LANL News:

The Los Alamos National Security (LANS) Board of Governors has approved $2.5 million for the 2015 Community Commitment Plan.

This represents a significant increase in the percent of fee allocated for regional community programs. In 2014, the LANS Board provided 5.6 percent of their fee for the Community Commitment Plan. This year, 40 percent of the LANS fee will be used to support education, economic development and community giving programs through the Community Commitment Plan.

“The Board’s decision to dramatically increase the share of their fee devoted to community programs reaffirms their continuing commitment to northern New Mexico,” said Kurt Steinhaus, director of the LANL Community Programs Office. “In this coming year, we will strengthen partnerships with community organizations to support a regional approach that is mutually beneficial and sustainable for the lab and northern New Mexico.”

Since LANS assumed the management and operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory June 1, 2006, it has contributed $28 million to strengthening and supporting the seven-county (Los Alamos, Taos, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Mora and San Miguel) region of Northern New Mexico in the areas of education, economic development and community involvement.”

Since 2006, LANS has invested $28 million in northern New Mexico in the following areas:

• $8.8 million for economic development programs that support and grow small businesses in Northern New Mexico;  
• $10.7 million in support of pre-kindergarten through college science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs and to develop a strong workforce pipeline for the Laboratory and Northern New Mexico; and
• more than $8.5 million for regional scholarships and nonprofits organizations.

Last year the LANS Board of Governors approved $3.2 million for the 2014 Community Commitment Plan.