Ms. Kaldenbach has been working in nuclear security for over 30 years. She began her career in material control and accountability (MC&A) at the Y-12 Nuclear Complex while working on her degrees in computer science and mathematics. After hiring into the Engineering Division in the Oak Ridge Complex, she obtained her masters in mechanical engineering and focused more on facility support and physical security systems.
In 1997, Karen began supporting international efforts to enhance nuclear security, working primarily managing security upgrade activities for sensitive facilities. These activities included design and installation of physical protection systems, establishment of regional training and technical centers, coordinating the infrastructure to support these installations, and implementation of all necessary elements to ensure long-term sustainability of security measures at sensitive facilities.
This sustainable foundation includes establishment of a good security culture, training curriculum development, organization and development of maintenance programs, establishment of self-assessment programs and necessary regulatory basis, implementation of human reliability programs, and other performance assurance activities.
Currently Karen serves as the Human Reliability Program (HRP) team lead for ORNL, assisting facilities both domestically and internationally to enhance nuclear safety and security.