Nancy Cameron
Senior Advisory Engineer
BWX Technologies, Inc.
Quality issues really float my boat – to me they are a giant jigsaw puzzle. First data is gathered and grouped like a jigsaw puzzle, then analysis is done which starts aligning the pieces. Eventually enough of the puzzle is done to see the big picture.
For more than 35 years, Nancy has been essential to the mission of BWX Technologies, Inc., the sole manufacturer of naval nuclear reactors for U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers. In that time, she became the first female engineer to reach the company’s senior advisory engineer level, pioneering innovative technical solutions to some of the company’s toughest technical issues. One of Nancy’s most noteworthy projects was leading a team over multiple years to develop an extremely difficult, one-of-a-kind fabrication process. Yields improved from approximately 60 to 95 percent through her efforts of improving quality and analyzing data.
As a longtime innovator and technical leader at BWXT, Nancy has repeatedly made her mark on the company by breaking barriers with her tenacity and intelligence. She has worked diligently to improve the output of the company while maintaining schedules and costs, setting a high bar for resolving technical issues and consistently overcoming complex challenges.
Within BWXT, Nancy has mentored hundreds of employees in highly technical disciplines. She has grown even stronger in this role as the lead master Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the Operational Excellence group. She has directly mentored 30 black belt candidates across four states, and she encourages participants to continually improve their skills by participating in exposure efforts throughout the organization. Her commitment to advancing women in manufacturing is also evident through her ongoing participation in numerous STEM events, where she works one-on-one with young women to teach them about the ins and outs of the industry.
Beyond BWXT, Nancy passionately supports numerous charitable organizations including Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, Women in Nuclear, United Way and the American Business Association, where she served as president.