John Woolery, president and general manager of B&W Pantex, will leave Pantex Plant this month to take over a new post in Kentucky.

Woolery will continue overseeing Pantex until new contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security assumes management and operations of the Energy Department nuclear weapons plant in July.

He will take on his new role as president and general manager of Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Services in July, said Chuck Spencer, a top company official.

Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Service is the government’s contractor for the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Project.

The conversion project aims to design, build and operate facilities in Ohio and Kentucky to convert about 700,000 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride stored at the two sites into a more stable chemical for suitable for reuse or disposal.

Depleted uranium hexafluoride is a nuclear material produced by the uranium enrichment process and a byproduct of Cold War-era nuclear weapons production.

“John brings multiple levels of experience in the management of federal nuclear facilities to this new position, with a resume that demonstrates positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career,” Spencer said.

Woolery led all aspects of Pantex Plant operations and achieved the highest plant performance evaluations in the plant’s history, according to information from B&W Pantex.

Woolery will replace Jeff Stevens, acting BWCS president and project manager.