Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
John Benner is vice president of Strategic Initiatives for Consolidated Nuclear Security, the management and operating contractor for the Y‑12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and expert counsel to help advance the vision, priorities, and long‑term initiatives of CNS. He also has a key role in ensuring Y‑12 continues to deliver a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent while supporting modernization of the site’s infrastructure and capabilities.
Before joining CNS in 2026, Benner most recently served as a senior leader within the U.S. Department of War, where he led nuclear warhead management activities as branch head for Reentry Systems at Navy Strategic Systems Programs.
Benner’s distinguished career also includes more than 30 years of service at Los Alamos National Laboratory. As associate laboratory director for Weapons Production, he was responsible for operations at the Plutonium Facility, known as PF‑4, and led the team that achieved the first production unit of the W87‑1 diamond‑stamped pit. In his previous roles as associate director of Weapons Engineering and Experiments and chief engineer for Nuclear Weapons, he led all weapons engineering and explosive testing activities, supporting weapons modernization programs and stockpile systems.
In addition to those leadership positions, he served at Los Alamos National Laboratory as executive officer for the Weapons Program, division leader for Weapon Systems Engineering, and project director for the W76‑1 Life Extension Program.
From 2017 to 2019, he was vice president and chief operating officer for Mission Support and Test Services, the management and operating contractor for the Nevada National Security Site.
He holds an M.S. in mechanical engineering and a B.S. in aerospace engineering from West Virginia University.