Ep 2: Advancing the NNSA Mission through Partnership and Alignment

This episode of the EFCOG Exchange Podcast explores EFCOG’s work with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) responsible for maintaining and enhancing the safety, security and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.  

EFCOG Deputy Vice Chair and PanTeXas Business Services Division Director/Mission Assurance Officer Colby Yeary joins Mike Nartker, VP of Communications at Longenecker & Associates to discuss current EFCOG work with NNSA and opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security.  Colby shares unique insights from his role at NNSA’s Pantex Plant, located near Amarillo, Texas.  

Stay tuned for future episodes of the EFCOG Exchange Podcast, where we’ll continue spotlighting innovation, collaboration, and success across the DOE enterprise.

Transcript

Introduction of Colby’s background and current role at PanTeXas. Overview of Pantex’s role as an integration hub for the Nuclear Security Enterprise.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Hi, welcome to the latest edition of the FCOG Exchange Podcast, your source for fresh conversations and insights on the work the Energy Facilities Contractors Group is doing to support the important missions of the Department of Energy. I'm Mike Narker, Vice President of Communications for Logan Ecco and Associates, and we're a proud member of FCOG, which represents more than 140 member companies ranging from large businesses to small that support the missions of DOE. Today we're going to be discussing how FCOG helps support the National Nuclear Security Administration or NNSA. The name Department of Energy seems to be a little bit of a misnomer. Those who are involved in this world know because one of the biggest parts of the Department of Energy is what the NNSA does, which is managing our U.S. nuclear nuclear arsenal. NNSA is responsible for the safe management of our nuclear stockpile, supports important non-proliferation efforts across the world, and helps support the U.S. Navy by managing the development of nuclear propulsion. This critical work is conducted at a set of sites across the United States, including the Pantex Plant, which is located in the Texas panhandle outside of Amarillo. Today we're going to be talking with Colby Urie, who is the FCOG Deputy Vice Chair and the Business Services Division Director and Mission Assurance Officer for Pan Texas Deterrence LLC, which manages and operates Pan Tex for NNSA. Today we'll talk about how FCOG is partnering with NNSA at both the leadership and site level, how opportunities to streamline work and accelerate one of NNSA's most important missions today, which is pit production, and how FCOG and DOE and NNSA can partner to improve efficiency while maintaining the highest safety standards and security. Before we get started, I'll just say that if you're interested in the work of FCOG or if you're interested in learning more about how to become a member, please check out our website or make sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And so with that, I am happy to introduce Colby. So Colby, thank you for joining us today from Texas. Starting us off, can you tell us a little bit about your role and overall, what does Pantex do for NNSA?

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Yeah, absolutely. And Mike, thanks for thanks for having me on the show. I appreciate it. Um so currently I I serve in three different capacities at the Pantex plant. Um the mission assurance officer for the site, our business services division director, and I also serve as the XO for our president, uh, fulfilling any needs that he has for the site and of me. Um I'll just quickly start with mission assurance. And I I made a list so I didn't miss one, Mike, and I'll just I'll just mention what those roles are, what that title means, because it is different across uh the sites. But it's uh the responsibilities I have there are contractor assurance, um our counterintelligence office, our field intelligence unit, communications transformation at the site, uh, as well as our contracts and office of enforcement coordination. And so it's a it's quite a diverse uh set of responsibilities in that particular role. Uh, but we have a great set of leaders here at Pantech, so it makes my job much easier. Um, for business services, I'm I'm currently acting in that capacity right now, and uh in kind of a dual hat role. And there we have uh procedures, policies, requirements, um, our supply chain management organization, our human resources organization, uh, our finance organization, as well as earned value management. And again, uh quite a busy role there in the business services. Um, but it's it's such an important um aspect of what we do in terms of enabling the work here at Pantex. Um and so uh you had asked a little bit about Pantex, Mike, and I wanted to just briefly elaborate the the synopsis or short version of how I can characterize what we do at Pantex. So I I view us as the anchor leg of the supply chain for the nuclear security enterprise and the nuclear deterrent. And so we've uh we've often used the phrase all roads lead to Pantex, and and that's not intended to sound um self-centric or or anything like that about what we do. What it's really intended to denote is that we serve as quite an integration hub logistically for all the work that occurs at the nuclear security enterprise. And so I I love analogies, and so I've often used car analogies, and so we're basically the final assembly plant for the Department of Energy for the cars that we make that go to the Department of Defense, the ultimate user from there. So um Pantex, I I've been here for 20 years. It's a really fascinating business. Um, I've learned a lot uh at Pantex, we're very fortunate to interface with every one of the sites on a regular basis, and that's been great to establish those relationships and work with team members across uh the United States and at the other sites. Um and and in terms of performance for the NNSA and the Department of Energy relative to the nuclear deterrent, um, a lot of times the output of Pantex serves is the overall measuring stick, and we we don't take that for granted here. That's a very important part of what we do, and we do our best to fulfill that. So that's uh that's me and Pantex on the nutshell.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

So let me ask you that. What put you on the road to Pantex? How did you end up at the site?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Uh good question. I actually started in the oil and gas industry and um worked in a variety of places across the country. Um I've spent time in Wyoming, Louisiana, Oklahoma, spent a number of years in Houston, Texas. And um I actually loved the job that I that I had. I graduated as a mechanical engineer out of out of school with uh and I now have an MBA, but um but geographically uh I'm from this area. And and this uh there was there was a point in my career where I just felt like that was the right place to be for me. Um I didn't know a lot about Pantex at the time. And so I I did some research and and recognized at the time Pantex had over 2,000 people, I think close to 3,000 if I recall. And I thought, gosh, there's there has to be a lot of opportunity for someone with my background there to have career aspirations and be able to make a difference. Um so applied, came on as a process engineer in 2005. And I've worked in a variety of capacities. Um I've been in individual contributor capacities and technical roles. I've worked in program management roles as as a director and senior director. Um, I was the deputy as well as the vice president for engineering when Pantex and Y12 were um a combined contract. Um I was the chief operating officer for a short period of time. And I was also the site manager for Pantex um prior to the current contract with PXD. Um so what that's done for me personally is uh it's helped me learn a lot about how our business works. Uh candidly, when I started early in my career, I was associated with some of the weapons work that we do. And I really thought I understood Pantex and our business in general. And as I took on responsibilities in other organizations, it it was eye-opening. I'll characterize it as a field of view where I had a narrow aperture that just kept broadening with every role. And and I'll tell you it was quite a humbling experience as you went into a new role and learned more about the business and just how extremely complicated it is. It was a really humbling experience for me, but very gratifying at the same time.

Colby’s work on the EFCOG Board serving as Deputy Vice Chair; the value that EFCOG can bring to member companies; and how NNSA and EFCOG can partner to drive mission excellence, including efforts to streamline infrastructure project management.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

So I know you are new to the F-Clog board. You were elected this summer. What motivated you to want to get more involved with F-Clog? And what's been your impression so far?

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Yeah, well, first of all, thank you. It's been an honor to serve on the board. And uh I'll tell you what motivated me to serve. Uh our president general manager, Dr. Kelly Byers-Smitt, um, had been uh in a board position in a variety of capacities in FCOG in the past. And he suggested to me that I that I consider taking on a role, a board member or officer role associated with FCOG. And I took a look at it, uh, did just that, applied for the role and got it. And I can I can tell you that it's um it's been a great experience. And what I've learned in the relatively short time I've been involved heavily with FCG is um the power FC brings to the table is the ability to integrate across the sites in in a relatively efficient manner. Um, you know, for the Department of Energy and for me specifically within the NSA, there are just uh, you know, a plethora of requirements, uh policies, and business practices that we have to understand. And um the FCOG really helps to provide that mentor-mentee kind of relationship, as also the uh the information currency of what's happening. There are times when when things are being communicated and and um it's easy for an individual or a site to not not have a direct line of sight to that, but it but at the same time it could affect you. And so um I find that tremendously valuable from an FCOG perspective and where we can do things in common, it's standardized where it makes sense. That's the real value pop proposition, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

I mean, I think in some ways it's fitting, right? I mean, you talked about how Pantex kind of serves as the integrator for the NNSA complex, bringing parts to your stuff, and then FCOG for that scale integrator for us for the industry. So I think it works well together. That's right. Given the scope and scale of what NNSA is involved with and works on and manages, I mean, there is that advantage of FCOG to bring together all of these companies are involved from you know the major companies that that may help manage these sites all the way down to small businesses at a particular site that may serve a you know specific functional role. But by bringing all that together, it kind of can help industry as a whole talk to NNSA as a whole. And so I'm wondering from what you've seen being part of FCOG so far, how does that benefit NNSA to be able to work with industry through an organization like FCOG? And can you give some examples of kind of how that partnership and integration where you've seen have really helped the mission, which ultimately is the goal of FCOG, to help drive mission excellence?

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Uh yeah, absolutely. Um I can think of an example uh that I think fits that mold quite well. Um, you know, early in Secretary Wright's tenure as the Secretary of Energy, he he released a memo that described uh his intent to modernize our stockpile and and make step changes towards um being uh more productive, more efficient, and ensuring that we deliver uh in an optimal way. And FCOG uh took a look at at that direction that was provided via secretarial order and really embraced that fully. And so what occurred from there was sites work together via the constructs and channels that we have within the FCOG to partner and find ways to streamline where it makes sense. And and the example that I can think of is the work that's been done relative to infrastructure project management and DOE order 413.3B. FCOG has uh provided some recommendations and is continuing to work through this, as a matter of fact, to the NNSA in the context of identifying ways where we can ensure that we preserve all the key principles and best practices of project management, um, but be as efficient as possible and deliver on the mission under the cost parameters, under the schedule parameters, with no effect on quality. And so uh that's I think probably the best example I can think of where FCOG, um, you know, group a group of uh cohorts from the sites got together, talked about how we respond to this direction that the NSA leadership and and the DOE leadership has provided, and ensure that we as sites are answering the mail adequately there.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Do you think that helps that it comes up from the sites? You know, that it's hey, we're the ones in the field. We implement these ideas so we can give you our perspective on how to make them better, implement them better, right? It is the you know, it's kind of the user providing feedback um to help you with that.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Yeah, I I do. I I think that's very helpful. And the construct that FCG offers is uh, you know, you've heard the old adage, uh, iron sharpens iron, and and um it really helps to bounce thoughts, ideas, strategies, perspectives off one another and and create alignment that that is common so so that uh the government has uh I mean they have a challenging role as it is in all the work that they're responsible for, particularly the Department of Energy and the NSA. Um and so if we can help in any way possible to fulfill their mission by working closely together and offering them feedback that's that's already integrated and more standardized, um, that's all good in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Where do you think those other areas are kind of ripe for collaboration and partnership between FCOG and NNSA?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Uh you know, so there's been a fairly heavy emphasis within FCOG on streamlining projects and ensure we do that right. And I think those priorities are are solid. Um what I expect to see as we transcend to the next phase of taking a look at these opportunities is delving into other areas, uh, for example, other business areas and production areas. And we've already started to do some of that. And so um I think that only makes sense. It's a natural progression based on what we believe some of the uh the opportunities are in and in terms of streamlining how we could approach that with a common strategy.

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s visit to the Pantex Plant earlier this year.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

You know, I think it's fair to say this uh, especially this past year, has been an exciting time for NNSA. You know, when Secretary Wright came into office and put out his goals, he explicitly listed modernizing America's Nikar stockpile as one of his top chai workers. So it set right up front the role and value and priority this administration was going to place on NNSA. And I know Secretary Wright's had the chance to visit Pantex to help celebrate the ahead of schedule completion of the B-6113 upgrade. I'm curious, what was his visit like, you know, when he when he came to your site?

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Oh, it was great. It it was an honor. And uh the Mod 13 in particular, the the Nuclear Security Enterprises ability to pull the schedule left and deliver that uh ahead of schedule. Um it was a it was a great opportunity to showcase um well characterizes the commander's intent in terms of doing things the right way, but also as effectively and efficiently as possible. So it was a great time. I I uh had the fortunate opportunity to spend some time with the secretary, the leadership team from the government, uh, and and all the stakeholders on our side. And it was a great time.

How EFCOG can advance the goals of the DOE/NNSA leadership team.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

That's great. I know now we have uh NNSA has the bulk of its senior leadership team in place, including the new administrator. And so I'm wondering from your perspective, how do you think FCOG can help advance the goals of the administration, of the new NNSA leadership team?

SPEAKER_00 16:15

Uh you know, I think the most important thing early on is for us to listen to the perspectives and strategies and approach of the leadership team uh at at the NNSA and the DOE and ensure that we understand that well and then and then respond to that. Um and so, you know, to characterize it a little more differently, we we want to make sure that we're receiving first and understanding uh what's important to them from a prioritization standpoint, um, in the leadership roles that they have and doing the best we can to fulfill it. Um in the context of FCOG, I mentioned this term integration as being one of the strongest attributes that FCOG has. I've been in the business, as I mentioned, 20 years. And that is perhaps the single hardest thing to do is to integrate well and ensure you have alignment, not only within a site, within a lab, a planner, a site, but across sites, makes it even more uh complex. And so um, that's where I think the value resides in terms of the work we do at FCOG and ensuring that we're fulfilling the DOE and NSA's objectives.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

I have to think too, right? It helps when you're trying to understand the intent of a new administration, the priorities administration, if you kind of have one collective organization listening and engaging with them rather than 140 companies scattered across the country all trying to figure it out. There's got to be that value in providing that kind of collective integrated approach, interacting with NNSA.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Definitely. Yeah, I couldn't agree anymore.

Opportunities for NNSA success and the importance of the NNSA mission.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

So, what do you think are some of the near-term opportunities for success NNSA has in front of it? Or, you know, you can always put it a different way, right? What are the challenges they have in front of them to be overcome?

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Yeah, you know, I I think we're uh the NSA is uniquely positioned to to deliver um like we haven't seen in a in a long time. Um the priorities uh are are clear and and I think that we just have a real opportunity to set the stage to deliver for our nation's deterrent in particular. Um that that to me is um the most significant opportunity. Uh I believe we're delivering at a relatively high level, but but the ceiling potential is still great. And so I think it's incumbent upon all of us to ensure we tap into that to the maximum extent possible. Um and that's by working closely together, by ensuring that we're we're doing things in a common way where it makes sense. Um and then also recognize that when we do have differences and should do things in a different way. Um, you know, when I think about it, uh our nation, they need us, our allies need us right now. The world needs us. And so um it's us, you know, if if that's not a burning platform, I don't know what is. And so it's it's really a tremendous opportunity, but also responsibility to make sure we do that right. Um the challenges that that you mentioned in your question, I I I guess I view those more as opportunities in disguise. And so um when we characterize it that way, it it uh puts a smile on my face in terms of what's ahead and what we can accomplish together. Um, and and so that's that's where I hope we end up going in terms of capitalizing on the opportunities and addressing uh those challenges that are in just opportunities in disguise.

How EFCOG member companies can benefit from streamlining initiatives and recommendations

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yeah, I think it's fair to say when you you look at the environment NSA, the DOE industry is working in today, right? I mean, the geopolitical environment has made these issues even more in the forefront. We know NNSA has embarked on a program of modernization across its complex that is decades long, billions of dollars to carry out necessary to be able to match the geopolitical situation today. And I think we see with FCOG, right, is making that partnership stronger with DOE and helping to, as you put it, right, working on these streamlining procedures to help develop a governance model that can emphasize that critical mission performance at this time while still being safe, while still being security, while still being efficient and effective and quality. And so we know FCOD has been working with NNSA sites to develop risk-based draft protocols to streamline how infrastructure projects are being delivered. And I'm wondering from your perspective, how is the streamlining initiative benefiting the FCOD members, right, through their involvement? So, you know, NNSA is actually is hopefully benefiting by getting things done faster and cheaper while still at high quality. How is it benefiting FCOC?

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Uh very straightforward in my mind. Um, I use a phrase uh here at Pantex often. It's it's uh go slow to go fast. And so what does that mean? I I think that's what we're doing here in terms of the streamlining work that's that's being accomplished and recommended. We're we're identifying ways um as an FCOG community, but also as sites, to do our job more efficiently. We're doing the staff work now to derive that return on investment later. And so what's in it for the FCOG members or for the sites in particular, let's take Pantux. Um if we're able to do that and we do it well, our our performance improves. Um if our performance improves, um, not only is that good from a corporate Corporate standpoint, but it but it's also good just from a from a national security standpoint. And so the benefit derivation is really straightforward to me. Um and and again, I think it's it's all about going slow to go fast here.

A career lesson from Colby’s early days at the Pantex Plant.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

So this is our second episode of the F Cong Exchange Podcast. And you know, we we talk about serious topics. Probably you can't get more serious than the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal, but we like to have some fun too. And so we're gonna try something new. And I hope you're okay with being our experiment. But we know many podcasts that you all may be familiar with like to wrap up with a recurring segment, asking a signature question, discussing a book, a movie. So we're gonna do our own DOE-inspired twist, which is can you tell our listeners, viewers, what was the first DOE site you ever visited and what did you take away from that?

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Okay, you were making me nervous for a second. I can answer that question.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

We kind of got it. That's right, we gotta ask a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Oh, easy answer. The first site I came to was Pantex, actually, back in 2005. Um you know, I I don't know that I could tell you my my very first impression I had. I I was uh I think I was simply trying to make sure I did everything right in the first few days, but um I can tell you uh an early experience I had when I started as a process engineer. Um and it's a it's a humbling one at that. I, you know, I uh process engineers are responsible for flowing down all the requirements that exist for weapons processes and activities. And um, and I ended up finding a situation where I'm I missed a requirement. I made a mistake. And um, you know, early in your career when you really have some career aspirations that that talk about a um uh a gut punch, so to speak. That's how I felt at the time. And, you know, I remember when I was actually the one that made the discovery, and so that that made it even uh more frustrating to me personally that I just I just didn't get something right and I was beating myself up. Um I knew what I had to do when I made that discovery, and that was tell my supervision what happened. And um our engineering manager at the time, I recall literally a day later going into their office and describing the mistake that I made. Um he said this to me. He said, Colby, it's not the fact that you made the mistake. You're human and people are going to make mistakes. We can't turn back the clock and fix that. What matters now is how you respond to the issue. And he appreciated my response and candor that I had made a mistake and that I that I ate a piece of humble pie and and just owned it. Um, and so that's that's one of the early experiences that I remember because I wasn't sure where my career was going from there. Um and it's just a great reassurance to that, you know, he reminded me that we're all humans, uh, we're all fallible. Um, and when we when we don't do things as perfectly as we want to personally, uh, or that others might expect us to do, just respond as positively as possible and do your best to go make it right. So, anyway, that's that's the early impression that I got coming to Bantex.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Well, it's great to see that your career remained on the road that led to Bantex even after that. So thank you very much for talking with us today and for all of our viewers and listeners. Thank you very much uh for tuning in to episode two. Please be sure to subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform and make sure to keep an eye out for us on LinkedIn for updates on future episodes. Thank you.