Shaw a 'Star' at National Security Technologies

AS A CHILD, Mark Shaw dreamed of flying to the stars. And though his current role as operations specialist for National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec) isn’t exactly the same as being an astronaut, it’s still his dream job.

“It’s fascinating,” he enthuses. “It motivates me. The brilliance of the scientists there, it’s amazing.”

Based in North Las Vegas, NSTec is a private company that serves as the management and operating contractor for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and other related facilities around the country. Shaw’s in-plant supports the NTS by providing stationery, brochures and many different kinds of reports.

“We do a lot of training manuals for first responders,” reveals the 51-year-old in-plant manager, who views his co-workers as patriots. “We are a big part in making things right after 9/11. That’s a big part of our mission.”

The four-person in-plant isn’t your usual place to work. Shaw has to navigate through heavy security just to enter the complex. The property is owned by the Department of Energy and houses much of the support staff that services the NTS, 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

“I’ve never worked with a company that’s so focused on safety,” Shaw says. He’s been trained in first aid including CPR, use of the defibrillator and radiation training. Perhaps the oddest training he received involves aiding tortoises if found in distress on the grounds of the NTS.

Growing Up a Hard Worker

An energetic and jovial man, Shaw grew up in Newbury Park, Calif., and all of his neighbors seemed to be rocket scientists.

“I was really into the space program,” he remembers. “Most of my friends and neighbors had something to do with putting a man on the moon.” He recalls a photograph of a neighbor inspecting Buzz Aldrin’s space suit. The caption read “Never forget your dreams.”

So, Shaw’s dream was to be an astronaut. If it were simply a matter of work ethic he would have had that job locked up in high school. At 10, Shaw ran his own lawn care business. Then his mother, Sue, volunteered him to work at Newbury Park High School’s in-plant. Between that, his lawn business and school government, he was quite a busy kid.

“I look back on it, and I don’t know when I slept, because I also got very good grades,” he muses. “It was a terrific place to work because, as a young man, my parents always told me ‘Learn a trade. You can always fall back on a trade.’ Little did I know then that those words would really be prophetic.”

After high school, Shaw was offered a job running the in-plant for Ventura County, Calif. “I was really flattered,” he recalls. "It was really neat because, as a young kid, you don’t realize people are watching you.”

Addressograph Multigraph (AM) loved his work, so the company snatched him away as a technical operative. He worked for AM in California for many years, then accepted a transfer to Salt Lake City in 1980.

Mark worked as in-plant manager at the Utah Legislature from 1988-99, an era that saw great technological advancement in the printing industry.

“To me that was the epitome of awesome change,” he says. Under Shaw, the in-plant moved from offset and became digitized with DocuTechs and network printing. “They said I would never get a DocuTech in there. But I did.”

It was during this time that Shaw became chapter president of the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association in 1995 and president of the National Government Publishing Association in 1996.

Viva Las Vegas

In 1999, Shaw’s wife, Donna, had a wonderful job opportunity in Nevada, and they decided to move. In 2002, Mark landed a job with Bechtel Corp., the M&O contractor for the NTS at that time. In 2006, the government contract changed hands from Bechtel to NSTec, leading to Shaw’s current position.

“It used to be that if you bounced around a lot it was a negative, but this day and age that’s not the case,” Shaw comments. “It shows that you can change with the times and innovate.” He says his many steps along the way have given him skills that he uses every day. “It’s a good fit with all these little weird experiences I’ve had. Some of the jobs you do in life you say ‘I’ll never, ever touch this again.’ But here they all come into play.”

Shaw's dedication has not gone unnoticed at NSTec.

"Mark is very passionate about the printing and duplicating profession and takes a great deal of pride in the work he does," lauds E. Jeannie Faiss, supervisor of Printing, Mail, & Admin Support. "His experience and expertise makes him a valuable asset to me and NSTec. I trust his judgment and decisions about products and equipment needed for the most efficient and economical operation of the shop. Our customers can also depend on his judgment and expertise to see that they receive a quality product each and every time no matter what the job."

Shaw is quite the adventurer. He and his 71-year-old father, Sandy, still ride high-performance motorcycles up and down the western United States whenever they can. These bikes can go in excess of 200 miles-per-hour, but Mark promises he keeps it under 150. He also goes mountain biking with his wife, has gone skydiving and finally got to pilot an airplane, harkening back to the passions of his youth.

Having survived a life-threatening brain tumor a few years ago, Mark Shaw truly appreciates the many gifts life has given him. “Sometimes things just work out.,” he says. “I don’t have one guardian angel, I have a team.”