Goodknight filled many roles in a federal career that began in 1980
July 15, 2025
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Senior Environmental Scientist Lauren Goodknight has retired after more than 45 years with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Goodknight worked for the Office of Legacy Management’s (LM) support partner in Environmental Monitoring Operations (EMO) at LM’s Field Support Center in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Goodknight began her career in January 1980 and worked for nine different contractors to the DOE in many roles, including site characterization, sampling, site lead assignments, report writing and production, technical editing, and records management.
In a career achievement award presented to her July 9 in Grand Junction, LM Director Carmelo Melendez mentioned Goodknight’s outstanding leadership in the field of environmental sampling, analysis, and restoration under various regulatory frameworks.
“In recognition of your outstanding career and service to the nation and DOE, the Office of Legacy Management extends its heartfelt gratitude for your invaluable contributions to our mission of environmental stewardship,” Melendez wrote.
She had been with LM since the program office was established in 2003.
“The new mission was a big topic of conversation among employees and made the uncertainty of not having a job go away,” Goodknight said. “For years there were rumors and constant worry that the facility was going to shut down.”
Throughout her long career, Goodknight spent time working as a site lead, hydrologist, and ecologist before taking on her most recent role with the EMO. She manages her team’s schedule and prepares materials for each EMO sampling trip. After each such trip, her team creates reports that are sent to her for editing and distribution.
Goodknight has also been the document coordinator for Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Title I and Title II annual site inspection and monitoring reports.
She’ll still be on-call and helping her EMO teammates when the need arises, such as when her replacement is out of the office. Although she has big plans and plenty of free time heading into retirement, there are parts of the job she’ll miss.
“First, obviously, is the people,” she said. “Some of the EMO team became like family to me. After working closely for 40-plus years with the same group, you get to know them more than other employees.”
Goodknight said she looks forward to doing more hiking, snowshoeing, and biking in beautiful western Colorado. She also plans to travel abroad to see more of the world, but most importantly, she plans to spend more time with friends and family, especially her twin great-grandchildren.
If she could go back in time and offer career counseling to her younger self, she knows what she’d say: Don’t be afraid to speak up. For employees who are just beginning their careers and may feel intimidated, she advises practicing what you’re going to say before you call to interact with a client, partner or stakeholder. Above all, she said, don’t pretend to know more than you do.
“If you don’t know an answer, say so and tell them you’ll get back with them or point them in the direction of the person who knows the answer,” she said.
The most important bit of advice she’d give to a colleague, no matter how many years of experience they have or what role they play on the job, is to make personal integrity their highest priority.
“If you make a mistake own up to it,” she said. “Your head won’t be cut off for a mistake. Everyone makes them.”