Josh Blank

About Josh Blank

On Contract until 9/8/26.In short: I get the job done, the stranger the better, and exceed expectations.I served for 6 years as a nuclear power plant mechanic onboard the ballistic missile submarine USS RHODE ISLAND. While in this position I learned nuclear and mechanical engineering principles and fundamentals. I specialized in the preparation of Maintenance Procedures, which led me into the field of Quality Assurance. At this I excelled, and became the Assistant Quality Assurance Coordinator for my submarine. In this position I supervised SUBSAFE critical work items, trained the crew, and led teams to complete work items on time with first-time quality. I attended Florida State University for Mechanical Engineering on Uncle Sam\'s dime and graduated in May 2021 with a 3.994 GPA. I got straight A\'s except for an A- in World Geography in my first semester.I made the mistake of graduating during The Pandemic, so the only work I could find was in the healthcare industry. I worked for 2 years as an Epic Prelude TS doing literally everything possible to solve the problems our end users encountered/created. I have more knowledge about how the insurance industry exchanges information with hospitals then will ever be practical elsewhere, but being knowledgeable in the data systems that quietly run our lives has proven invaluable in more ways than occupational.In July 2023 I took the opportunity to move my grandfather-in-law into my house and provide in-home hospice care. I rapidly developed basic CNA skills, and provided spiritual care that I wasn\'t aware I was capable of. The three months that we got to spend with him were incredible, challenging, and life-changing. Afterwards, I decided to use my degree as a Quality Engineer at Berntsen Brass and Aluminum Foundry. This was an incredible learning experience into manufacturing processes, and has provided a keen insight into the base of the modern supply chain. A major reason I took this position was to transition myself back into the industrial engineering lifestyle, which helped me prepare for and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam on my first try, despite the foundry not having a PE to study under. My chief experience here was learning when and how to quit a job that I had outgrown.I am back again in the EpicSphere doing God\'s work: reducing denials by optimizing RTE build.The more industries I expose myself to, the more I notice the mycelian threads that connect the systems of humanity. I fancy myself as a system\'s engineer, just like Hyman Rickover\'s legacy trained me to be.

Experience

1. Quality Engineer

   Berntsen Brass & Aluminum Foundry

   Nov 2023 — Present · Madison, WI, US

   I solve problems at a foundry. What\'s not to love?I was hired to assist in the continuous improvement of the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, but I found my fingers in every department of the foundry at some point. My day-to-day consists of finding design and process improvements to the myriad patterns we run, resolving customer-issued corrective actions, and integrating business practices with the Odyssey ERP. I am frequently pulled into side projects that I can always justify as being related to the end quality of our products. I consider myself largely successful in driving cultural changes that promoted inter-department collaboration and QMS effectiveness. I piloted the use of 3D printed geometries in our patternshop, and even created my own patterns for various niches in my personal life.My magnum opus is the operations manual I created for the MJM-800 stack melter we acquired at auction. The furnace is a large step forward for our foundry, but the company that built it had shuttered their furnace line during COVID so manufacturer support was off the table. Amongst my other duties I developed and documented a deep understanding of the equipment, created standard operating procedures tailored to our business, developed a robust recurring training program and preventative maintenance schedule.My favorite part of this job is that I am able to operate with great autonomy in any fashion that works toward continuous improvement. I definitely feel a more refined sense of professionalism in an engineering capacity that came with the increased responsibility and expectation of results.

Education

• Nuclear Power School - Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC)

  Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician

• Florida State University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering

• FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering

  2017 — 2021