Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland will lose an important advocate at its contractor's headquarters next year when Douglas Olesen retires.

Olesen, president and chief executive of Battelle Memorial Institute, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire in the fourth quarter of 2001. He has been chief executive since 1987.

Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, has held the Department of Energy contract to manage its national laboratory in Richland since the lab opened in 1965. The lab accounts for about 30 percent of Battelle's business.

"In January 2001, I will reach the age of 62," Olesen said. "As I've approached that personal milestone, I've begun to consider an appropriate retirement date and the very high priority of starting the transition to a successor as president and CEO."

Battelle's board of trustees, with Olesen and Senior Vice President Robert Smith, will pick a new president from a pool of candidates drawn from inside and outside Battelle.

Olesen, a former head of the Richland lab, brought an understanding of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other DOE labs to corporate offices, said Tom McClain, vice president of corporate communications.

Olesen was born in Wenatchee and earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Washington. He joined what is now Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1967.

He started his career there directing research in water treatment, then moved up to department manager positions and then director of research. He became director of the lab in 1979.

Since moving to corporate headquarters, he's led Battelle to expand its leadership of DOE labs to Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and Oakridge National Laboratory in Oakridge, Tenn.

Battelle, under Olesen, also has become more focused on entrepreneurial activities and marketing and has established new commercial spin-offs and subsidiaries, said John McCoy, chairman of the Battelle board.

"This past year has been a record-breaking year for Battelle in the financial performance," McCoy said. "Filling his shoes will be a big task."