Qualifications
WHY I'M RUNNING FOR THE OPPD BOARD
I have nearly 40 years of experience in the electric power industry, starting right here in Omaha as a summer intern at the Fort Calhoun Station and culminating with fourteen years in the Senior Executive Service at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). While in the Senior Executive Service at the NRC, I served as the Director of Risk Assessment, the Director of Operating Reactor Licensing, and the Deputy Director of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards. In 2000, I was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for leading the Nuclear Energy Sector response to the Year 2000 transition. I hold engineering degrees from Iowa State University and The University of Tennessee. In my NRC capacity, I taught risk management at MIT and have served on multiple Boards, including the Board of Advisors for the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering program.
I believe that my experience in the electric power industry and my senior executive leadership experience make me uniquely qualified to serve on the OPPD Board. With OPPD's recent decision to join the Great Plains New Nuclear Consortium to explore nuclear energy, I believe my knowledge and experience will be particularly valuable. My decision to run for the board was precipitated by OPPD's recent decision to continue coal operations at the North Omaha Station. I grew up in the Miller Park Neighborhood of North Omaha and suffered severe asthma as a child, so I can relate to the citizens of North Omaha who have been suffering for way too long. In my opinion, OPPD could have positioned itself to retire the coal plants in North Omaha if there had been greater accountability.
If elected to the board, I will insist on the needed accountability. I'm the owner of a small business in Downtown Omaha that provides photography and videography services. I'm currently pursuing an MFA in screenwriting and I've created several documentary films that have appeared at local and regional film festivals. I'm also an Adjunct Professor of Photography at Bellevue University. My wife, Rebecca, and I live in Downtown Omaha where I serve as Vice-President of the Omaha Downtown Improvement District Board. We have four grown daughters.
Decades of Industry Experience
I have nearly 40 years of industry experience ranging from an entry level engineer at Westinghouse to Director of Operating Reactor Licensing for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. I hold multiple engineering degrees and have served on the Board of Advisors for the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering program.
Executive Leadership Experience
I served in the Senior Executive Service for 14 years. I led the teams that licensed the first gas centrifuge facility built in the United States and approved the operating license for the idled Watts Bar 2 nuclear power plant. I also led the division that reviewed and approved the risk-informed, performance-based regulations that advanced safety while reducing regulatory burden.
Small Business Owner
I currently own and operate a photography and videography business in North Downtown Omaha. My work has received numerous awards and recognition. I know how difficult it can be to run a small business and, as an OPPD board member, I will always look at our decisions through the lens of a business owner.