The ORAU Board of Directors unanimously appointed Meghan F. Millwood as ORAU’s seventh president and CEO and the first woman to lead ORAU, effective Sept. 1, 2025.
Millwood, who has been with ORAU since 2002, was selected following a nationwide search that attracted more than 150 applicants.
“The search to find ORAU’s next president and CEO was thorough and rigorous and was led by a CEO search committee that included six members of the board of directors and two ORAU staff,” Deborah Crawford, Ph.D., chair of the ORAU Board of Directors and vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, wrote in a message to ORAU employees on June 23, 2025. The search committee identified seven semi-finalists, and then three finalists were selected who met with Oak Ridge and Knoxville community leaders and members of the ORAU executive team.
“While all three finalists were outstanding leaders with the experience and acumen necessary to be successful in the CEO role, one candidate clearly distinguished herself,” Crawford said. “Meghan’s vision for ORAU, coupled with her authenticity, integrity, and deep understanding of the company’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities, resonated strongly with the Board and earned their unanimous support for her appointment.”
While Millwood’s various roles at ORAU have primarily focused on Human Resources, she is known across the organization as a visionary, empathetic and impactful leader. She has served as chief human resources officer/vice president of human resources since October 2016 and has held a variety of successive roles at ORAU since joining the company in 2002. She concurrently served as acting senior vice president of ORAU Government Services from March through August 2024.
Millwood has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Campbell University. She just completed her third and final year as a member of the University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Associates.
Millwood assumes the role of president and CEO following the 16-year tenure of Andy Page, who is retiring after a total of 25 years with ORAU.