Pantex Proud: Taylor Cockrell

Thousands of dedicated Pantex citizens like Taylor Cockrell work every day to support the Pantex mission. Take three minutes to learn about who he is, what he does, and why he is proud to be a Pantexan.

Among the people, pews, and praise at his church, Cloud Administrator Taylor Cockrell discovered more than he anticipated — a career in information technology.

Cockrell initially went to college for mechanical engineering, but he changed his major to sound production while working as an audio technician for his church. As he learned this auditory and technical craft, Cockrell quickly realized how much it involved IT, especially with networking. This realization turned into fascination, and not long after, he found himself working in IT-related jobs. First, he broadened his IT knowledge at a massive cattle-feeding operation. Four years later, he traded bovines for bombs.

“I was really excited and also grateful for the opportunity to work at Pantex,” Cockrell said. “My first year here was during site separation, which demanded a lot from my team when migrating from OneNet to PxNet and other related duties, but I enjoyed it.”

Cockrell’s pride in working here ties into what he appreciates the most about his job.

“I’m proud to be a part of the mission,” he said. “Pantex is a community, and we all have the same goal. What we do goes beyond our site borders. It’s important to me to be a part of that, and along the way, I get to work with a lot of diverse people with different skill sets. We help each other. I get better at what I do every day because of them.”

“Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” is a proverb that Cockrell lives by daily. He also knows that while you can improve through interaction with others, a continuous pursuit of knowledge is just as valuable to personal development.

“When you stop learning, you don’t grow as a person,” he said. “I continue to learn in my job and personal life to be the best I can be. Also, part of that growth comes from what not to do and in holding ourselves accountable. No matter how big or small you mess up, don’t sweep it under the rug. Own it and grow from it.”

What’s your top bucket list item and why?
Skydiving. Life can be so routine and skydiving is something out of the norm. I know a few people that have done this and have really enjoyed it. I think it would be a one-and-done situation, but I could look back and be proud I conquered something that earlier in my life I was too afraid to do.

What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity and why?
Coaching my son’s flag football team. The opportunity arose and I was hesitant at first, but I ended up really loving it. It’s made a huge positive impact on our relationship.

Why is giving back to the community important?
It’s important for Pantex to show it is more than just a government entity and that it cares for the people in the community, that we care about the area we all call home. I also believe it’s great to serve others and to see how happy they are when you help them when they need it the most, even if it’s something small.

Do you volunteer or remain actively engaged in the community?
I now run sound at my church as a volunteer. I’ve always enjoyed doing that and serving in the kingdom of God to help others.