native, comes to LM from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), where she was the principal deputy associate administrator for Environment, Safety and Health (NA-ESH-2). In that role, Beasley provided executive direction and management of the agency's Enterprise Stewardship and Safety responsibilities.

Before working for NNSA, Beasley spent almost 20 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Her last assignment with USACE was as chief of environmental programs, in which she oversaw the technical management, design, and execution of approximately $2.9 billion annually in environmental cleanup, compliance, pollution prevention, and natural and cultural resources management for the Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) and other interagency partners.

Beasley also led USACE's Environmental Community of Practice for more than 4,000 USACE environmental professionals.

At USACE, Beasley worked closely with LM on sites managed under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). LM and USACE are partner agencies in the remediation and long-term surveillance and maintenance of FUSRAP sites.

While with USACE, Beasley oversaw FUSRAP, so joining LM "feels a little bit like coming home to me," she said. She welcomes the opportunity to help with the Department of Energy's pilot detail program for Senior Executive Service (SES) officers.

"My favorite thing to do as an SES is to help the people who do the 'real work' solve problems and remove barriers," she said. "So, bring me the stuff you are stuck on! Let's talk about it and get unstuck together."

Beasley did her undergraduate studies at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and started her professional career in Albuquerque. She attended Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and spent the summer of 2024 in Sacramento, California, on detail for USACE in its South Pacific Division.

She moved to Washington, D.C., about 15 years ago. She met her husband of six years, Eddie, after moving to D.C. Her favorite thing to do is sit outside at the firepit with Eddie and their dog, a Great Dane named Murphy. ("Yes, I live with Eddie Murphy!" she said.)

Beasley is eager to learn more about the DOE outside of NNSA, and to learn more about the aspects of LM's mission that she has not worked on before.

"I'm so excited to work with all of you," she said. "The Army and the DOD spent a lot of time and money developing me into the SES I am today. I really enjoy coaching and mentoring. I see it as an obligation to pay forward the amazing investments made in me, which I will happily do."