Y-12 Blog
If there’s one thing that Kristen R. values, it is safeguarding the security of our nation. She spent over two decades carrying out national security missions around the world as a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy.
The missions and values at Y‑12 are not altogether different from the military. “Military is very focused on securing freedoms that we as Americans experience. You are also taught in the military that every person’s role is valuable for the mission,” Kristen said.
Her service in the U.S. Navy equipped her well to join the workforce at Y‑12. “My military experience helps me connect with people. I’m already trained to stay calm, ask questions, and respond appropriately,” she said. These tactics aid her in her job in the Emergency Management organization. They also come into play with her role as secretary in the CNS affinity group Serving our Servicemembers (SOS).
Kristen values the opportunities for connection within SOS for both veterans and employees who do not have military backgrounds. She is responsible for adding in the group’s new members, coordinating monthly meetings and volunteer events, and supporting communication with members (and their families) during deployments. “Employees who are well taken care of are productive and that is what we want to bring to Y‑12.”
How has working for CNS changed or reinforced your thoughts on our mission?
I was in the military for over 20 years. I was fortunate enough to be part of the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, expanding my knowledge of Y‑12 and seeing different areas of Safeguards and Security. I have always believed in doing work for the greater good of our nation and working here at CNS gives me the opportunity to continue doing so. It is vitally important to do our part to complete the bigger picture!
What task lets you know you are helping achieve the CNS mission? How/why does that task let you know you are working toward the mission?
I am the secretary of Serving Our Servicemembers (SOS) and put together our monthly meetings. Y‑12 has a Veteran initiative and utilizes the SkillBridge program as well as word of mouth. Part of what we discuss in our meeting is how we can recruit other veterans and/or spouses. We also let them know there are resources available and no one is alone.
Give an example when teamwork has helped you in your role.
We cannot keep the site safe without working as a team! It is nice to know you can reach out to anyone and either get an answer or be directed to the right answer. Working with the SOS group, we have been able to support different organizations and give folks a space to interact with like‑minded people.
What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex or Y‑12?
Though you might not see how you fit into the big picture right off the bat, just know we cannot supply our military without you. Put your best foot forward every day.
What is your favorite outside‑of‑work activity and why?
Family time is very important. My husband, children, and I love to explore Tennessee and see what it has to offer. Makes the area feel more like home. If we are not outdoors, we are traveling to see family.
Marcia B. has been working for the federal government or as a contractor since she was 16. “I worked as a student aide at the [Oak Ridge] Federal Building,” she said. From there, she had various Department of Energy assignments in Oak Ridge, including scanning records, transcribing personnel security interviews, and a stint in Waste Management.
After managing a group of support staff in Waste Management, she began working for Safeguards and Security. “My love for safeguards and security started then,” she recalled. “What we call an enterprise assessment now was handled locally then. I enjoyed going out on audits. I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t you implement these requirements?’ Once I came to Y‑12, I realized the requirements are not that easy to implement.”
Marcia said, “The hardest thing about implementation is making sure everyone understands the requirements. You have to make the policy clear and concise and implement consistently and constantly.”
She says the best part of her job is finding a solution to a potentially negative situation. “For example,” she explained, “when our shipments were shut down, brainstorming on storage options and meeting with people for resolution was rewarding. You can see that you’ve made a difference … a positive impact on the site.”
“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “I always wanted to do something with the government where I could make a difference in the country and have a positive effect on us as a nation.”
Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? If so, describe how you got here.
Yes and no. I grew up around this area, so working at one of the government sites was always on my radar. As a young girl, I had always heard they make good money. Growing up with a single mom who couldn’t afford much, ‘good money’ sounded great. However, when I started college, my goal was to become a corporate lawyer … that’s too long of a story to tell … let’s just say that several years later I ended up receiving a degree in criminal justice, and that was much more interesting.
What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
The people. We have some really fascinating people who work here, and I am so thankful every day that I have been blessed to get to know them. It takes all of us to meet the mission just like it takes a village to raise a child. While I have a part to play, it’s all the tiny parts that each of us play that ensure we are able to meet the mission and support the greatest country on earth.
What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex or Y‑12?
Learn all you can and don’t be afraid to ditch what you know and try something new. Our sites are so diverse and there are so many jobs that you can chose to do out here. If you’ve mastered one, don’t be afraid to jump into another one.
What one thing would your coworkers be surprised to know about you?
Those close to me know I have held a clearance since I was 16 years old. The other secret is that I really like to sing, but I am afraid to do so in public.
What is the top lesson you have learned by applying problem‑solving skills to an issue? What advice would you offer a newer employee about the importance of solving problems and asking questions?
In my mind these questions go hand in hand.
As a new employee, we spend a lot of time in class and on the floor learning various aspects about the site and, more importantly, about our job and its role in the site’s mission. All of that information is important to our success, but our ability to ask questions and begin to put our problem‑solving skills to the test is more important. New employees bring both their skills and a fresh set of eyes. What they see and how we operate may not make sense. Ask questions to learn and offer possible solutions. You’ll become more knowledgeable and our site will improve.
I am a problem solver at heart. I love puzzles and riddles, and I also ask questions a lot. I am happiest when I am able to find a solution to a complex problem, whether that’s for the site or my family. The most important lesson I’ve learned about being a good problem solver is that there is almost always more than one way to solve a problem. Working with others, brainstorming, and doing research to understand history go a long way toward ensuring you are able to provide a solution that is logical, cost effective, and agreeable to most, if not all, stakeholders.
John H.’s colleagues refer to him as the MVP of training. The title is fitting considering he has dedicated himself to continually growing his instructional and training strengths.
“I wanted to be a teacher since the eighth grade,” he explained. John attended Wright State in Ohio, receiving both a B.S. degree in education and a M.E. degree in administration.
He began his career teaching physics to high school students and part‑time to college students at his alma mater in Dayton, Ohio. That evolved into a training job, working for the Department of Energy at the (former) Mound Plant in Dayton. When that plant faced a shut down in the mid‑1990s, he relocated to Tennessee for a contract job opportunity at Y‑12.
John’s scope at that time was supporting a facility restart project. He attributes this project to a major paradigm shift in his training style. “The project was a complete restart, from the ground up. It was essential for us to concentrate on the why behind the technical skills,” he said. “The focus then became adjusting the learning style to help the workers understand the processes, instead of memorizing them.”
John has been a leader in the Production Training organization for more than two decades. He directly supports material operations, but is often sought out for direction regarding other Production organizations. He is the first smiling face that thousands of Y’12 chemical operators have met on their first day on the job.
Simply put, an operator’s objective is monitoring data and remotely adjusting controls as needed to ensure chemical processes function accurately. That is a mission̩critical role in the work performed at Y‑12.
John also supports operational drills and is a certified instructor with the National Training Center.
He sincerely believes in what Y‑12 does and why. “I am proud to be of the generation to replace those who initially built Y‑12. It’s both rewarding and humbling to train and prepare the next generation to take over,” he stated. “I feel very blessed with not only my work but especially my family. My wife and I just celebrated our 44th anniversary!”
What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
By far, the personnel with whom I work. I’ve been privileged to work with the finest of personnel throughout my professional career. Now that I am “older,” and maybe a little bit wiser, I wish I could apply more from my prior experiences.
What CNS principle drives you to be successful?
INTEGRITY. Make the right decision for the right reasons. Set high standards.
As an employee, what do you want to be remembered for?
That I did the job the right way, and from the heart.
What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex or Y‑12?
Be patient with yourself, ears and eyes open to old and new ideas. We collectively have a crucial legacy, one that some historians could argue has kept the overall global peace for nearly 80 years.
What one thing would your coworkers be surprised to know about you?
I like to flower garden and work in the yard. Given the odds of winning a big lottery must remain a dream, I would love to have a plant nursery; must be some Frederick Olmsted or Johnny Appleseed genes along the chain.
Celebrated annually on November 15, America Recycles Day, also known as National Recycling Day, began in 1994. The day serves to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products. It’s a reminder to all that how we recycle and reuse products is important.
That message resonates with CNS employees, because in Fiscal Year 2023, both Pantex and Y-12 saw substantial increases in recycled materials. While it is a win for the environment, the work also helps support the sites’ national security missions.
Y-12 recycled more than 5.8 million pounds, which is a record number of materials. This exceeds last year’s record amount recycled by more than a million pounds.
The recycling coordinator at Y-12, Lisa B., is encouraged by these achievements. “This means every employee took part in the program. It takes the entire plant doing their part to have such success. Each employee plays an important role. The more we recycle, the more we are able to keep items out of the landfill or items going off-site as waste.”
Pantex recycled more than 1.54 million pounds for FY 2023, which is close to an 8% increase over the previous year.
The intention isn’t simply to recycle more materials, but also to become more efficient in our practices. Alicia B. of Pantex Environmental Compliance notes that her group is working on a new initiative with Waste Operations to get a paper briquette machine. This equipment addition will fast-track the transition of waste paper into functional reusable material.
Sustainability has worked in tandem with Waste Operations to overcome obstacles at Pantex. “To have over 1.5 million pounds recycled this year, and the fact that we have continually been able to increase that number can be attributed to these groups working hard at finding recyclers in the Amarillo area,” she said. Waste Operations administers and manages
multiple recycling contracts through CNS Procurement. It is these contracts that essentially authorize us to offer materials to the recycler and take credit for diverting that material from landfill disposal.
Both sites ultimately attribute success to increased employee awareness and contributions. Adding recycle repositories around the sites has helped make recycling easy and convenient. Technological advances and vendor participation have allowed items to be recycled that would have previously ended up in the landfill or hazardous waste disposal.
“Employees should be proud to be a part of an organization that is so dedicated to keeping as much material as possible from going to the landfill,” said Jeremy P. of Y-12 Sustainability. He added, the goal is to create new material streams every year. This can only continue to foster an environment for recycling success at CNS.
Take 5 minutes to learn about Chris Harkins, CNS chief operating officer. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.
CNS Chief Operating Officer Chris Harkins helps manage daily operations of Pantex and Y-12 and works with President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Tighe to ensure the sites conduct safe and productive operations. When you consider there are more than 13,000 employees working to achieve the mission, that is a large undertaking.
“I’ve been impressed by the massive scope at Pantex and Y-12,” said Harkins, who arrived at CNS in May. To help keep safety and security at the forefront, he also provides oversight for investigations, critiques, and corrective action plans.
“The similarities between these and other sites made for a seamless transition,” he said. “From the safety first culture to our link to the national security mission, the Pantex and Y-12 workforces have a sense of purpose, are professional and proud, and know what they are doing.”
It doesn’t take new CNS employees long to understand the importance of the Pantex and Y-12 mission and feel a sense of pride and patriotism in serving that mission. For Harkins, a U.S. Navy veteran, the patriotism was already well established, but seeing an assembled product ready for shipment at Pantex recently, he felt added pride.
“Standing next to and seeing the final assembled product [at Pantex] waiting to be shipped to the Department of Defense was surreal,” he said. ”The Pantex workforce is extremely competent, and that is really important in this line of work.”
He has similar thoughts about Y-12. “I’m amazed at the employees’ expertise on uranium and other special materials and how the site is its own self sufficient manufacturing plant.”
The communities around both sites intrigue Harkins, thanks to a childhood hobby.
“I really enjoy watching the trains in the Amarillo area on the way to and from the site (I was a model railroader growing up),” Harkins said. “In Oak Ridge, it’s the historical aspect and the fact that the activities of the secret city of Oak Ridge were actually kept secret until the time of our choosing in 1945.”
As a U.S. Navy veteran, you likely are more familiar than most people with the mission of Pantex and Y-12. How has working for CNS changed or reinforced your thoughts on our mission (nuclear deterrence, managing the stockpile, etc.)?
My first exposure to nuclear weapons in the Navy came late in my career when I was assigned commander of the Atlantic fleet’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine [known as SSBN] squadron in Kings Bay, Georgia. As commodore of the SSBN squadron, I was responsible and accountable to the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Navy for the readiness of our SSBNs (crews and equipment) to execute strategic missile launch tasking if directed. It didn’t take me long to gain immense respect and admiration for the exacting standards maintained by the SSBN force.
Today, having worked at Savannah River, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and now Pantex and Y-12, seeing the production end of the weapons programs brings an even greater respect for the entirety of the team behind our nation’s successful nuclear deterrence capability.
What daily task (specific meeting, report, etc.) lets you know you’re helping achieve the CNS mission? How/why does that task let you know you’re working toward the mission?
In the Navy, it was the ability to keep the required minimum number of SSBN submarines (and their warheads) at sea and/or trained/ready/available to meet national security requirements. Here at CNS, the most important metric is the ability to safely meet our warhead and bomb production rates so that our delivery platforms [bombers, ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), and submarines] actually have the number and types of nuclear weapons required by our national strategy. That’s why I believe it is so important for every employee to see a clear connection between what they do in their everyday job and how it directly contributes to our national security.
What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
My favorite aspect about my work environment is the ability to leave my office and go to the shop floor or into the field to engage the team. I am a big believer in getting out and about and engaging employees in their workspace.
I have yet to meet a CNS employee not eager to talk about what they do, share their accomplishments, and even more important for us as leaders, tell me how I can help them. Putting “eyes on target” is a very informative tool and enables the leadership team to maintain confidence that the mission is being met.
What top strength do you bring to your organization and why?
Towards the end of my Navy career, I became an expert in human factors analysis, specifically why smart, trained, and qualified people sometimes make bad decisions, the most significant of which could end up costing hundreds of millions of dollars and/or causing fatalities. Having a good understanding of decision making under various conditions and cognitive biases is essential to the prevention of errors, but that alone is not enough. Getting organizational buy in in this area and implementing the right processes and culture is much harder, but I have had the pleasure of leading it at several organizations. It is exciting to watch an organization become a genuine “high performing organization,” because the ultimate winners are the organization’s employees. If you have ever been on a winning team, you know what I am talking about — it inspires you to be even better and seek ways to improve yourself and your organization each and every day.
What’s your favorite outside of work activity and why?
I love the outdoors and staying active: fishing, boating, and relaxing at our lake house. I also enjoy hiking.