News

Gordon-Hagerty was joined by U.S. Rep. Thornberry to survey and celebrate the continuing efforts of the Pantex workforce

WASHINGTON – Last week, Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and U.S. Department of Energy’s Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, continued her tour of the Nuclear Security Enterprise by visiting the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. U.S. Rep. William “Mac” Thornberry joined the Administrator’s visit where they met with members of the Pantex workforce and toured a number of Pantex facilities.

Read full press release on the NNSA website.

Pantex, Y-12 honored for sustainable purchasing practices

Amarillo, Texas— Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC recently received 2020 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Purchaser Awards for excellence in their procurement of sustainable information technology products at Y-12 National Security and the Pantex Plant. In a virtual ceremony, the sites were recognized by the Green Electronics Council for purchasing EPEAT electronics such as computers, printers, phones, televisions, copiers, scanners and servers.

“Receiving EPEAT awards for both Y-12 and Pantex validates our sustainable acquisition practices,” said Sherith Hudson, CNS Sustainable Acquisition Program Coordinator. “By considering how we operate in the ecological, social and economic environment, we are creating long-term value for taxpayers, and because we operate federal facilities, our sustainable IT purchases encourage the adoption of similar practices by other federal and commercial entities, which helps mature the market for sustainable products.”

Pantex and Y-12 were among 74 organizations from around the world who were celebrated for their decision to purchase sustainable electronic products. The organizations included cities, states, federal agencies, healthcare systems, universities, K-12 school systems and companies. The organizations recognized required EPEAT in their procurement policies and contracts and reported EPEAT purchasing volume through their award application.

“EPEAT Purchaser Award winners are champions in the practice of sustainable procurement,” said Nancy Gillis, CEO of the Green Electronics Council. “Their leadership creates sustainability gains not only for their own organizations but for all purchasers of electronics globally by creating demand for sustainable products.”

Hudson agreed, explaining that CNS considers both the local and global impact of its strategies. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global supply chain emphasizes the importance of buying sustainable IT products,” Hudson said. “When supply chains are restricted, it’s easy to imagine a future where non-renewable resources are not available. Whether facing this pandemic or other local or global challenges, our investment in energy-efficient products, such as EPEAT-registered equipment, will save energy and improve all of our resiliency.”

A video of CNS Pantex and Y-12 representatives at the virtual awards ceremony is available at on the CNS website or view the entire ceremony on the Green Electronics Council’s website.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov

Electronics Technician Galen Boothe, a 50-year Pantexan, works on a Micro-Plasma Tig Welder in the Electronics Shop

In honor of World Photography Day, we’d like to introduce you to Pantex Photographer Michael Schumacher.

You may have seen Michael around the plant – he has a camera in tow and a smile on his face – ready to snap photos of the people, places, and events of the Pantex Plant.

Michael has taken photographs since he was a young boy, first learning basic photography, cameras, exposure, and darkroom film processing and printing from his father who was a hobbyist photographer. His first camera was a Kodak Brownie, and he took family snap shots and silly pictures of his feet.

He fell in love with photography while living in Wyoming.

“I caught the photo bug while living in Wyoming with all beautiful scenery around Big Horn, Sheridan, and Yellowstone.”

Michael said he has always wanted to be a photographer and had his first news photo published at the age of 15 – a breaking news story photo of a smashed tricycle.

“After that, I wanted to be a photojournalist,” he said, “so I went to school and began working in the newspaper industry for 35 years at papers in Oklahoma and Texas.”

Most recently Michael spent 20 years at the Amarillo Globe-News before coming to Pantex in 2019. He says he’s photographed a lot of wonderful and amazing people and has seen a lot of bad things he’d like to forget in his career as a photojournalist.

Michael has been married to his wife Shari for 36 years, and they spend their spare time raising Chow Chows.

His favorite part of being a photographer is meeting people and telling their stories in pictures.

“I like to capture personality in a photo and show people somethings they have never seen before,” he said. “I always wanted to be the eyes for a community and make a difference with my photography.”

Michael said one of his favorite things to photograph is lightning.

“It’s so cool looking and unpredictable,” he said. “One summer night I was shooting at the Cadillac Ranch trying to catch meteors from the Perseids Meteor shower which happens every August.”

In the late hours a storm rolled up and went right over the Cadillacs.

“I got several nice pictures of lightning and this one in particular where my silhouette showed up in the frame,” he said. “I always liked that picture and I still thank God to this day for protecting me while shooting pictures in the middle of a wheat field with lightning striking all around.”

Michael has a strong faith and says that God motivates him, but he has admired Ansel Adams’ black and white photography his entire life.

“I was also inspired by many Associated Press photographers for years, especially the Vietnam era shooters,” he said. “Their photos during the war touched my heart and opened my eyes to the power of photography and its ability to change the world.”

Michael’s bucket list for photography includes spending time in Israel.

“The history and people of that area intrigue me,” he said. “I’d love to spend a year documenting the country.”

When asked how his role at Pantex adds to the mission he said “as a Pantex photographer, my goal is to illustrate the day to day operation at Pantex and to tell the great stories about our proud Pantexan workforce through photos.”

Michael said he has the best job in the world.

“I get to meet new people every day, learn cool stuff and tell incredible stories in photos,” he said. “I usually keep a smiley-face sticker on the back of my cameras to remind me to always have fun. If I’m having fun, then everyone around is usually having a good time and it shows in photographs I make. So let’s have fun people!”

Security Police Officer Payten Pearson training at the Pantex Range

Pantex Tool Maker Michael Gover (QC), a 15-year employee, watches the milling process on a Mazak Mill in the Machine Shop

Electric Cadillacs

Selfie fun

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) is demonstrating a continued commitment to business partnership, even in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of ongoing outreach to business owners and potential vendors, CNS representatives will host a virtual Partners in Excellence (PIE) forum on August 26. During the online PIE event, leaders will offer attendees a slice of knowledge about successfully doing business with Pantex and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. The event is free and open to all, but registration is recommended.

Click for a larger version.

CNS began the PIE event series in April 2018 because the government contract solicitation process can be a bit overwhelming for businesses, particularly newcomers. Each year, CNS awards over $1 billon in subcontracts to businesses that help accomplish specialized tasks in support of its vital national security mission.

What: Virtual Partners in Excellence Forum
Who: CNS procurement leaders, business owners
When: August 26, 2020, 1-3 p.m./2-4 p.m. EDT
Where: Online via WebEx. Click the link and then click “Register”.
Why: To share site information, requirements, and upcoming opportunities with potential subcontractors and vendors.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Allison Roberts
Communications
Office 806.573.0501
allison.roberts@pantex.doe.gov

Michelle Reichert becomes CEO as Morgan Smith retires; Bill Tindal becomes COO

Amarillo, Texas, and Oak Ridge, Tenn. — Michelle Reichert becomes president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, effective Friday, August 14, 2020. Reichert, the current chief operating officer (COO) for CNS, replaces Morgan Smith, who is retiring after six years at CNS and a career that spans more than 42 years of service to national security.

Reichert will assume responsibility for both of the National Nuclear Security Administration production plants under CNS's contract: the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

In addition, current Y-12 site manager Bill Tindal becomes COO, effective on the same date.

Smith served as CNS's president and CEO since February of 2016 and has been with CNS since the company assumed management of Pantex and Y-12 in July 2014, initially serving as the company’s chief operating officer. Prior to that, he was general manager of both the Bettis and Knolls Atomic Power laboratories within the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

“I have long admired Morgan’s work ethic and his devotion to our Nation and our national security mission,” says Barb Rusinko, president of Bechtel Nuclear, Security, and Environmental and chair of the CNS Board of Managers. “Morgan’s focus on creating an organization where people are connected to their leaders as well as their mission has helped CNS colleagues deliver critical work for our customers.”

During Smith’s tenure, the sites delivered their national security mission at levels not reached since the Cold War, while achieving infrastructure and culture improvements that position both sites for enduring operations. Smith also served as co-chair of the NNSA Operations and Efficiencies Board and vice chair elect of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG).

“It has been a privilege and an honor to work alongside the patriots that comprise the federal and contractor workforces in support of this vital national security mission,” Smith says. “After working closely with Michelle over the past six years — including the last four with her in the deputy role — I have the utmost confidence in her ability to lead Pantex and Y-12 into the future. Her technical expertise, experience at both sites, and care for people position her and the sites for future success.”

Reichert brings more than 30 years of experience to her new role. She began her career at Y-12 in 1988 and spent 22 years in Oak Ridge. She then held multiple leadership roles at Pantex, and for the last four years she has been CNS's deputy enterprise manager and chief operating officer. As COO, Reichert has overseen integration activities across the two sites, with a focus on internal operations and continuously improving safe, secure, zero defect delivery of the national security mission. Her technical expertise covers a wide range of high-hazard operations in support of nuclear security, including production operations, environmental management, safety and health, emergency management, and processing of enriched uranium.

Tindal came to Y-12 in 1995 and rose from shift technical advisor in Building 9206 to head up production, becoming Y-12’s site manager in 2014. He brings nearly 30 years of experience in highly hazardous nuclear facility operations to his role as COO. As Y-12 site manager, Tindal has managed the daily integration of nearly 5,000 employees across the site to ensure production deliverables meet requirements for safety, security, quality, schedule, and cost. Tindal has been instrumental in managing long-term efforts to transform Y-12’s essential national assets and capabilities.

“It is the privilege of my career to assume this leadership position, and I look forward to our journey together,” Reichert said. “The nation depends on the patriots of Pantex and Y-12 to deliver. There is much work to be done, and we will continue to focus on delivering our mission and building an enduring future for our sites.”

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Jason Bohne
Communications
Office (865) 241.1400
Jason.Bohne@cns.doe.gov

Pantex Plant’s Emergency Management Department will conduct an emergency exercise on August 13. During this exercise, people in the vicinity of Pantex may observe emergency personnel simulating response activities as part of the exercise.

Emergency exercises test the ability of emergency personnel to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations, and ensure the public, Pantex employees and the environment would be protected in the event of an actual emergency.

Again, you may observe response personnel simulating response activities as part of the exercise, If you observe suspicious activity before August 9 or after August 10, please report your observations to 477-5000.

Take five minutes and learn about CNS’s Laura Valdez, Quality Projects and Programs. “I am mission success” profiles share how each employee feels tied to the Pantex and/or Y‑12 mission. All views and opinions are the employee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CNS.

Laura Valdez, Quality Projects and Programs.

With 27 years of experience at Pantex, Laura Valdez has a passion for doing things well. This has made her job in Quality Projects and Programs the perfect fit for the last ten years.

“I enjoy instilling quality in our mission. Even more satisfying is witnessing the same passion in others for quality and for making sure what we do is the right thing and for the right reasons,” she said.

Laura graduated from Caprock High School in Amarillo, Texas and never dreamed she’d be working at Pantex. Attending West Texas A&M University, Laura earned both undergraduate and masters degrees in accounting. She began working at Pantex as a budget analyst. Since then, she has worked in Projects, Program Management, and now Quality. The experience and knowledge gained from each area has paved a path to her passion for what we do at Pantex and for doing what is right.

What is your favorite aspect about your work environment? How does that aspect make you know the mission is being met?
The role I am in now is very gratifying because Quality touches every aspect of what we do at both sites. I have the opportunity to work with many different organizations and processes. I’m also in a position to affect change, whether it’s from a continuous improvement perspective or responding to an issue. I view our role as the conscience of the company, which carries with it a great responsibility to ensure not only that we meet our mission, but that we do it right.

Are you doing what you envisioned as a young adult?
No. I knew I wanted to be an accountant from an early age; and, at the time, never saw myself as doing anything else. The significance of what we do at Pantex means so much more to me now than when I was younger or even when I first started working here.

Although my education is in accounting, I have been able to move into positions that helped me grow and learn. I never would have thought I’d be doing what I do now. I’ve been in this position for ten years, the longest I’ve been in any position here.

As an employee, what do you want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered as a person who isn’t afraid to speak up for what is right. Those who know me know that I speak my mind; and, when I do, it’s always from a good place. I’ve seen what can happen if someone doesn’t speak up, and I don’t want to be the one who stood by and let something happen because I said nothing. I am that way at work and at home.

I am also someone who will volunteer where I see a need and have a hard time saying no when asked to help. I hope I am remembered as a person who helps others.

What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex or Y-12?
Don’t hesitate to offer suggestions for improvement. Ask questions. A new set of eyes and perspective on processes are an important aspect of a learning organization.

Another bit of advice that I feel strongly about is to learn as much as you can about different functions at work. Don’t limit yourself or hesitate to try something new. Pantex is a great place to do that, because you have the opportunity to move into other positions and build on your experience and knowledge base. It can be very rewarding personally, especially as it increases your contribution to the organization and our success.

What’s your favorite outside-of-work activity?
I spend a lot of time with my family. My husband, Jason, and I have been married for 21 years and have two children. Madison is 13 and Alex is 16. I enjoy being involved in their school and sport activities. I recently coached my daughter’s club volleyball team and will be helping coach her team at Holy Cross Catholic Academy this year.

Sixteen nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle will be better able to expand or continue their missions thanks to grants from Consolidated Nuclear Security’s (CNS) Pantex Community Investment Fund, administered by the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF). On June 25, AAF and CNS Pantex hosted a virtual grant ceremony to award the following organizations:

Nonprofits receiving grants:

Earlier in June, High Plains Food Bank asked for volunteers, and Pantexans answered that call. On June 12, 10 Pantexans helped sort and pack at the HPFB warehouse. The HPFB partners with over 190 different agencies to help end hunger in the Texas Panhandle. Before the pandemic, HPFB was distributing more than 6,000,000 meals each year. The food bank’s goal during the COVID‑19 crisis is 2,000 meals daily.

Mission Engineering is led by Gary Sanders, who has a wealth of experience within the nuclear weapons complex.

Gary Sanders has led a unique and distinguished career, including stops at the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Energy Headquarters, where he interacted with top defense brass and foreign nuclear agencies. However, as a child, he aimed higher.

“I always wanted to be an Air Force pilot,” Sanders recalled, “but they wouldn’t let me fly because of my vision.” Instead, he pursued a new path — nuclear engineering and reactor design.

“I never could have predicted all the opportunities I have had,” said Sanders, whose opt in attitude has kept him on the go. An engineering internship at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory led to graduate school and Sandia National Laboratories, where he helped design the nuclear weapons that Pantex and Y-12 maintain and refurbish today. Fewer than 12 years after starting his career, Sanders had his first special assignment in Washington, D.C., which eventually resulted in multiple assignments with the Air Force.

“I still didn’t get to fly their planes, but I did get to improve the safety features of their nuclear weapons.”

Before joining CNS, Sanders and his wife thoroughly enjoyed two years of retirement. “We’d alternate between visiting mountains and beaches,” he recalled, noting that outside of work he likes to scuba dive and hike. “I also volunteered at the aquarium and really enjoyed raising multiple litters of puppies for the local animal shelter,” Sanders said.

Why are you mission success, and how was it proven during the sites’ reduced, mission critical operations?
Mission Engineering enables Pantex and Y-12 Operations. Production equipment must work, project teams need to be able to do their updates, nuclear safety has to be in place, and so much more. The sites literally cannot do their mission without us, and we are useless if they can’t use what we design and build.

During the reduced, mission critical status, the importance of Mission Engineering was proven yet again: Approximately 80% of the Pantex work to build and surveil weapons continued, and we had teams set up to help with their Safety Basis, tools and procedures. Virtually all of the Development work continued as mission essential, including work on purifying uranium, melting binary, performing readiness assessments of lithium technology, and much more. All Engineering support for the Uranium Processing Facility continued across multiple shifts, and most project engineering support continued, including using computer-aided design to perform designs from home.

How did your opinion of your work environment change as CNS sites were placed in reduced, mission critical status? What is your favorite aspect about your work environment?
The flexibility to perform a large degree of engineering design work remotely has been eye opening and only made possible by the heroic support of Information Solutions and Services. I believe teleworking will permanently change some of how we do business in the future to accommodate family dynamics.

As for my favorite aspect, hands down, it is not having to wear a suit and tie. I wore both for years in Washington, D.C., while working at the Pentagon. I brought only one suit with me when I moved to Tennessee.

As an employee, what do you want to be remembered for?
I can think of two things. First, asking two important questions: Why are we doing it this way, and can we do it better? And second, for reinforcing educational standards for Pantex and Y-12 Engineering positions. An engineering degree denotes a level of technical rigor that must be in place for certain aspects of our work.

What work advice would you offer someone who is new to Pantex and Y-12?
Be open to experiences and challenges — they will both come, and both provide opportunities. Also, visit or transfer between the sites. It’s important to understand the people and challenges at both locations.

What one thing would your coworkers be surprised to know about you?
I was not raised in the United States. My father worked for U.S. Steel, which took us to Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, where I grew up.

Successful transition to modern infrastructure

AMARILLO, Texas – For more than five decades, the Pantex Plant has manufactured high explosive charges for weapons in the Nation’s nuclear stockpile. Last month, those operations were successfully transferred from its outdated WW II-era facility to the modern High Explosives Pressing Facility (HEPF).

The HEPF has introduced a more efficient process, improved safety, and reduced transportation costs. The 45,000-square-foot facility consolidates packaging, staging, pressing, inspection, machining, and density operations, which decreases risks and costs associated with transporting a main-charge high explosive from one building to the next. It is estimated that the HEPF will save more than $92 million over the life of the facility.

The HEPF was authorized for high hazard operations on January 8, 2019, and released to produce weapon-grade explosive charges in March of 2019. Throughout the first year of authorization, a graded approach of operations was performed until steady-state production rates were achieved. Based on those achievements, more than 100 parts have been pressed in the new facility.

“The startup and authorization of this new facility was a significant effort on the part of multiple organizations at Pantex,” according to Robert McClary, Director of High Explosives Manufacturing. ”Now that steady-state production has been achieved in the new facility, Explosives Technology is poised to meet the demands of the nuclear weapons complex for the next 50 years.”

The explosive hemispheres for all future rebuilds, life extension programs, and Joint Test Assemblies will be pressed, machined, and X-rayed in the HEPF.

The legacy facility that HEPF replaced was placed into a safe and stable configuration in March of 2020, and is slated for demolition in the coming years.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the absolute priorities of safety, security, quality, mission delivery and cost efficiency.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, X or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.0490
Stephen.Myers@pantex.doe.gov