Michele Baker joined NNFD at ORNL in 2021. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Michele Baker considers her ability to plan one of her greatest strengths.
Yet she didn鈥檛 predict she鈥檇 move from ORNL鈥檚 Emergency Management Team, where she鈥檇 worked for about a dozen years, to her current position as section head for Safety, Engineering and Support in the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate鈥檚 Nonreactor Nuclear Facilities Division.
鈥淲hen (former NNFD Director) Mike Pierce approached me to let me know about this opportunity, I had never thought about being anywhere other than Emergency Management,鈥� said Baker, who joined NNFD in October 2021. 鈥淓M was my expertise; that was what I had to offer, I thought. But Mike said, 鈥榃e鈥檝e seen the level of rigor that you have applied to EM, and we need that in NNFD.鈥� He saw that my skill set was broader than just EM.鈥�
Baker joined EM in 2009, initially developing and reviewing technical planning basis documents, performing and coordinating program self-assessments, and maintaining procedures and plans. Two years later, she became EM鈥檚 manager, assuming responsibility for overall administration of the lab鈥檚 Emergency Management Program. Baker had come to ORNL after 10 years with a subcontractor, where she was an engineer and later a manager. Her duties included emergency management along with nuclear facility safety documentation, environment impact assessment and hazard analysis, among other specialized skills.
鈥淎 lot of what I enjoy is making sure that the entire program works,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淚n Emergency Management, you evaluate what possibly could happen so you can ensure you have plans and procedures in place. Then you鈥檙e prepared; you pull out the plans and follow the script to have the best outcome possible. You think about it ahead of time so that in the heat of the moment you鈥檙e not having to think and do 鈥� you鈥檙e just doing what鈥檚 already been thought out.鈥�
Those skills 鈥� strategic planning, evaluating and improving processes, increasing efficiency and collaboration 鈥� carried over well to NNFD, she said.
Baker鈥檚 section is intent on finalizing a mission and a vision, as well as defining its role in NNFD鈥檚 and ISED鈥檚 operations. Notably, Baker wants everyone to understand how they contribute to that big picture.
鈥淲e鈥檙e branding ourselves in a way: 鈥楾his is where you go for this skill set,鈥欌€� Baker said. 鈥淢y goal is for everyone to know, 鈥業 belong to this section, and this is where I fit in, and these are the things I do to support this mission and this vision.鈥�
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know why you鈥檙e doing what you鈥檙e doing, what鈥檚 the motivation to keep doing it? We have a lot of people here who really love what they do, and we need to give them the ability to see how what they do makes a difference, so that they want to keep doing it with us.鈥�
Baker sees her section as still early in developing that big picture, but she鈥檚 excited to see some of the planning come to fruition. And she鈥檚 even more excited to reach some benchmarks and keep perfecting the specialized role her section has in ensuring safe operations at ISED鈥檚 nuclear facilities at ORNL and elsewhere.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of work ahead of us, but it鈥檚 rewarding work,鈥� she said.
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