Amarillo Chamber of Commerce recognizes two Pantexans
AMARILLO, Texas –The Amarillo Chamber of Commerce is shining a spotlight on its “Top 20 Under 40” winners, and among them are two Pantexans; Joshua Cunningham and Brandy Ramirez.
To be eligible, along with being under the age of 40, the candidates must be employed in the area for at least three years, and in the same field, though not necessarily at the same businesses. Nominations were received through the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce website, and the winners were selected by judges who reviewed nominations and picked the top 20 award winners as up-and-coming Amarillo professionals who are standouts in their professions.
Cunningham currently serves as Pantex Nuclear Material Control & Accountability Manager. In this role, Cunningham is responsible for the control and accountability of all special nuclear material and accountable nuclear material. He graduated summa cum laude from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2005, joining Pantex the next year as a Laboratory Engineering Technician. He has fulfilled several roles, including scientist, production section manager, facility manager, and senior scientist, prior to accepting his current position.
Cunningham says he is “passionate about leadership and takes great satisfaction in caring for those that are part of his team and focusing on opportunities for impacting positive change for the people he serves.”
Ramirez, a graduate of Caprock High School, received her degree from West Texas A&M University in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Science and System & Engineering management from Texas Tech University. She began as an intern at Pantex in 2010 and took on a full-time role in System/Facility Engineering in 2012. She serves as the president of the Amarillo Society of Women Engineers and the Pantex Women in Nuclear chapter, and hopes to inspire young women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
“My goal is to learn more about Pantex in hopes of moving from a technical position to management, where I can inspire others and apply skills obtained through professional development that Pantex has offered me,” said Ramirez.
Jason Harrison, vice president of Business Development and Governmental Affairs with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, said, “The Chamber realizes the importance of our young professionals and is excited each year to recognize those business professionals under the age of 40 that exemplify the
highest of standards of professional excellence in their industry and careers and have demonstrated personal achievement in their lives, as well as brought value to the Amarillo business community.”
Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.
For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.com or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.