Y-12er spotlight: Julie Cramer
Julie Cramer started at Y‑12 in 2010 as an intern and has held several positions at the site during her career. (Photo by Jordan Ray.)
The Y‑12er Spotlight shines on one of our own. It takes all Y‑12 employees to make the mission happen successfully and safely. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.
For Julie Cramer, it’s important that things go according to schedule at Y‑12. That’s because it’s important for our mission that things go according to schedule.
Cramer is the Site Scheduling director, a recently established position within Site Operations. The Site Scheduling organization focuses on integrated scheduling and helps provide the site with a single scheduling process.
“The goal is to have everyone playing to one sheet of music, so everyone knows what’s happening at the same time,” she said. “We’re taking these different schedules that people work to and making them talk to each other, so there are no conflicts. This will help everything be done effectively and efficiently, so we can better meet the deliverables and achieve the mission.”
Schedule integration is not a novel idea at the site; it has long been a goal.
“This is not a new thing,” Cramer said. “Y‑12 has been working on this for some time. It’s not going to happen overnight. It will take a while to get it seamless and working well. Ultimately, we want the scheduling to be more proactive than reactive.”
She started at Y‑12 in June 2010 as an intern, when she was a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and later a master’s degree in industrial engineering, with a concentration in engineering management from UT.
In her 15 years at Y‑12, Cramer has been senior manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene (S&IH), an Environment, Safety, and Health advisor, an Operations Health production project lead, and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, in addition to performing multiple functions within Y‑12 Engineering.
What has impressed Julie during her tenure is “the breadth of the scope at Y‑12,” she said. “S&IH supports everything that happens here, and that really opened my eyes. Also, the number of folks it takes to make Y‑12 successful, to make the place operate and support the mission.”
Not only does the quantity of people stand out for her, but their qualities do as well.
“It’s great how people are willing to jump in and help here,” she said, “They have this go‑getter attitude to complete the mission, and they jump over a lot of hurdles in the process. It’s also the relationships with people and how much they mean to you and help you along the way.”
Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? If so, describe how you got here.
I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I worked as an engineer, but my career has taken some zigs and zags. Each one has given me opportunities to see different aspects of Y‑12 and helped me grow my career in a way I couldn’t envision.
What CNS principle drives you to be successful?
Set high standards. If we each hold ourselves accountable and set high standards, that sets us up for success. It creates that drive for excellence, to be better every day.
What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Y‑12?
Experience as many things as you can. Don’t hesitate to say yes to an opportunity. You don’t know where it may take you. If you do these things, you will go far.
What’s your favorite outside‑of‑work activity and why?
I love to travel. We try to visit several new places each year. In early 2023, we went to Costa Rica. It was the kids’ first time out of the country (she and her husband have a 5‑ and 8‑year‑old). I’ve been to Mexico, various countries in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and many places in the U.S. We have plans to go to Portugal and Spain next year. I really enjoy experiencing the different cultures, the food, and the activities.
What characteristics define a good leader to you?
The biggest one is servant leadership. Servant leadership is about fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and growth with your team. You have to be willing to engage with and support your people, ensuring that they feel valued and respected. You must also build the sense of shared purpose to support our mission.