Nelly Stanfield retires after 32 years of dedication to Fermilab

Nelly Stanfield

There will be a farewell party in Nelly Stanfield's honor today from 1 to 3 p.m. on the second floor crossover in Wilson Hall.

Nelly Stanfield is starting her next adventure-but she's not planning it out. After 32 years at Fermilab, Stanfield, retiring on Aug. 15, said it's time to be carefree.

"I'm going to travel. Austin and Denver are up first," Stanfield said. "After that, it's open." She's hitting the road with her husband Ken, deputy director emeritus of Fermilab. "I have a lot places I want to visit."

Stanfield is excited about her future, but she's sad to leave Fermilab. Starting in 1979, Stanfield made her way through neutrino experiments, PPD, AD and CD. She spent the past 15 years working on information technology, helping to keep the science databases for CDF and DZero running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She is now leader of the database enterprise foundations group.

"I feel like I grew up here," Stanfield said. "The people at Fermilab invested their time in me, and really allowed me to grow." Stanfield earned her four-year degree as well as her master's degree while working at Fermilab.

In 1983, Stanfield worked in Roger Dixon's office. Now the head of the Accelerator Division, Dixon was then the head of the Experimental Areas Department of the Research Division.

"Nelly was the youngest of the group in that office. She was very lively, and she has the personality to make things happen," Dixon said. "She was very good at her job."

After working in the mechanical support group of AD, she moved to CD where she reported to Vicky White, the head of the Computing Division, for many years.

"Nelly has been a shining star in everything she has done throughout her career at Fermilab," White said. "We will sorely miss her energy, good humor and dedication."

Julie Trumbo, the group leader of enterprise applications, worked as Stanfield's supervisor for the past 10 years. She describes Stanfield as professional, dependable and a good friend.

"I've worked closely with her, supporting the scientific databases at Fermilab," Trumbo said. "Nelly's been a very important part of making sure the science moves along here, that the data the scientists need is always available."

Stanfield enjoyed her work at Fermilab, and she also participated in a number of extracurricular activities, including bowling, volleyball and baseball. She attributes the fun she had here to the varying and interesting people she met.

"I'll miss the people, absolutely," Stanfield said. "And the milestone and holiday parties. I'll miss those, too. They were great celebrations."

Stanfield's sense of humor and strong work ethic made her a valuable member of Fermilab's community.

"Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with quite a few outstanding people," Dixon said. "Nelly is one of those people."

Trumbo describes Stanfield as a pleasure to work with, and echoes the sentiment of many of Stanfield's colleagues.

"We wish Nelly good luck and the best of everything," Trumbo said. "Because she deserves it."

—Ashley WennersHerron