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In the heart of our nation’s capital, young professionals from throughout North America gathered for the 2011 NA-YGN Annual Workshop. This was an amazing opportunity to redefine the understanding of nuclear power, as well as a chance to uncover a world of opportunities in the realistic future of green power generation.
To describe the workshop without mentioning Fukushima Daiichi would be impossible. The workshop, presented by NEI and NA-YGN, took place during a critical time in the search for high yield, environmentally friendly sources of energy. Our nation’s leaders were being tested on their support in moving forward with the new construction of Nuclear Power Plants. The events in Japan caused many American citizens, politicians, and regulatory committees to question the support of the, recent revitalization of the nuclear industry. This controversy presented both a challenge to the workshop, along with a challenge to renew the confidence of our society in the safety and operation of future nuclear power plants in the United States.
The workshop brought together speakers from all parts of the nuclear industry. Topics of discussion included “the state of the industry” and “the future endeavors young engineers can prepare for.” Among the speakers was The Honorable William Magwood, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, who spoke on the subject of nuclear regulation beyond the nuclear power plant. Global Nuclear Economy was another interesting discussion presented by Armand Laferrere, Senior Vice President of Major Project Offers for AREVA, and Richard Myers, Vice President of Policy Development for NEI.
The workshop also presented an excellent opportunity for a question and answer session with; Jacques Besnainou the Chief Executive Officer and President of AREVA, Chris Tye the Senior Vice President of Nuclear Fluor Enterprises, and Bruce Landrey the Chief Marketing Officer of NuScale Power Inc. Topics of discussion focused on the nuclear industry throughout the world whereby each panel member emphasized the need to work in a country outside the United States within the course of our careers. Each representative gave an insightful perspective of how to reach our goals: a strong dedication to learning; the will-power to overcome great obstacles; and a strong character in leadership.
NA-YGN AREVA Charlotte Members (L-R) Mike Bloom, Becky Rollins, and J Carrington Dillon accept awards at the Conference. Becky accepted the Best Chapter Award for the Carolina's Region, and Mike and Carrington accepted the Future Award for their work in creating Clean Energy Insight.
After enjoying the sessions with numerous leaders of the industry, various NA-YGN groups networked with other chapters. A couple chapters also enjoyed valuable one-on-one time with their senior management. I had the great privilege to attend a meeting with Progress Energy’s NA-YGN in a “round table” with their senior management. During the round table Q & A discussion, young professionals were able to bring up various subjects of concern with their peers and senior management. The environment also encouraged ideas for improvement within the company. This was the first time I witnessed an “even-level playing field” between management and young employees. The meeting created a venue where young professionals’ voices were not only acknowledged but their ideas were brought straight to the top of the company. From someone who knows the importance of having a voice that is heard, I applaud this effort. I hope to see more companies apply this valuable tool to their young work force.
Networking with industry leaders continued throughout the week. The NA-YGN Annual Workshop coincided with the Annual Nuclear Industry Conference and Nuclear Supplier Expo: Nuclear Energy Assembly (NEA). Many of the strongest voices in nuclear energy attended the workshop. Some of the individuals that I had the privilege to interface with included; Michael Annacone, Vice President of Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant for Progress Energy; Michael Rencheck, Chief Operations Officer for AREVA; Thomas Williamson, Vice President of New Plant Marketing Strategy for AREVA; and Jeff Merrifield, Senior Vice President of Shaw’s Power Group. Dinner and entertainment were held in very prestigious and impressive venues in Washington DC, which included The Library of Congress as the backdrop for our final night at the workshop.
NA-YGN AREVA Members pictured (L-R) J Carrington Dillon, Dr. Landon Kanner, Josh Lester, Craig Kelley, Mike Bloom, Justin Inman, Erik Haas, Becky Rollins, Jeff Marozzo, Wayne Lee, Luis Durani, Rebecca Edwards, Rebecca Knott, Shelley Hodgson, Nissia Sabri, and Aaron Pierce. AREVA's Charlotte Chapter won Best Chapter for the Carolina's Region and AREVA's Lynchburg Chapter won Best Chapter for Atlantic Region.
The final day of the workshop was spent on Capitol Hill talking with congressional representatives. With Fukushima Daiichi continuing to make headline news throughout the world, there was a continuum of dialog spent on this subject. Most of the NA-YGN teams encountered an interesting mix of pro-nuclear supporters from both Republicans and Democrats. Kara Weishaar, the representative of Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina, was kind enough to talk with us on the senator’s view of nuclear power. Senator Burr is pro nuclear and a strong advocate of eliminating our high demand for fossil fuels. The common view on Capitol Hill is the support for non-carbon producing means of electricity as in the production of wind and solar power. Our enthusiastic groups pushed the outweighing statistics on wind and solar energy vs. nuclear. Although we saw the (nuclear power) support from most of our congressional leaders, their voices were heard only behind closed doors. Strong, outspoken support for nuclear energy was almost nowhere to be found in our nation’s capitol.
NA-YGN AREVA Members pictured (L-R) Dr. Landon Kanner, Mike Bloom, J Carrington Dillon, Becky Rollins, Justin Inman, Josh Lester, and Kyle Scarola after visiting Capitol Hill office buildings to speak to their local Representatives about Nuclear Energy
All -in-all, the workshop was a great tool to prepare our young generation of nuclear engineers for the future. Many of us will face demanding evaluations in the years following the Fukushima Daiichi event. To quote Theodore Roosevelt, “The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.” Like many industrial fields, the nuclear industry has seen its share of set-backs over the last thirty years. It is our job as professionals to move past these hurdles and continue to strive forward in building safe, innovative and reliable nuclear power plants.
