I am Mission Success: Jim F.
Take 5 minutes to learn about Pantex employee Jim F. This article details his role at Pantex and reinforces the diverse workplace culture that CNS offers. Now included in the questions is one related to a CNS performance element (communications, teamwork, problem solving, accountability, interpersonal, technical competence, or leadership). All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.
Linchpin––that term describes an object, function or process that holds together all elements of a complicated structure, making possible its operation or success.
Jim F. is just one of what he views as thousands of linchpins working at Pantex. He specializes in installing large commercial equipment across the plant, yet he sees his role through the lens of humility, as evidenced by one key memory he shared:
“There was an occasion while I was on travel,” he recalled. “I was picking up a rental car. The agent noticed I worked for Consolidated Nuclear Security. He asked me with a thick Russian accent, ‘Nuclear security? You must be pretty special. What do you do?’ I was thinking to myself, ‘Am I about to be followed? This situation could turn bad.’ I told him, ‘Not really, I just install commodes and roads.’”
“The true reality is,” Jim continued, “we are all pretty special here at Pantex because we are all vital to the mission, no matter what our job title is. We all make this place work.”
Jim’s share in this ‘pretty special’ place began in spring of 1994 when he was hired in Waste Operations.
The funny thing is that, despite having served his nation in the Coast Guard and proudly possessing a strong patriotic fervor, for much of his life, Pantex was nowhere on his occupational radar. Were it not for an early-career injury, he might have continued to pursue a career as an air-traffic controller. The unexpected turn of events has given Pantex decades of benefit from his personal and professional leadership.
“I did not have any intentions of seeking a job at Pantex,” he recalled. “However, it turned out some of my classmates and instructors worked at Pantex. My relationships with those folks led to an opportunity to interview for a position in the Waste Operations department.”
Key relationships combined with lots of hard work and dedication—these are reoccurring themes in any discussion with Jim, who has made the utmost out of these principles in both his personal and professional life.
Pretty special, indeed.
What is your top bucket list item, and why?
I would like to sail to Antarctica and pull ports in Australia and New Zealand on the way there and back. I have never been south of the equator. During my time in the Coast Guard, I served on a ship out of Kodiak, Alaska, that was capable of breaking ice. We sailed into the Arctic Ocean to escort research vessels into the ice.
What characteristics define a good leader to you?
There are a few virtues that I live my life by: trust, detachment, thoughtfulness, joy, kindness, courage, tranquility, focus, humility, wisdom, orderliness, generosity, gratitude, self-control, assertiveness, and integrity.
Share a lesson learned from a leader in your past. Why was this a good (or bad) lesson?
A good listener makes a good leader. Several years ago, I participated in a training for future managers. The plant manager at the time was listening to a discussion that my group was having. Later that week, he quoted something I had said during that conversation. I was impressed that he actively listened to what I had to say.
Who in your life has most inspired you, and why?
My wife has been my greatest inspiration. If not for my relationship with her, I would not be working here today. She encouraged me to go back to school and pursue a different path in my life.