CNS announces leadership succession for combined Pantex and Y-12 operations

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.”