James Rispoli served as Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management from August 2005 until November 22, 2008. In his capacity as head of the Office of Environmental Management, Rispoli also oversaw the management of the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund.

 

He earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College and a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of New Hampshire. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in business from Central Michigan University. Following college he joined the US Navy and rose to the rank of captain while serving in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps, holding executive level environmental and construction management positions.

 

Rispoli later joined Metcalf and Eddy, an environmental engineering firm, where he served as senior vice president with responsibility for its Hawaii offices. He then joined the engineering firm of Dames & Moore’s and served as vice president and manager of the firm’s Pacific area operations. In both firms, he led major engineering and construction projects for private clients, state and federal governmental agencies.

 

Rispoli moved on to the Department of Energy, where he served as senior real property officer and then director of Office of Engineering and Construction Management. He also was a member of the Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee.

 

A fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Rispoli is past director of its construction division and has served in several local section officer positions. He is also a fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers, for which he has held several officer positions at the local post level and served as the national society’s vice president for environmental affairs. Rispoli is an active member of the Project Management Institute for whom he has served on a number of panels and study efforts.