Pantex Blog

In 2013, Josh Johnson, then a North Carolina State University engineering student, couldn’t have imagined where his life and career would take him.

“I’m still not entirely sure how I ended up in the Department of Energy complex,” he chuckled. “I got an internship at Savannah River Site while I was in college, and very quickly became a nerd for anything nuclear.”

His internship led to a full-time position as a design engineer. A couple of years later, a 2-week training course assignment out of state introduced him to Laura Solis, a Pantex employee also assigned to the course. Johnson relocated from South Carolina to the Texas Panhandle in 2018 to assume a facility engineering role at Pantex. Josh and Laura married the next year and will soon welcome their first child.

Johnson has made ample use of opportunities, and he keeps his eyes and mind open for more.

“My curiosity is my greatest strength. My whole job is basically ‘knowing things,’ so I’m always reading and asking questions, trying to learn more,” he said.

Curiosity has reinforced for Johnson that the foundation of understanding very often lies in one simple question: Why?

It is that question—and the questioning attitude so important to everything at Pantex—that recently led Johnson to make a discovery with some literally weighty ramifications.

“I discovered the issue almost by accident. While looking for some unrelated information, I stumbled on an original … drawing where someone had noted in red ink that the cranes in (a specific) facility didn’t have tension rods,” he said.

The rods in question are structural components on a series of 1950s-era cranes being used at Pantex. They became an important part of an early 2000s-era seismic analysis, but it was never fully realized that some of the cranes were missing these rods.

“It seems like different people over the years recognized the tension rods were missing, but didn’t realize the analysis relied on them, or knew they were important to the analysis, but didn’t realize they were missing,” Johnson explained.

It took the young engineer’s curiosity and knowhow, supported by the experience of other Pantexans, to recognize the potential importance of his find.

“I talked to the other system engineer, David Bell, and he agreed it was as big a deal as I thought it was,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Bell escalated the issue, resulting in an adjustment to the approved load capacity of the impacted cranes and prompting a search for ways to upgrade the machines to their previous load rating.

“I like being able to solve problems,” Johnson said. “Solving one problem after another is what it’s all about. That’s how you make things better.”

Why are you mission success?
I try to understand as much as I can from different sources, even things that are probably outside my job description. Knowing what other people I deal with are doing and how they do it usually seems to help me out in some way.

Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? Describe how your career compares or contrasts to your expectations.
A few years ago my parents found an old worksheet from 1st or 2nd grade where I said I wanted to be either a “professional Lego® builder” or a “rhinoceros racer” when I grew up. So, I would say I’m right on track.

How does patriotism factor into your life and work? Did your level of patriotism change after working at Pantex?
Working at a DOE site made me realize the government isn’t a bunch of guys in black suits. It’s ordinary people just doing their job every day. And, I think that’s made me more patriotic than I probably would have been otherwise.

What would your coworkers be most surprised to learn about you?
I can sing “A Boy Named Sue” from start to finish, and I’ve actually got a decent singing voice.

What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity, and why?
Cooking. I got into cooking a couple of years ago as a creative outlet, to save some money, and to eat less junk food. But now it’s also relaxing for some of my regular recipes. And, then, it’s always nice to make something you can be proud of.

Consolidated Nuclear Security President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Tighe.

Take 5 minutes and learn about Consolidated Nuclear Security’s Richard Tighe, president and chief executive officer. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.

Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Tighe and his younger brother Jim played high school football for a legendary Iowa coach — their father Dick Tighe, whose career included more than 400 wins during 63 uninterrupted seasons.

Teamwork and football were familiar themes in the Tighe (pronounced “tie”) household in Webster City, Iowa. That “Friday night lights” culture of the small Midwestern town helped shape Tighe’s leadership philosophy.

“Everybody plays a part on the team,” he said. “In football, you might have to wait until your senior year to play, but the contributions you make to the team while you wait your turn are important.”

In his first few months as president and CEO, Tighe has been busy meeting National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Production Office and CNS leadership teams; local, state, and national elected officials representing the West Texas and East Tennessee areas; NNSA leadership; and site and laboratory directors from across the Nuclear Security Enterprise.

Tighe is taking advantage of the extensive knowledge of the CNS team.

“There is tremendous knowledge and experience at both sites; by working to be inclusive, I’m able to use this to the best advantage in informing decisions,” he said. “I’m new to CNS, but even the most experienced person at Pantex or Y-12 can’t be an expert in all aspects of our work or the sites. Getting input from other people helps all of us take advantage of the full expertise available.”

Before joining CNS, Tighe served in roles with Bechtel and Lockheed Martin, and he is no stranger to the Nuclear Security Enterprise, having spent more than a decade at the Nevada National Security Site. Tighe was also a postdoctoral fellow in the Nuclear Science Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California.

“Coming back to NNSA is like coming back to my roots,” he said. “It takes me back to my foundation in nuclear physics, which helps me understand the mission of both sites and how it fits into the broader Nuclear Security Enterprise.”

What daily task lets you know you’re helping achieve the CNS mission? How/why does that task let you know you’re working toward the mission?
No two days have been the same, so far. Meeting and talking to employees during tours and all hands meetings helps me to put their work in the context of the bigger picture of our mission.

How does patriotism factor into your life?
Patriotism becomes most meaningful to me when I think of the role the U.S. plays with our allies and adversaries around the world. It’s rewarding to be involved with such an important purpose and mission.

What one thing would your coworkers be surprised to know about you?
When I was a postdoctoral fellow in the Nuclear Science Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, I was the lead investigator for the work involved in the discovery of Sb 105 (antimony 105), a nuclear isotope along the proton drip line that has implications for nucleosynthesis. I proposed and planned the experiment, analyzed the data, and wrote the journal article.

What’s your favorite outside of work activity?
When we lived in Maryland, my daughters were involved in high school sports and also played on travel teams. My wife and I enjoyed traveling to their games and tournaments. My daughters and I had a tradition of running in a Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving. While I seldom run in 5Ks or other races these days, I typically run four times each week. I also really enjoy watching college football, particularly watching and attending Notre Dame games.