April Ladd discusses the status of work activities at the EM Paducah Site C-400 Deactivation Project with Tom Peeler, a deactivation maintenance mechanic with Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, the Paducah Site’s deactivation and remediation contractor.
April Ladd discusses the status of work activities at the EM Paducah Site C-400 Deactivation Project with Tom Peeler, a deactivation maintenance mechanic with Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, the Paducah Site’s deactivation and remediation contractor.

PADUCAH, Ky. – EM Paducah Site General Engineer April Ladd overcomes challenges.

From the time she was young, Ladd knew she wanted to be an engineer, and nothing got in the way of her working toward that dream. In college, she balanced the pursuit of her career goals with family responsibilities. While her journey proved challenging at times, Ladd persisted until she earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2004.

“Throughout life, there have been many obstacles that have tried to derail me or make it difficult for me to succeed,” she says. “Success isn’t measured by what you achieve; it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.”

Ladd’s determination and drive to excel have equipped her to serve as the federal project director overseeing the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office’s deactivation and pre-demolition of the C-400 Cleaning Building and the city block surrounding the building at the Paducah Site.

Built in 1952, the C-400 Building was once the primary facility for cleaning and decontaminating parts and equipment used in uranium enrichment. It is also the source of groundwater contamination resulting from degreasing of parts and equipment using trichloroethylene.

Previous roles working for DOE contractors and in private industry enriching uranium helped prepare Ladd for her current work. Ladd’s leadership enabled EM’s safe removal of hazards and successful stabilization of the C-400 Building, a significant achievement that supports the reduction of groundwater contamination. Ladd is also responsible for managing and ultimately dispositioning more than 8.5 million pounds of R-114, the largest stockpile of the refrigerant in the U.S.

“I am proud to have diverse work experience that has enabled me to navigate and solve problems that very often don’t come with easy answers,” Ladd says. “To other women aspiring to go into engineering, I say go for it and be fearless. Work hard and ask questions. Surround yourself with people, role models, and mentors who encourage your intellectual curiosity. The best way to do great work is to love what you do.”