Jason Akre is a Senior Engineering Associate Supervisor at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he has worked since 2002 supporting the National Ignition Facility within the Laser Science & Engineering Operations (LSEO) organization. Assigned to the Manufacturing Services Group in the NIF Directorate, he manages fabrication procurements ranging from $10K to over $1M, commissions complex mechanical hardware for NIF, and works closely with scientific, technical, and programmatic staff to deliver mission critical equipment on accelerated schedules. Jason leads and prioritizes the work of multidisciplinary teams, develops and implements advanced modifications to existing equipment, and has supervisory authority over multiple 300/500 series employees and contractors. For his contributions to NIF milestones, he has received eight NIF Directorate Performance Awards.

Before joining LLNL, Jason was a Mechanical Engineering Associate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supporting the Advanced Light Source from 1988 to 2002. He worked with physicists, chemists, and engineers to perform conceptual and detailed mechanical design, develop drawing packages to ASME Y14.5M standards, coordinate internal and external fabrications, and support assembly, testing, and installation. His work spanned undulator and wiggler support and drive systems, spectrometer stations, beamline and vacuum hardware, and cryostat systems, and he received an Outstanding Performance Award for his work on the Undulator and Wiggler Support and Drive Systems.

Jason’s background also includes small business ownership and precision manufacturing. He previously owned and operated Burrito Brothers Mexican Restaurant in San Leandro, California, where he managed all labor, compliance, financial, and catering operations. Earlier, as a Designer at Magnex/Rotorque Technology Corporation, he designed stepper motors and automated assembly tooling, created internal test equipment schematics, coordinated vendor fabrications, and performed tolerance stack up calculations.

He has extensive technical training in mechanical and electronic drafting and design, machine tool technology, and vacuum technology from Chabot/Las Positas College, Arizona Automotive Institute and Drafting Technology, and the Hayward/New Haven Regional Occupational Center, along with formal coursework in Pro/Engineer, Pro/Intralink, and ASME Y14.5M standards. Jason has represented LLNL on advisory boards for regional occupational programs in industrial drafting and computer aided design, helping align curricula with current engineering and manufacturing needs. He is also active in community and church-based service programs that provide governance support to schools and regular meal service to children and individuals experiencing homelessness.