As a technical project manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Scott Boise works on programs and projects that make a big impact. Although he spends most of his days in a quiet office, he also makes a big impact on his team. He’s well-known for his character and integrity because of the way he develops leadership skills on the team, promotes respect for others and lives a commitment to learning.
Scott joined the Lab in June 2021, the period of the COVID-19 pandemic when most new employees began their careers without ever having stepped foot on-site. That experience has continued to serve as a reminder to him that new employees face numerous challenges no matter how and when they start. He ’s made it his aim to do what he can to lift some of that load.
Coming to the Lab from a career in the biomedical industry, Scott arrived with years of project management experience but without a deep understanding of nuclear operations. His dedication to continuous learning has helped him pursue experiential opportunities and ask the proper questions to understand his role.
Always a mentor, forever a mentee
Scott’s love for learning has also taken the form of continuous formal education. Scott holds a variety of degrees and certificates, including an MBA, Six Sigma Black Belt, an Earned Value Management certificate and a Project Management Professional certification. He pursued that last certification when he realized that no matter his job title, he was often acting as a project manager — a role he sees as a form of mentoring.
“I’ve tried to learn new skills constantly throughout my career,” Scott says. “That’s a part of why I enjoy mentoring. Mentoring is its own new form of learning for me to draw the connections from what I’ve learned and find ways to pass that on.”
Scott Boise (left) and his team working together on scheduling that supports work at LANL’s Plutonium Facility.
Scott gives credit for his skills to mentors he’s had in his own life. “I’ve been blessed to have great mentors over the past several decades of my career who have taught me about construction, chemistry, production, sales and much more. It’s made a big difference in my life,” he says. “I think we all need mentors no matter where we are in our career.”
Scott’s co-worker Grace Vega says that he continually goes above and beyond with employees in all stages of their careers to make their jobs easier and contribute to a welcoming workplace. “Scott always carves time out of his busy schedule to help out others,” Grace says. “His warm attitude and respect toward everyone on the team is unwavering. He exemplifies the utmost level of professionalism and humility.”
Quietly in ‘beast mode’
Scott works on a production planning team that supports operations in the Laboratory’s national security programs. His team spends much of their time scheduling employees and activities to make manufacturing flowsheets work smoothly.
Scott’s first line manager, Thomas Simotas, says that Scott has brought a unique expertise to his group and solved many challenges in his time at the Lab. For example, Scott developed the “shell status and production tool,” which formed a new way of immediately processing a batch of flowsheet dates. This tool is reviewed by around 100 employees every morning to kick off the day’s production activities.
“Scott’s creativity with finding ways to display schedule impacts and key deliverables has been very helpful in understanding how effectively we’re executing on our mission and goals,” says Thomas. “Scott’s ability to communicate a schedule with visual tools and graphics has helped the entire division gain a fuller understanding of the entire mission picture. His demeanor is generally quiet and soft-spoken, yet I’d use the phrase ‘beast mode’ to describe how he handles a significant workload.”
Scott alongside his teammates, from left: Thomas Simotas, Scott Boise and Nick Martin.
Inspired to show up every day
Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Scott learned the lessons of hard work from his dad. His dad, in turn, was inspired by Baltimore’s hometown favorite, Cal Ripken Jr., nicknamed “The Iron Man.”
“Ripken was known for saying ‘always show up and do your best’,” Scott explains. “It may not mean you are the best in your field, but it means you give it your best no matter what. That’s the part that inspires people, and it’s what employees here at the Lab do every day.”
Scott’s upbringing in Baltimore, a city where symbols of American history are visible at every corner, also instilled in him an understanding and respect for the past. School field trips to some of the most recognized locations in the country reinforced this respect, from Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to Fort McHenry, where “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written.
Scott says his deeply embedded patriotism guides his job at the Lab because of his commitment to learn from our country’s past and seek out opportunities to apply those lessons to his work each day.
Learning never stops — unless there are enchiladas
At home, Scott unwinds with his wife, Karen, his stepsons Sam and Zach, and their two dogs, a Labrador (Avery) and a Chihuahua (Reed). Karen, a certified personal development coach, inspires Scott with her experience in reframing challenges and her commitment to positivity.
Scott says his stepsons keep him inspired, too. Sam completed his Eagle Scout project at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, and Zach works at Central New Mexico Community College supporting the state’s film industry.
Outside of his Lab office, Scott devotes time to learning more about nuclear operations, engineering and plutonium science, and he aims to pursue a doctorate in business. If he ever takes a break from pursuing learning opportunities, it’s only to get in a round of golf or enjoy his wife’s renowned enchiladas. He can also be found reading about the hummingbirds in his backyard and working with his dad’s coin collection.
But that’s not all the education on his horizon.
“When I retire, I hope to be able to teach courses at the college level,” Scott says. “That’s been a long-term goal of mine and something that will keep me on the path of learning.”
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