WHEREAS, The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL, is celebrating its fiftieth year of operation, employing 4,300 staff at its facility in Richland, Washington; and

WHEREAS, PNNL is a world-class facility that transforms the world through discovery and innovation, enabling us to live more prosperously, safely, and securely, through such innovations as creating standards and devices to measure radiation back in the 1960s, creating materials to aid space exploration, developing nuclear medicine for cancer treatments from nuclear waste, improving climate models, aiding national security by creating innovative explosive-detecting technologies, and improving the environment through the advancement of battery technology for electric vehicles; and

WHEREAS, Mike Kluse, Director of PNNL since January 2007, has made significant contributions to PNNL's success in advancing scientific understanding and solving some of our nation's most complex challenges in energy, the environment, and national security; and

WHEREAS, Mike Kluse has made significant contributions to the Tri-Cities and the State of Washington including his instrumental role in the development of Delta High School, the region's first science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education high school;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize and honor Mike Kluse, Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for their contributions to science, innovation, national security, industry, community, and country; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Mike Kluse, Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.