Kuchler, who worked for thirty years on tasks related to Fermilab facilities, says he first became involved in linear collider planning when he took a trip to SLAC in 1999. At that time, the most basic technology for the collider had not been decided, and the meetings Kuchler attended had to do with rudimentary planning for civil construction. "We didn't even know if we would be dealing with the warm or cold technology," he said. Kuchler became increasingly involved in ILC civil construction plans over the years, and was also promoted from deputy head to head of FESS in May 2005. As section head, Kuchler was responsible for everything from Fermilab cooling ponds to major engineering projects--even janitorial work fell under his jurisdiction. But when the ILC's fundamental design was finally determined late that year, Kuchler got much busier with his ILC job. "Pier took me aside and said he would really like my full effort to be directed toward the ILC project," said Kuchler, "I was very happy to accept the challenge."

Now Kuchler does a good deal of traveling, working closely with SLAC's Fred Asiri and representatives from Asia and Europe to reconcile ILC design alternatives and determine a reasonable cost estimate for the civil design. "In any project, everyone wants to know how much it is going to cost," said Kuchler. "In order to get an answer, however, you first need to know what you are going to build. It may sound obvious, but it takes a lot of work to get to that point." The fact that the location of the international collider has not been decided presents Kuchler with a huge challenge: The exact design (and therefore cost) will largely depend on terrain and local safety regulations. "If you had all the resources and time you could get a perfect answer," said Kuchler. "Here you have to know how to strike a balance with varying siting concerns and design solutions…that requires good communication."

Good communication will also be important for Ortgiesen as the new FESS head. "There are still some incorrect perceptions about FESS that can only be corrected through face-to-face communication and candid, open, discussion," said Ortgiesen, who has worked within FESS for 7 years. "Vic really taught me to communicate with other laboratory personnel eyeball to eyeball." FESS has only been around since 1992, and because the young section encompasses such a variety of tasks at the lab, Kuchler and Ortgiesen say that a big challenge is maintaining strong connections with other division and section heads. "Vic has done a great job of prepping me," he said. "He really helped me appreciate the culture of the lab."

Before working in facilities management at Fermilab, Ortgiesen worked in the military and the private sector in infrastructure management. He also worked as a staff civil engineer at the Naval Training Center--a role he says was very similar to his job here. "One of my leadership responsibilities in the navy was to ensure that folks made it home safely to their families," he said. "I take this very seriously and will make it a major goal during my tenure."

For Fermilab Director Pier Oddone, the transition could not have come at a better time. "I am very pleased that Vic will be leading our efforts on the site studies for the ILC," he said. "This is terribly important for us since the development of the ILC at Fermilab is a great challenge." Oddone also looks forward to Ortgiesen's tenure: "Randy has great experience in management and a passion for keeping our extraordinary site safe and in excellent shape," he said.
--Siri Steiner