News

For the last 25 years, a group of Pantexans have met during lunch to improve their communication and leadership skills. The Pantex Lunch Bunch Toastmasters Club recently celebrated the club’s silver anniversary with a special meeting.

“The Lunch Bunch is one of 15 clubs in the Amarillo area and one of 16,400 clubs around the world, “ said Pantexan Natalie Waters, Toastmasters immediate past District 23 director. “In the past decade, members of club number 9440 have received approximately 111 Toastmasters awards and the club has been designated as Distinguished in eight of the past 10 years.”

Waters, whose term ends June 30, recognized visiting Toastmasters dignitaries and shared the organization’s background and values for visitors and potential members during the event.

Dennis Williams, a Pantex laboratory technician and founding club member, shared how membership has impacted his career, and guest speaker Alonzo Everhart, a Pantex senior operations advisor, shared his tips for communicating in stressful situations. NPO Facility Representative Jessie Phifer acknowledged how far she’s come since her first speech full of fidgeting and filler words.

“I may not have been the ‘um’ queen, but I was the queen of other things such as ‘like’ and ‘you know’,” admitted Phifer.

Keynote speaker Deputy Site Manager Corey Strickland stressed the importance of building a solid communication pipeline and how active listening has helped in his nearly 25-year career at Pantex.

“Effective communication is the cornerstone of being a good leader,” said Strickland.

The 25th anniversary celebration also included door prizes, a club president “changing of the guard”, and a reception for members and guests.

The Pantex Lunch Bunch Toastmasters Club meets Thursdays in the JCDC S1.C102 conference room from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome.

Going by the name “Just Kickin’ It,” a group of employees in Pantex Safety Analysis Engineering (SAE) displayed the true definition of teamwork during last season’s kickball league. The league, organized by @Socialete Sports, gave the SAE team the opportunity to kick balls, run bases, and socialize with people from all walks of life.

The passion on the field translated to the office. “Safety analysts take their work seriously, and we consistently work as a team to get tasks done. Constantly in competition, we work hard against ourselves, peers, and deadlines to meet daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals,” team member Terrence Cooper said.

Pantex Emergency Management received the Texas Emergency Management Partnership Recognition Award at the annual Texas Department of Emergency Management Conference in San Antonio. Each year, this award is given to one business, nonprofit, school, hospital, or government agency for contribution to its local community by demonstrating a significant commitment to creating a strong partnership with the local government officials and participation in local community preparedness initiatives.

Congratulations to Pantex Fire Chief Mike Brock who has successfully completed the professional designation of chief fire officer.

Manager of Pantex Emergency Services Daniel Gleaves said, “Mike is one of only 1,305 CFOs worldwide. It’s another example of his dedication and professionalism.”

A comprehensive peer review determined Brock met the stringent criteria, which includes demonstrating excellence in his experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement, and technical competence.

The Pantex Fire Department recently won Best Ribs and People’s Choice Award at the annual Battle of the Badges Barbeque Style Cook-off. While there, the group presented the @100 Club of the Texas Panhandle with a $500 check to help further their mission of supporting area emergency workers. After the event, members of the fire department took all of the leftover barbeque to the men and women fighting the grass fires in Armstrong County.

Pantex recently held its annual Armed Forces Day celebration to recognize and thank veterans and active military members for their service in support of our country. The ceremony featured presentation of the colors by the Pantex Fire Department Honor Guard, recognition of the POW/MIA table, and a keynote address by Lyle Cary, CNS vice president for Safeguards, Security, and Emergency Services.

Pantex hosted a Partners in Excellence Outreach Forum attended by representatives from 61 companies looking to do work with CNS.

Small Business Program Manager Ryan Johnston said, “Pantex must have a broad base of contractors to partner with to ensure mission success. The forum provided local and national contractors the knowledge needed to establish these partnerships.”

Discussion included upcoming opportunities for construction related scopes, an overview of the site, and how to do business with CNS.

CNS hosted its inaugural Fellows Colloquium March 28 at Y 12, and CNS President and CEO Morgan Smith called it a historic day. The forum was established to highlight CNS’s vital technical work and to honor its first four fellows for their vast technical knowledge and their abilities to mentor others.

“This is our declaration that we are an organization that does work of tremendous scientific and technical significance for our nation, and this work requires the very best. It’s our most senior scientific and technical rank or title and connotes that we are engaged in activities that merit this level of personnel — equal to what occurs elsewhere in high technology industries,” said Smith.

Glenn Pfennigwerth (Uranium Fellow), Alan Moore (Metallurgy), Vincent Lamberti (Y 12 Surveillance), and Lorelei Woods (Pantex Surveillance) were recognized as our strategic advisors and top mentors and were pinned by Smith. With a combined 143 years of experience, these fellows set the bar high. Each fellow presented the state of their area of expertise, and 18 other Pantex and Y 12 technical experts presented posters covering diverse areas of expertise — from explosives and advanced manufacturing to nonproliferation and lithium.

“The colloquium was vitally important to showcase the great technical work we do and to honor the individuals who are leading us into the future,” said Ashley Stowe, CNS Fellows program manager. “The excitement for staff at Pantex and Y 12 encourages me as we move forward and continue to grow an excellent technical staff. This is just the beginning, however; we are already looking forward to hosting the 2019 colloquium at Pantex.”

The Leadership Amarillo Class of 2017/2018 recently visited Pantex. After a history overview, the group visited a weapon display and a security bearcat vehicle display. The community leaders also experienced an explosive demonstration at the firing site.

There is no Planet B, so Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC focuses on recycling everything from regular office paper to electronic equipment and scrap metal. In Fiscal Year 2017, employees at Pantex and Y-12 recycled more than 4.6 million pounds of materials, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship.