Cheryl Cabbil- The Gold Standard of Leadership
Cheryl Cabbil is an inspiring fuel of performance that continues to propel our organization to the next level. Laced with the practiced virtues of integrity, compassion and honesty, Cheryl’s personal code guides her capacity to lead by focusing on principles much larger than her own existence.
Inspiring Leader
A true Change Agent, Cheryl brings 30+ years of experience in executive and leadership positions providing safe, efficient, and compliant high hazard nuclear facility operations and decommissioning at Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) sites.
Cheryl kicked off her career at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC, quickly rising to leadership positions including Area Manager for Radiological Control Operations, SRS Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene Manager to Area Manager of Tritium Operations and then Deputy Director for Research Operations and Assurance at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). A key role as Senior Vice President for Energy & Science Solutions at URS Safety Management Solutions (now Amentum Technical Services) tasked her with strategic planning for contracts in the Energy and Science Sector. She also served as Vice President and ESH&QA Manager for UCOR (Amentum led Joint Venture). From there – the opportunity of a lifetime, Associate Director & High Hazard Operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
The Dream Job
Admittedly her ‘dream job’, Cheryl’s responsibilities at LANL allowed her to tap her wide breadth of skillsets, return to operations, and accelerate facility performance. Leading by example with that steadfast personal code of conduct as her guide, Cheryl and her team solved some of the most site’s most complex operational issues. At LANL, Cheryl was responsible for managing facility operations, a $600M/year budget, and a staff of ~1,500 direct and deployed resources.
Personal Life
One of two children raised outside of Detroit, Cheryl attended public schools through the 7th grade, and then entered catholic schools; graduating from Sacred Heart High School in Dearborn, Mi a semester early to attend college. With scholarship offers from leading universities including Michigan State, Cheryl had her heart set on the University of Michigan. Inspired by her mother, who worked in nursing at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor when she was young, a focus on pre-med drove her curricula choices. However, volunteer work at the Hospital during that first year influenced a decisive switch in priorities.
“I could not stand to see the pain and suffering that I saw there and always left at the end of the day depressed. I decided that I could still help people by protecting them in the workplace.”
After graduating with a BS in Microbiology, Cheryl worked as a full-time research technician at BASF Chemical Company while pursuing her MS in Occupational and Environmental Health from Wayne State University in Detroit. From there, it was a one-way ticket to the Department of Energy Complex at Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC and the start of a rapid rise to the top.
Continuing the Pursuit of Excellence
With numerous awards, honors and professional recognitions, this wife and mother of two now supports Operations for Amentum’s Environment & Energy business. As a member of the Energy & Environment leadership team, she leads enterprise nuclear governance efforts and organizational excellence initiatives. Cheryl also serves in an advisory role to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), is a member of the Savannah River Remediation, LLC Board of Managers and is an executive sponsor of the N&E Performance Assurance Functional Area Coordination Team and Chief Operating Officers Steering Group.
Throughout each of Cheryl’s assignments and key leadership roles, her calm, capable demeanor and unwavering personal code of conduct have made a significant impact on creating a positive culture, open communication and keeping her teams continually mindful of the pursuit of excellence.
