Y-12 Blog
Stephanie Steelman (left) shows Nicole Nelson-Jean, NNSA Governance Committee chair and Savannah River Site manager equipment at the Pantex chemistry lab.
In April 2018, an independent team conducted a peer review of the NNSA Production Office, Pantex and Y-12. The peer review is a recently established process by NNSA designed to leverage the experience of leaders from across the enterprise (NNSA headquarters, field offices, management and operating partners, and corporate parents) to identify and share lessons learned and best practices to strengthen the governance process throughout NNSA.
Ted Sherry, Performance Excellence manager, said, “While the team was at each site, the team evaluated our governance processes, policies, and effectiveness. They were reviewing the roles of the contractor, the parent corporations, the federal field office, and NNSA headquarters.”
Prior to their visit, the team received detailed documentation packages about the policies, procedures, and processes for governance.
“The peer review team received briefings, participated in field observations of governance processes, and had open dialogue with employees,” Sherry said. “The preliminary out brief indicated that our governance model is working well and is effective. The team gave us suggestions in several areas for improvements, as well as suggestions to improve the peer review process itself.”
The peer review team is drafting the final report.
Two tower cranes were installed early this year as part of the construction of UPF. The cranes, which are 300 and 360 feet tall, will be used to move materials and equipment during construction. Having high-capacity, stationary cranes within the footprint of the buildings gives UPF the ability to reach every spot in the construction zone. Using the cranes is more efficient and safer than moving materials manually. The cranes have been used to move rebar for the foundation of the Mechanical Electrical Building.
In honor of Earth Day, Y-12 displayed several sustainability booths in the Jack Case Center gallery April 19. Various on-site organizations, including the Uranium Processing Facility, Sustainability and Stewardship, Development, and the Energy Program, shared how they reduce and reuse. External organizations including the @national park service, @knoxsmarttrips, and @TennesseeWildlifeResourcesAgency also shared tips with employees. At the LiveWise booth, employees could donate used (and not abused) athletic shoes and eyeglasses.
The Aluminum Beverage Can Committee also selected four charities that will receive a $200 donation from proceeds made from recycling employees’ ABCs. The organizations selected are Free Medical Clinic in Oak Ridge, Koinonia Foundation of Tennessee, Remote Area Medical, and the Restoration House of East Tennessee.
NNSA Administrator and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Lisa Gordon-Hagerty toured several production buildings during her visit to the site.
NNSA Administrator and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Lisa Gordon-Hagerty recently visited
At an all-hands meeting held at New Hope Center, Gordon-Hagerty shared her top priorities: infrastructure, governance, leveraging capabilities, and teamwork.
She also got to meet with Calutron Girl Ruth Huddleston.
From left: Glenn Pfennigwerth, Alan Moore, Morgan Smith, Lorelei Woods, and Vincent Lamberti at the 2018 CNS Fellows Colloquium
CNS recently hosted its inaugural Fellows Colloquium at
“This is our declaration—that we are an organization that does work of tremendous scientific and technical significance for our nation, and this work requires the very best. It’s our most senior scientific and technical rank or title and connotes that we are engaged in activities that merit this level of personnel — equal to what occurs elsewhere in high-technology industries,” said Smith.
Glenn Pfennigwerth (Uranium Fellow), Alan Moore (Metallurgy), Vincent Lamberti (
“The colloquium was vitally important to showcase the great technical work we do and to honor the individuals who are leading us into the future,” said Ashley Stowe, CNS Fellows program manager. “The excitement for staff at Pantex and
The colloquium featured posters covering diverse areas of expertise — from explosives and advanced manufacturing to nonproliferation and lithium.