Los Alamos National Laboratory
Employee Spotlight
Carol A. Salazar — Sculpting the human body
An avid strength trainer, Carol A. Salazar of the Financial Compliance group (FA-FC) has recently started competitive bodybuilding. Carol performed so well at her debut competition that she turned professional and plans to participate in the national bodybuilding championships in the near future.8/7/19
Gary Parker — Life on the boulder’s edge
Gary R. Parker of the Explosive Applications and Special Projects (M-6) group loves to practice bouldering, a niche sport associated with rock climbing. Today, Gary uses his interests in photography and videography to map and introduce new sites to the bouldering community.5/28/19
Katya Davydenko — Training working dogs
Ekaterina Davydenko of Site Infrastructure & Programs Software loves all breeds of dogs but was drawn to working dogs. 4/24/19
Bill Priedhorsky — In the middle of nowhere
Bill Priedhorsky of Laboratory-Directed Research & Development enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors.3/28/19
Frederico “Cisco” Archuleta — Jamming those low notes
Frederico “Cisco” Archuleta of Hazardous Materials Management plays acoustic and electric bass guitar for music genres such as country, folk and Spanish and mariachi music. 2/26/19
Benjamin Yeamans — Always on call
Benjamin Yeamans of W88 Systems Engineering (W-4) volunteers at Atalaya Search and Rescue. A member of the technical rope rescue team, Ben helps rescue people trapped in difficult-to-access locations in the mountains of New Mexico.12/18/18
Jocelyn Buckley — In control of her own plane
Determined to conquer her fear of flying, Jocelyn Buckley of Waste Management Programs (EPC-WMP) earned her private pilot’s license, bought her own plane, and now commutes to and from work every day. 11/28/18
Myles Cartelli — Let’s get crawling
As a young man, Myles Cartelli of Weapons Fabrication Services (PF-WFS) learned welding, machining and fabricating. The skills he refined working at the Laboratory came in handy when he started modifying off-road vehicles for extreme sports such as rock crawling.10/30/18
Michael E. Martinez — Culture captured in art
Growing up surrounded by a creative family, Michael E. Martinez (Q-6) began to draw and paint. Inspired by the diverse cultures in New Mexico, Michael soon found other outlets for his art, such as t-shirt designs, posters, and customized shoes.9/25/18
James Robinson— Rehabilitating wild animals
As a kid, James Robinson of Investigations and Policy (ADMASER-IP) helped rehabilitate injured animals. This passion led him to help found the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation, which raises funds to rehabilitate wild animals throughout New Mexico. 8/29/18
Donald DeChellis— Enter the world of videogame speedrunning
Donald DeChellis of Metal Production (PT-1) is a speedrunner, a new type of video-gamer whose goal is to complete entire runs of videogames as quickly as possible.6/26/18
Mari Roberson— Hard riding and straight shooting
For Mari Roberson of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), there’s nothing more exciting than riding at full gallop on her horse while popping balloon targets with her single-action revolver.5/29/18
Sheryl Bailey— The play’s the thing
A theater director with more than 20 plays under her belt, Sheryl Bailey of the Acquisition Services Management Division Office (ASM-DO) has a passion for working on new plays, those not previously produced for the theater. 4/24/18
Tony Valdez— The Sweet Science
In a professional boxing career that has earned him eight wins, seven by knockout, Tony Valdez today trains the next generation of fighters at his own gym in Española, New Mexico. Tony's goal is to pass on the easy way what he learned the hard way.3/28/18
Susan Tesch— Quilts as art from the heart
A relative newcomer to the art of quilting, Susan Tesch uses her experience as an abstract painter to craft stunning images on quilts and other items, such as placemats. Susan plans to open a quilting business when she retires.2/27/18
Maura Shuttleworth— Pumping serious iron
A veteran of more than 70 competitions, powerlifter Maura Shuttleworth holds more than 20 records, 12 of which are New Mexico State Records. For Maura, powerlifting is more than competition-it's a journey where every day is a chance to get stronger and better.1/31/18
Wilbert Weijer— Taking the road trip of our lives
Hailing from the Netherlands, Wilbert Weijer discovered the simplicity of music through singer-songwriter Neil Young. Today, Wilbert records and performs his distinct style of audio storytelling with just an acoustic guitar and his voice. 12/6/17
Robbie Harris— Let’s play ball!
Robbie Harris of the Lean Six Sigma Office coaches the Los Alamos Little League Girls Softball Team, which in 2017 won the State Championship. Robbie’s secret to success: build self-esteem, foster teamwork, and most of all, have fun. 10/31/17
Hope Quintana— Santa Fe crowns new reina
In May 2017, Hope Quintana of the Actinide Engineering and Science group (MET-1) earned the title of La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe. Hope intends to bring la fiesta to those who cannot attend. 8/28/17
Doug Coombs— “Painting” nature one frame at a time
Douglas Coombs’ love of the outdoors led to a passion for landscape and wildlife photography. Doug’s camera lets him capture the scenery about him so that others hopefully see what he sees. 8/28/17
Vincent Campos— Interpreting traditional retablo art in a fun and whimsical way
Vincent Campos of the Program Cost & Scheduling (MOF-PC-PCS) group creates retablos inspired by Catholic iconography but with a distinctly modern approach. 7/25/17
John Turon— Restoring the golden age of arcade video games
John Turon of Weapons Product Definition spends his free time restoring vintage pinball games to their old glory.6/6/17
Monique Vigil— Meet 2017’s Reina de la Fiesta del Valle de Española
As Queen of the Española Fiesta, Monique Vigil passes on traditions practiced since 1598, when Juan de Oñate y Salazar declared Española New Mexico’s first official capital. 6/6/17
Darrin Visarraga— Dance the salsa, make it your own
Darrin Visarraga of the Information Systems and Modeling group discovered the beat- and groove-laden world of salsa. Now he teaches his passion to others. 5/2/17
Edward Jacquez— A quarter mile of pure adrenaline
J Division Deputy Group Leader for DARHT Operations Edward Jacquez has always felt a need for speed. 4/4/17
Susan Suazo-Martinez— “Everyone knows it’s Slinky”
Susan has 1,500 “Lazy Spring” toys, garnering her inclusion into the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! 2/28/17
Todd Haagenstad— The Passion of Pétanque
Todd Haagenstad of Environmental Programs introduced pétanque to his family and to northern New Mexico. The game is simple—all of you need is some dirt, boules and a pig. 1/31/17
Lawrence Garcia— Descendant of the masters
A martial arts descendant of Bruce Lee, Lawrence Garcia remains soft-spoken and humble as he leads training classes in Jeet Kune Do, “the way of the intercepting fist.” 12/12/16
Ronnie Bell—Soulful vocals for modern times
Genre-mixing singer Ronnie Bell of the Nuclear Process Infrastructure Group (NPI-2) takes personal joy in reaching as many people as possible. 11/15/16
Bill Purtymun—Snow Angel
Whether he’s helping a hiker with altitude sickness or assisting with an airlift for an injured skier on Pajarito Mountain, EMT Bill Purtymun always finds “there’s gratification in working hard at work worth doing.” 10/18/16
