2026 Thornburg Philanthropist of the Year recipient Bill Wadt of Los Alamos addresses the crowd gathered Thursday, April 16, at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladaily/post.com

Thornburg Foundation President Allan Oliver presents the 2026 Thornburg Philanthropist of the Year award to Bill Wadt of Los Alamos on April 16 at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladaily/post.com  

2026 Thornburg Philanthropist of the Year recipient Bill Wadt holds his award and is surrounded by, from left, LANL Foundation Vice President for Operations and Advancement Tony Fox, Thornburg Foundation President Allan Oliver, LANL Foundation Board Immediate Past Chair Kathryn Harris Tijerina, LANL Foundation Vice President of Finance and Grants Mihaela Popa-Simil, Wadt, his wife Ann McLaughlin, LANL Foundation President & CEO Dr. Gwendolyn Perea Warniment, and Anchorum Health Foundation Senior Vice President of Strategic Philanthropy Jenny Parks, on April 16, at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

ALBUQUERQUE – The Thornburg Foundation has named Dr. Willard “Bill” Wadt of Los Alamos its 2026 Philanthropist of the Year. The Foundation honored Wadt during a special ceremony at the Albuquerque Business First 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Summit & Awards, a celebration of New Mexico’s most outstanding corporate champions, held Thursday, April 16, at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque.

“I am greatly honored and am very proud of the work of the LANL Foundation on behalf of children, students, their families, and educators,” Wadt said. “It’s been a fun 30 years.”

Allan Oliver, president of the Thornburg Foundation in Santa Fe told the assembled crowd that it was his honor to announce the recipient of the 2026 Garrett Thornburg Philanthropist of the Year.

“This award reflects a simple but powerful idea – that personal generosity, sustained service, and thoughtful leadership can change lives,” Oliver said. “It recognizes individuals whose commitment creates lasting impact – not just for institutions but for people and communities. Those values are embodied fully by this year’s recipient, Dr. Willard ‘Bill’ Wadt.”

Oliver explained that Wadt was instrumental in the creation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation (LANL Foundation) in 1997.

“From the beginning, his vision was clear and ambitious – to build education equity for students and families in the communities surrounding Los Alamos,” Oliver said. “The LANL Foundation began as a bold collaboration bringing together Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Department of Energy, the University of California, and bipartisan support from leaders including Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman. That partnership laid the groundwork for what has become one of the most impactful education foundations in New Mexico.”

Oliver commended Wadt’s patient, sustained leadership of the LANL Foundation over the last three decades. He has served multiple terms as treasurer, twice as board chair and beginning this May will take on an unprecedented third term as chair. Under his stewardship, the LANL Foundation has grown its endowment to more than $130 million including 32 named endowed scholarships.

“Bill has insisted on strong governance and careful stewardship of public and charitable resources,” Oliver said. “He helped establish sound bylaws, broad community representation on the board, and rigorous fiduciary oversight. Because of that discipline and integrity, the foundation has returned more than $85 million to Northern New Mexico communities – supporting thousands of students every year, with a deep commitment to first generation college students and students from rural and tribal communities.”

Oliver added that Wadt has been a steadfast champion of what he calls the “whole student” – saying that Wadt believes education must go beyond academic achievement to include wellbeing, critical thinking, citizenship, health, and lifelong learning.

In addition to his professional leadership, Wadt and his wife Ann McLaughlin have given generously on a personal level, Oliver said. Together they have contributed more than half a million dollars to the LANL Foundation – establishing an early childhood education endowment, supporting scholarships, and strengthening core operations. They also created the Jeff Bingaman Intern Program, which offers students hands-on experience in philanthropy and public service.

“Because of Bill Wadt’s leadership and generosity, thousands of New Mexico students gained a future full of possibility … that is a remarkable legacy,” Oliver said.

Wadt joined LANL in 1976 and retired after 34 years. He received his AB in chemistry and mathematics from Williams College and his PhD in chemistry from Caltech. He started in basic and applied research and then moved into line, project, and institutional management, including systems-based improvement in environment, safety, health, quality, strategic planning, community relations, educational outreach, economic development, and Laboratory-wide organizational performance. Wadt was recognized by Science Digest as one of America’s 100 Brightest Scientists under 40 in 1984. He is the Immediate past chair of the board of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation and serves on the board of Quality New Mexico. He also serves on the Advisory Council for Cognia New Mexico and chairs New Mexico Excellence in Learning, an education initiative of Quality New Mexico. Wadt was named a Los Alamos Living Treasure in 2024. He was also the winner of LANL’s 2024 Community Relations Medal for his service to Northern New Mexico communities for more than 30 years, both during his career at Los Alamos and since his retirement.

Panelists during the Albuquerque Business First 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Summit & Awards, from left, following the moderator, Saranam Executive Director Tracy Weaver, STACK Infrastructure Director of Community Engagement Tessa Abeyta, Adelante Development Center, Inc. Vice President of Development Amy Lavender, and Executive Director & Chief Community Engagement Officer Sara Keller. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Scene of the banquet room during the Albuquerque Business First 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Summit & Awards on April 16 at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque, Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com