Pantex Blog

Vicky Bails and her mom, Alma, have both used their talents to make Pantex great.

It’s important to see people who look like us and who we can identify with both to mentor and to help us grow in the workplace. Compliance, Assessments, and Analysis Lead Assessor Vicky Bails took that quite literally, as her mentor and hero at Pantex was her mom, Alma Bliss.

Bliss worked at Pantex from the late 1970s until she retired in 1994. She spent most of her career in Purchasing, which is now named Procurement. She told Bails stories of old, like rattlesnakes in Building 16-12 and the van pool she took from their home near Lake Tanglewood to Pantex, which was exactly 29.5 miles from her front door to the parking lot. When reflecting on her mom’s retirement, Bails recalls how sad she was to be leaving.

“It was really hard for her to leave and walk away from her team and the work that they did. She always told me it was a family out here, and I got to see that. I got to go on site many times to eat lunch with my mom. I got to go to her department Christmas parties. They really lived like a family. I was part of the Pantex family before I could even remember.”

As Bails prepared to start a family of her own, her mother encouraged her to apply at Pantex. She knew it was a good way to provide for a family and knew Pantex treated families well. Not long after starting her position in Information Technology in 1992, Bails met her husband Tony, who worked in her brother’s department. Two of Bails’ brothers have also worked at Pantex.

“It has been continual blessings. I got a bachelor’s degree for less than $500 because of the educational assistance. Additionally, we had a really sick child when he was first born, and our supervisors were very kind and understanding through the whole process.”

Though mom and daughter were in different organizations for the two-and-a-half years they worked together, there were lessons learned that translated across departments.

“My mom told me to let my work prove my worth. Because my dad died and left her with four children, she had to work. She had to be a very hard and dedicated person. I think I took after her in that respect.”

Since Bails has worked at Pantex, she has worked in Information Technology, Operations, Safeguards and Security, Engineering, and now Quality. No matter where she works, people love to tell stories of her late mother.

“She made people toe the line, and if they didn’t, she would let them know. I’ve heard countless stories about people who still revere her. Even when she was not the one in charge of the department, people say she ran that place.”

As an organization filled with people who take great pride in our history, it is easy to forget that generations of Pantexans have come through the gates. Though there are many lineages that span three generations of men at Pantex, there are far fewer women whose mothers or grandmothers worked at Pantex despite the majority of the workforce being women at Pantex during World War II. Generations of women being raised by Pantexans now are the future. As of today, Pantex is the proud employer of more than 1,000 women who play a critical role to further the success of the Pantex mission.

Take 5 minutes to learn about Macey Ray, Weapon Material Program materials engineer. This article details her role at Pantex and reinforces the diverse workplace culture Pantex offers. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pantex or PanTeXas Deterrence.

With close to 4,700 Pantexans employed, it may be easy to think of yourself as just a number in a sea of people; however, it takes every one of us to make the mission successful. Weapon Material Program (WMP) Materials Engineer Macey Ray contributes her success to being open-minded.

“I value hearing the thoughts of others because they bring their own experiences, opinions, and perspectives. Without any other input, there is a risk of putting yourself in an echo chamber, which limits your ability to find the best solution,” Ray said. “If I am the smartest person in the room, I am in the wrong room.”

As a material engineer in the Adhesives and Films, Sylgard, and Paints and Coatings Materials groups, Ray certifies and delivers quality production materials.

“Material engineers own the entire life cycle of materials used across the plant and are involved with various working groups and programs to assure their needs are met,” she said.

When Ray began her career at Pantex more than a year ago, she was surprised to see how different Pantex is compared to other organizations.

“I was surprised to find that coming to Pantex is comparable to entering a time machine. It is interesting to see the pros and cons of crucial work being completed using technology and equipment years behind its time,” she said. “It is a testament to the direct and reliable means of performing work, while simultaneously inspiring opportunities for improvement sitewide.”

Ray shared the phrase her organization commonly uses: “We are smarter as a collective.” She emphasized this when detailing the pride Pantexans take in their work and their representation of something larger than self.

What daily task (specific meeting, report, etc.) lets you know you’re helping achieve the mission we have at Pantex? How/why does that task let you know you’re working toward the mission?/strong>
WMP's main endeavor is continuous improvement. This is illustrated by improving processes and methods in supplying quality, certified material to the line. Some of the daily tasks that embody this endeavor are material/drawing reviews, which guarantee a material is meeting specific requirements and are being used properly, as well as equipment implementation in our laboratory and blending and packaging facility to ameliorate material production and testing.

What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?/strong>
My favorite aspect of my work environment is WMP's ability to collaborate with multiple organizations across the site. Getting to work with people in every department shows Pantex's dedication to the mission and how every person and job are necessary to support production.

What top strength do you bring to your organization and why?/strong>
I bring optimism to my organization—a cheerful attitude, which encourages open-mindedness within the team when faced with tasks. My positive perspective allows me to enjoy every day and take pride in the work that I accomplish for the Weapon Material Program.

What’s your top bucket list item and why?
My top bucket list item is to compete on Survivor. I have always been a fan of the show. I enjoy seeing the differences in competitors as they compete in physical, intellectual, and socially strategic challenges. Survivor is a game of balance—showing your strengths without becoming too much of a threat and balancing the needs of the group against the needs of the individual. I would love to adapt to this social experiment and see if I could become the sole survivor.