Engineer, team leader, and supervisor with 34 years of experience in nuclear power plant licensing, inspection, and regulatory oversight. Extensive and in-depth understanding of NRC regulations, related guidance and practices, and their implementation for nuclear power reactors. Proven track record in achieving resolution of high-profile, technically complex regulatory issues. Areas of expertise in nuclear power and research reactors include:
- Reactor licensing project management
- Nuclear Quality Assurance
- Reactor construction inspection
- Part 50 license amendment reviews
- Reactor pre-operational testing inspection
- Operating reactor license renewal guidance
- Research reactor inspection
Conducted US Nuclear Regulatory Commission workshops and consultations for regulatory bodies as part of the International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP). This has included workshops and consultations for the Vietnamese regulatory authority, the Forum of Nuclear Bodies in Africa, and regulatory authorities for Jordan, Romania, South Africa and Thailand. The workshops have involved knowledge transfer of USNRC regulatory practices related to nuclear power plant and research reactor design and construction codes, licensing practices, construction and testing inspection, vendor inspection, evaluation of safety analysis reports to support issuance of construction permits and facility operating licenses, and facility equipment practical basics.
Provided four simulated research reactor on-the-job inspection workshops for regulators from Thailand, Romania, Ghana, and Jordan. These efforts familiarized the participants with USNRC inspection procedures and provided a structured environment for the foreign regulators to inspect operational practices at a research reactor.
Provided assistance to the Jordan nuclear regulatory authority to perform quality assurance, construction, commissioning, and vendor inspections of a research reactor under construction. Provided licensing task support including the generation of operational licensing safety evaluation report input for the Jordan research and training reactor. Provided related support, including extensive staff training, to enhance the regulatory authority’s regulatory infrastructure. And performed an in-depth evaluation of the inspector qualification practices and identified recommended actions to enhance the program effectiveness.
From 1982 to 2011 gained 29 years of experience in the regulation of nuclear power plants including inspection of design, construction, preoperational testing, operation, and maintenance. All of this time was spent with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in various regional and headquarters roles. This included assignment as the senior resident inspector at nuclear plants during construction and pre-operational testing. Also served in various U.S. NRC headquarters positions including team leader and supervisor responsible for headquarters multi-disciplinary team inspections, supervisor for licensing project management of operating plants, supervisor for operating reactor quality assurance, team leader for updating license renewal guidance, and team leader for the integration of safety culture concepts into the operational plant assessment and inspection programs.
From 2009 to 2011 was the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) team leader in the license renewal organization for nuclear power light water reactors. Responsible for leading a large group of U.S. NRC staff technical staff from several offices (Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Office of Research, and Region I) and a contractor support organization. The team was responsible for preparing updated (Revision 2) license renewal guidance documents. This effort included the updating of U.S. NRC NUREG-1800, Standard Review Plan for License Renewal; NUREG-1801, Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report; and NUREG-1950, Technical Bases and Public Comment Disposition. The technical evaluations spanned the areas of mechanical, structural, and material engineering as aging effects on long lived passive nuclear power plant components was evaluated. The effort considered both domestic and international lessons learned. Extensive interactions occurred with the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) as the updated NUREGs were prepared.
From 1999 to 2005 was the first level supervisor responsible for a group of Region IV operating nuclear power reactor licensing project managers. Responsible for performing licensing reviews in accordance with all relevant U.S. NRC rules, regulations, and guidance on a wide variety of technical facets. Ensured that all licensing actions evaluated licensee proposed changes to plant operations for their impact on plant safety.
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Senior Resident Inspector (Construction)
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Meritorious Service Award
B.S., Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 1978