Renatta Nangle is a Senior Planner for Oceaneering Technologies (OTECH) in Hanover, Maryland. Before joining Oceaneering, Renatta proudly served in the U.S. Army.
Born and raised in the small quiet town of Westfield, Pennsylvania, Renatta was one of five children in a single-parent household.
As an adolescent, she knew that college would be an impractical option, and small-town living would not allow her the independence she craved.
“There were only two occupations in Westfield – farming the land or working at the tannery,” she said. “If I stayed [in Westfield], I probably would have become a farmer’s wife. I just wanted to get out of the small town to learn more and see the rest of the world.”
Driven by this ambition, Renatta enlisted in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1983. It was during the co-ed basic training experience she felt liberated from limitations. Women lived together in their own barracks but attended class and carried out training exercises alongside men. “Whatever they did, we did,” she said.
For three years, Renatta expanded her skills and excelled in her role as a Morse Code Interceptor, achieving the highest rank of an E-4 Specialist.
As her military career succeeded, her family expanded. When she expected the birth of her second child, she requested release from active duty.
“While I wish I could have served my country longer, I was also committed to my family and felt it was beneficial to the early development of my children to be home with them.”
After three years, Renatta transitioned into the civilian workforce. With the same resilience she had as a child, Renatta hit the ground running.
“It was a difficult transition (from military to the civilian workforce) because I was still young with not much work experience,” she said.
Renatta began her career in materials management in 1990. She later joined Oceaneering in 2007 when an opportunity within the manufacturing department arose.
A planner at heart, Renatta takes pride in her current position. She also praises Oceaneering for its partnership with the military and has seen how Oceaneering’s Core Values align with her previous military service.
“Learning to ‘Do Things Right’ and acting with integrity brings the trust that comes with teamwork. I continually hold myself accountable and responsible, which makes it easy to work with the team to ‘Own the Challenge,'” she said.
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