Willie Mitchell
Vice Chair and Secretary of the Deacon Board
Willie J. Mitchell is a native of Vacherie, Louisiana, located 30 miles southwest of New Orleans. His father, Willie Clyde Mitchell, was a chemical plant operator and his mother, Melvina, was a homemaker. He is the second of four siblings and has been a resident of Vallejo, CA since 1989. He is married to Kathryn L. Mitchell and they have two handsome sons, Andrew and Adam.
He is a member and ordained deacon of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo. Through the years, he has served as 2nd Vice Chair and Secretary of the Deacon Board, Scholarship Chairman, Food Share Volunteer, Choir Member and Academic Tutor. He is a faithful and dedicated Christian who strives to do God’s will in his life.
About What You Do
Mr. Mitchell received degrees in Petroleum Engineering, Industrial Safety Technology, and Chemical Science (polymers, epoxy and paraffin) from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
He is a Certified Technical Training Specialist with certifications in Technical Management (UCLA – Department of Engineering), Occupational and Environmental Radiation Protection (Harvard University), Management Theory and Principles (University of the Pacific), and Hazardous Materials Environmental Management (UC, Berkeley). For 5 years he served as the Environmental Editor of SCITECH NEWS, a quarterly informational newsletter highlighting minorities working with new developments in science and technology. He is currently a Fellow with the African Scientific Institute (ASI) based in Oakland and listed in “Black Achievers in Science and Technology” publication by (L. Cherry 2011.)
Currently, employed as an Engineer/Technical Training Specialist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for 28 years. He develops and over-see procedures for radiation safety control systems, writes and instructs advanced principal requirements for training which involve select project operations for professionals requiring Nuclear Science Certification needed to satisfy the Department of Energy’s regulatory requirements.
In 2000, while matrix to LLNL Laser Programs, Mr. Mitchell received a Directorate Award for his independent research with the NOVA Laser High Energy Density Experimental Sciences (HEDES) Program to which his collected data provided a better understanding of laser target interaction techniques and a possible approach to observing proton tracks when creating plasma fusion.
For 10 years, he was matrix to the Nuclear Materials Technology Program-Weapons Complex Integration (NMTP-WCI), in 2009, he received a Division Award for developing a Certified Tritium Handler Program implemented for select Lab employees within the Superblock (Plutonium/Tritium) Complex using a tiered approach of achievement for certification. As an Emergency Facility Coordinator for NMTP-WCI, he wrote and created building operational emergency drills/evolutions that involved power outages, fire, radiation/contamination, earthquake, and active shooter scenarios to which he coordinated.
Mr. Mitchell is also a consulting Radiation Trainer/Sub-Contractor for the Center for Disaster Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama, performing Radiological Emergency Response Operations (RERO) training to emergency response personnel (firefighters, EMTs, police, government specialist, etc.) for response to radiological emergencies involving nuclear power plant release, nuclear weapons mishaps and transportation accidents involving select radioisotopes.
Mr. Mitchell is on the board of the Omega Reservoir of Help Foundation (OROHF) where he oversees all STEM projects with the youth. He was initiated into Theta Pi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 2001. Since then, he has been the Chapter Basileus (2010-11), Chairman of the Scholarship Program, and participates in all programs and events Theta Pi host.
OROHF is very proud to claim this man as a member. We celebrate and recognize his accomplishments both within and outside the hallowed hall of the Foundation and Omega. We anticipate continued performance and exceptional achievement from the endeavors of Willie Mitchell.
His life philosophy is based on Proverbs 9:9 which states: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
ROHF 