Photo of Janice Crawford

1. What was your first job and what did it teach you?

I got my first job straight out of high school as a supervisor at a WilliamsonDickie manufacturing warehouse. There were lots of different brands there, and we would ship out supplies. The job taught me the value of having a team, in that each individual has an important role and brings their expertise to the group, doing what they need to make sure the team is successful.

2. What is your favorite part of your job at Framatome?

My favorite part is getting the chance to work with others across business units. Framatome is an international company, and we have many locations in the United States and Canada. I’m responsible for environmental health, safety, security, and loss prevention in the North American region. The fact that I am at the North America level allows me to collaborate across all business units, connecting the dots, pulling teams together, and exchanging and sharing lessons. I like the opportunity to work with subject matter experts across the company and make sure that lessons learned are shared with everyone.

3. What skills have you found vital to your job?

Big picture thinking. Not everyone has that kind of strategic thinking or the ability to see the bigger picture. I've found that’s one of my skills: having the ability to step back and see the bigger picture and what we're trying to accomplish, to zoom out to the forest from the trees. I’m also able to size up a situation very quickly. I think those two skills in particular help me with that global and North American reach.

4. What projects are you currently working on right now at Framatome?

One of the biggest projects that we're getting ready to launch is our Safety and Quality month, held in June every year. The planning that goes into that for our North America locations is significant as it involves scheduling our top leadership and coordinating with support function teams and subject matter experts from three business units to develop and deliver content. Another project we are working on is emergency alert system testing. We are conducting our quarterly test of our Emergency Alert System software, updating our Facility Emergency Plans, and planning our bi-annual emergency evacuation drills.

5. What have you learned from being on the GOVA Region 2 Council?

What I've learned is that Framatome supports some of the same projects as GOVA. At Framatome, we are focused on having a strong workforce and talent pool, so we support the Beacon of Hope, which is one of the projects that has been discussed during the council meetings. It’s neat to see how connected we are at a local level, for a broader reason. It’s been great to work on local, homegrown projects, and I'm seeing that my company will benefit from some of these initiatives, due to the talent pool they will bring into the community.

6. What are some similarities and differences between your role at Framatome and your role as a GOVA Region 2 Council Member?

Both my company and GOVA are looking for economic drivers to create a pipeline of talent and attract a workforce. Those similarities are interesting to me because it shows how connected we are. One of the differences is that the GOVA Region 2 council brings me out of the sphere in which I work, but I’m able to transfer my knowledge when I’m evaluating GOVA projects. Even though the projects are outside my work range, my knowledge base and my experience lend themselves to evaluating these projects.

7. What has GOVA Region 2 planned for the future that are you looking forward to?

The one project that I evaluated, “Biotech Lab Space Development,” submitted by the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, was interesting to me because it is an academic and business partnership that showed how lab space is a vital need in our region and across the state. I’m interested to see the project travel through the system from beginning to end. I hope that it takes off, as it will bring high-quality talent into the area.

8. Do you have a favorite part or memory from being on the GOVA Region 2 Council?

When I would review material and receive the documents, I had my own thought processes. Being a new member, I found affirmation when I saw that my fellow council members had similar ideas to me. That was one of my favorite moments. I saw that we were approaching these projects the same way and were applying the skill sets we use in our daily jobs to our work on the council. I enjoy the collaborative nature and seeing colleagues across the state come together and step out of their daily walk. When you work for such a large company, you don't often get to focus on a state or regional level project. It’s been exciting for me to be able to do that.

9. What activities do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy traveling and sports and athletics. Spending time with family and friends is my biggest hobby right now. I also enjoy reading and am currently reading an awesome book, Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer.

10. What is the most memorable place you have ever visited?

I travel extensively – I used to have an office in Paris because of my previous role in the company and made many trips to our offices in France and Germany. However, a leisure trip to Ireland was my most memorable trip. My husband and I went and, as neither of us had been before, it was special for us to be able to see this beautiful country for the first time together. We traveled the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula. We had an incredible 7-course meal at the Michelin-star awarded Arbutus Lodge in County Cork and kissed the Blarney Stone, which sits high on a tower of the Blarney Castle. The Ireland countryside is beautiful, and everyone we met along our journey was charming, hospitable, and happy to share a pint of Guinness.