Serving as a licensing executive in the Office of Technology Transfer since 1989, Dickens has negotiated nearly one-fourth of all Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (LMES) and Lockheed Martin Energy Research (LMER) technology license agreements with private industry.
He is the only LMER employee who is both the primary inventor on a patented technology that has been licensed and the creator of a design that was trademark and copyright registered and also licensed.
Dickens was employed at DOE's Y-12 Plant from 1980-1989, first as an assembly engineer, and then as a department head in the Facility Safety Department where he was responsible for managing a plant-wide nuclear facility safety program.
He is a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Reserve with 25 years military service, including eight years active duty. Dickens formerly served the city of Oak Ridge as vice mayor and as a member of city council.
Dickens received his bachelor's degree in engineering from North Carolina State University and his master's degree in business administration from Boston University.
He and his wife, Dianne, live in Oak Ridge. They have two sons, Jody and John, attending the U.S. Air Force Academy.
ORNL, one of DOE's multiprogram national research and development facilities is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation.