CNS administrative professionals honored with 2022 Jackie Kelly Awards

Administrative professional Renea Dosher won the Pantex Jackie Kelly Award for 2022. With her is Deputy Chief Information Officer Rick Day, who co-nominated her with Chief Information Officer Joe Harris.

For most organizations, the group’s administrative professional is both a nexus of knowledge and the glue that holds all the parts together. They keep coworkers and their bosses on track, informed, reminded, and supported. These professionals do their complex jobs while dealing with deadlines, interruptions, and — over the past two years — all the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Nearly 100 administrative professionals work at Pantex and Y-12, helping to keep the sites’ missions running smoothly. One such stellar administrative professional was Jackie Kelly, who was known at Y-12 for meeting challenges, including the cancer that eventually ended her life. In 2017, the Jackie Kelly Award was established in her memory to recognize one outstanding administrative professional at each site.

A panel of five judges from both sites scored the nomination forms with the names and organizations redacted to ensure fairness.

The 2022 Jackie Kelly Award winners are Renea Dosher at Pantex and Melanie Fleury at Y-12.

Renea Dosher, Pantex
Dosher, senior administrative support for Information Solutions and Services, has worked at Pantex for more than six years. She said going the extra mile and striving for excellence are the keys to success.

“This role is about providing dedicated support with the best results,” she said. “It’s important to uphold accountability, professionalism, and accuracy in all tasks. The end result is not only a reflection of me, but the IS&S organization, CNS, and our mission.”

She was nominated by Chief Information Officer Joe Harris and Deputy Chief Information Officer Rick Day, noting her reputation for delivering high quality products.

“Renea has strong interpersonal skills and works equally well with technical employees and all levels of management. Her role requires that she interact with a wide mix of employees all day, every day,” they wrote in nominating Dosher.

“Renea is the ‘go to’ person for a wide range of business operation needs and will find the answers if she does not already know them,” the nomination continued. “She is a committed team player who frequently works extended hours to support deliverables and her fellow teammates.”

Dosher said the rewards of her job come from her coworkers.

“I am proud to work with some of the best people,” she said. “Their motivation, support, mentorship, and encouragement to seek out new challenges is rewarding. There is always an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Melanie Fleury, Y-12

Jackie Kelly Award winner for Y-12 Melanie Fleury poses with her plaque.

Fleury, administrative support for Mission Systems & Integration, chose to leave the workforce for eight years to care for her special-needs son. Hearing of a job posting in administrative support led to her joining Y-12.

Now, just six months later, Fleury is the Jackie Kelly Award winner at Y-12. The director she works for, Will Farmer, said in her nomination that, “Ms. Melanie displays a caring attitude by doing the small things that make a person feel confident in their own success.”

“She has become a vital part of our Mission Systems & Integration family,” Farmer wrote. “With her dedication, conscientiousness, caring, and can do attitude, Ms. Melanie has made a huge positive impact to our team. We’re truly fortunate to have her.”

Fleury said she’s the one who feels fortunate to have been blessed with the position.

My team are the most comradery minded and hard working individuals. They’ve embraced me immediately, taught me the ropes, and encouraged me along the way,” she said. “The atmosphere of Mission Systems & Integration encompasses my core values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, so it has been effortless for me to buy in to our mission.

“Things I always try to provide my team with is my time and attention. I want them to feel valued, welcomed, and appreciated. I want them to know I am happy to assist and eager to help. Everyone is important to me, no matter their title, because they are important to me as a person,” she said.

Congratulations to Renea Dosher and Melanie Fleury, who represent the legacy of Jackie Kelly.