I am Mission Success: Chantal J.

Maybe it’s her infectious laugh, her kind and helping spirit, or her dedication to producing quality work for more than a decade, but Pantexan Chantal J. is a popular face inside and outside the office.

Chantal is one of the hard-working engineers at the plant who, for more than a decade, has worked to make sure the mission moves smoothly and safely. She got her foot in the door while in college and seeking an internship to gain experience.

“I found out about Pantex through a friend and applied for a co-op position,” she said. “During the co-op, I found that I loved Amarillo and loved working for Pantex and wanted to stay.”

That was in 2011, and shortly after that she was hired as an engineer. Nearly a decade later, she says she loves the challenge of her work.

Her work has been recognized with various excellence awards over the years.

If she’s not at work, one of the most common places to find Chantal is at her many volunteering pursuits.

She has supported the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering since 2011 and is currently the co-coordinator of the local chapter. The group works to support students in underrepresented groups and inspire them to explore engineering. Each year, the chapter hosts egg drop, catapult, and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) competitions and participates in community activities like the EPIC Success career fair and Pantex’s Introduce a Girl to Engineering.

She also serves as vice president and coordinates events for her sorority and volunteers at the High Plains Food Bank and with the Northside Toy Drive.

Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult? If so, describe how you got here.

I always envisioned myself doing something related to architecture or STEM but never envisioned myself working at a one-of-a-kind government facility like Pantex. I also never envisioned myself getting a master’s of fire protection engineering before working at Pantex.

Pantex opened doors by helping me jump-start my career in architectural engineering and helped me further my education with their reimbursement program. I’ve been able to utilize everything I’ve learned from Day 1 and strengthen my skills in design.

Never would I have imaged that I would be doing the work that I’m doing now, while working with such great people.

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 being able to meet and work with new people and learn about the different groups on-site. Working with different groups helps me realize that we all play a big role in helping with the mission, no matter the size of the project.

What CNS principle drives you to be successful?

I believe “Safety, Security, Zero Defects” and “Deliver as Promised” all play a part in design.

What is one thing your coworkers would be surprised to know about you?

My coworkers sometimes get surprised when they find out I have a first degree black belt in tae kwon do and a yellow belt in jujitsu.

What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity and why?

One of my favorite outside-of-work activities is hanging out with my pup. She’s always by my side and always keeping me going.