Pantex Blog
Uncleared connection: stories of friendship
Pantex Field Office Deputy Assistant Manager for Nuclear Safety and Engineering Reid Copelin and Pantex Industrial Hygiene Operations Supervisor Topher Garrison pose.
Nine years, one month, seven days, four hours, and eleven minutes…that’s how long Reid Copelin and Topher Garrison say they have been friends…approximately.
Their friendship started when Reid took the time to introduce himself in the uncleared room when Topher started his job at Pantex. The building they both worked in at the time was called the “lighthouse”.
“Reid was off the first few days I was at the lighthouse,” Topher said. “When he got back from his time off, he introduced himself. We quickly became friends…probably in part because we both are a little mischievous and like making other people laugh.”
Reid is the Pantex Field Office deputy assistant manager for Nuclear Safety and Engineering and Topher is the Pantex Industrial Hygiene Operations supervisor. They work in different roles, but support the same mission. Networking in the uncleared room had a positive impact on both their professional and personal lives.
“It really is crazy the number of people from the uncleared room that I work with almost every day,” Reid said. “These are some of the closest friends that I have, too. It’s great to know people from across the plant. Our mission is so big and there’s so much to learn, so it’s always great to call up a friend that has an answer to your question. In the uncleared room, you really have the time to build these connections that you don’t really get the opportunity to do compared to when you are cleared and start work in your own department.”
Topher agreed saying, “I enjoy the relationships I have built with different people all over the plant. Having those relationships is great when it’s time to come together to get work done. They are even more important for the lasting friendships that have come out of them.”
In the case of Reid and Topher, hours in the uncleared room turned into days outside of work spent hunting, disc golfing, watching The Office together, and even founding an imaginary woodworking company.
“We hang out almost every day,” Reid said. “Our families have also gone on several trips together. We are always doing something together. We work on furniture or home remodeling projects for our friends and families. We jokingly call ourselves T&R Woodworking, and our motto is ‘amateur work at professional prices.’ Our wives even made us some “company” shirts for my birthday one year.”
Putting yourself out there and making connections helps to build knowledge of the site and promotes camaraderie.
“Why not take the opportunity to strike up a conversation and look for similar interests?” Topher said. “It may lead to a fake woodworking company, bathroom remodels, being their child’s godparents, and multiple vacations together!”
Time in the uncleared room created a lasting friendship, all because of the few minutes Reid took to welcome a new member to the Pantex team. Be a good Pantex Citizen. Introduce yourself to other Pantexans, educate them on your role, and continue the legacy of supporting our nation’s nuclear deterrence together. Five minutes could turn into nine years of friendship.
Program paves vets’ path to successful Pantex careers
Rody Timmons participated in the Veterans to Engineers Program after a successful Navy career.
When an armed services member completes their duty to the nation, they may find themselves with a heart full of patriotic fervor, a couple of decades’ worth of time to fill, and, all too often, an uncertain direction.
“Coming from active duty was a big change and challenge for me and my family,” recalled Pantex engineer Cecilio Morado.
Morado and his wife, both Air Force veterans, had left the service to be closer to family and to focus on completing their college degrees — while raising their two young children.
“I started here at Pantex after my first semester back in college, and from there I was presented with more challenges as I was trying to juggle family, school, and work.”
Pantex Program Manager Channing Sparks oversees Veterans to Engineers (VTE), a program to guide veterans like Morado into successful careers as Pantex engineers.
“VTE participant, joined the program after a successful Navy career. Timmons said he appreciates the broad exposure
Coming in hot; father and sons working with fire
Wyatt (left) and Cole Gwyn (right) pose with their dad Dennis (middle).
Most dads teach their kids to stay away from fire, but Canyon Fire Chief Dennis Gwyn isn’t most dads. During his more than 30 years as a volunteer and full-time firefighter, fire marshal, and department chief, Dennis faced fires regularly while raising his twin sons Wyatt and Cole.
“My brother and I grew up constantly around the station in Canyon,” Cole said. “In fact, some of the earliest memories I have involve sitting in dispatch during calls and running around the station.”
“Our dad had a job that every kid thought was cool,” Wyatt said. “Now as an adult, I see it is a very noble cause, especially to be a volunteer firefighter like my dad was.”
Firefighters often say the people they work with are family, but it’s literally true for the Gwyns.
“I enjoy being on scene with my dad as a volunteer firefighter,” Cole said. “I will never forget the first fire I worked with him. I arrived on scene to him being on a hose line by himself. I backed him up on the line, and remember the happy look on his face when he turned around and saw it was me.”
Cole backed up his dad on the fire hose, but there must have been something in the water, because Wyatt also chose a career using science and technology to protect people and properties from fires.
Cole works as a Pantex Emergency Services firefighter and paramedic. He responds to emergencies at the plant and in surrounding communities covered in the site’s mutual aid agreement.
Wyatt is a Pantex fire protection engineer responsible for ensuring facilities remain compliant with fire codes. This includes doing yearly walkdowns of facilities, updating the fire hazards analysis, addressing system and facility issues, and ensuring fire suppression and alarm systems will activate in the event of a fire.
Wyatt is in prevention, Cole is in response, and Dennis is a proud dad.
“I am here to make sure through analysis and codes that life, property, and the public are protected in the event of a fire,” Wyatt said. “My dad was my inspiration to get into the realm of fire safety ever since he was a deputy fire marshal for Amarillo.”
“There is not a workday that I wake up and dread going to work,” Cole said. “I enjoy working here at Pantex and volunteering in Canyon. It is great getting to serve with those who watched me grow up, and getting to know the newer members of the department.”
Cole and Wyatt not only followed in their dad’s professional footsteps, but also in their personal lives as caring fathers to their own children. Dennis said he and his wife are thankful for the successful men Wyatt and Cole are, but more so their ability to be loving fathers to their own families. Growing up, Dennis encouraged his sons to put family first and find a career they enjoyed.
“We all hope our children find a career that they enjoy and are successful at,” Dennis said. “With both sons choosing fire services, it does give me a sense of pride that they followed in my footsteps — but we would feel the same no matter what careers they chose.”
Pantex Proud: Tyra DeLeon
Thousands of dedicated Pantex citizens like Tyra DeLeon work every day to support the Pantex mission. Take three minutes to learn about who she is, what she does, and why she is proud to be a Pantexan.
The theatre sits ready, as it does every morning. Performers take the stage, each with a unique task, yet one that weaves into a collective, intricate dance. For such a beautiful ballet on the surface, this arrangement takes daily dirty work and flash communication. Add some fancy footwork, a little elbow grease, and dedicated staff for the performance to truly ebb and flow.
Welcome to Occupational Health Services (OHS). The lead? That would be Acting Occupational Health Manager Tyra DeLeon.
DeLeon oversees all aspects of OHS including administrative support staff, case management, nurses, lab, Breath Alcohol Testing, and LiveWise. Each team member has a distinctive role, yet they must all be flexible and adaptable given the action-filled and evolving nature of the healthcare industry including patient scheduling, new medications, and technologically advancing equipment.
“Every single morning the lobby is full,” DeLeon said. “The admin checks in all the patients and sends them to where they’re going to next. If a room is occupied or a case manager is running behind and can’t see a patient at a scheduled time, we all have to communicate what is happening and pivot to adjust to the situation.”
DeLeon’s personal work day is also bustling, as her role requires a blend of elaborate choreography and impromptu shuffling.
“I typically have 15 things happening at a time,” DeLeon said. “Multiple Teams chats and email threads as well as following the daily clinic schedule. I check on my staff at least 20 times a day to ensure they have the tools to succeed.”
DeLeon always wanted to be a nurse, and while she did achieve that goal, she fell in love with leadership. She pledged to be the one to take people under her wing and always be there for that person. That spark shifted her career for the better, including her move out to Pantex. DeLeon has only been at the plant six months, but she’s happier than ever and proud of the mission she contributes to.
“I’m from the Amarillo area, and before I worked at Pantex, I’d never met someone who didn’t like working here,” DeLeon said. “When I took the job, I quickly realized those people weren’t just talking, but telling the truth. Everyone is a family out here. I love my team, and I love seeing how OHS and the rest of the plant collaborate.”
What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity and why?
I love traveling with my husband. Being out on the open road and not having anything on the agenda is liberating.
Why are communications important for all Pantex employees?
Communicating clearly, constantly, and effectively breaks down barriers. Be an active listener and avoid “through the grapevine” communication. By improving your communication skills, everyone stays connected and on task, issues get resolved, and processes run smoother which all make for a positive work environment.
What is the top communications tool you rely on in your daily work?
We use email and Teams, but verbal is our primary means of communication. You need that face-to-face as facial expressions and other gestures add to the conversation; however, when communicating to my staff, upper leadership, and our patients, delivery is key.
Pantex Proud: Garry Little
Thousands of dedicated Pantex citizens like Garry Little 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.
The minutia of everyday life seems irrelevant when staring down at the world from 10,000 feet.. Wind whips hair and skin, the deafening sound blending with the roar of the airplane engine. Feet stand precariously on the fuselage doorway edge. Hands let go – freefall.
Occupational Health Nurse Garry Little enjoys an adrenaline rush. For the majority of his adult life, he worked in emergency medicine. The field’s high-urgency, sometimes life-or-death nature provided that surge, but the constantly intense environment became too much. While Little still loves a good thrill like skydiving recreationally, he decided to change his career. Soon after, he was Pantex-bound.
“I really enjoy my role within occupational medicine,” Little said. “I never really thought about working at Pantex until I came across a job posting and asked some friends their thoughts. Their consensus was that once you get a job there, you won’t want to leave because it’s that great. I’m two years in. The people are amazing, and my friends were right; this truly is a great place to work.”
Little’s duties include routine physicals, audiograms, vision tests, vaccinations, and to assess and treat on-the-job injuries. Although it is not the high-octane intensity of emergency medicine, he still helps people, an act he thoroughly enjoys.
“I am proud to be a part of the Occupational Health Services team,” Little said. “Our part of the mission is to make sure Pantexans are healthy and physically fit for duty. We’re proud of that. Everyone has a job to do to make the mission successful.”
When freefalling from a different atmosphere, the unique perspective encourages different thinking. The sheer size of cities and countryside from that height may make one feel miniscule, but it may also inspire a new-found view, that of impact and legacy.
“Pantex is a staple of our community and a major role in our country’s security,” Little said. “Once I actually started working at Pantex, I realized just how important everyone’s job is to the mission. Being part of that purpose that helps keeps our country safe is something to be proud of.”
What’s your top bucket list item and why?
To become a licensed skydiver, then learn to base jump. There are some awesome places I’d love to jump from. I love the experience. There’s nothing like it in life.
Why is it important we hold ourselves accountable in our daily tasks?
Holding yourself accountable sets a standard that you will complete your daily task and do your job to the best of your ability.
What advice would you offer someone who has made a mistake in his or her job?
Own it. Learn from it. Grow from it and move on with confidence knowing that you will not make that mistake again.
How do our established procedures, administrative controls, rules, etc. help us in being accountable to PXD, Pantex, and our peers?
Having policies and procedures lay a foundation and give structure and guidance for all employees. Doing so prevents management from having to handle situations “as they see fit,” and instead hold everyone to the same standard and expectations.