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February 13, 2024 @ 11: 59 PM EST
2024 NAYGN Ballot
This year we are voting for the NAYGN Board of Director officer positions of:
Vice President, Canadian Operating Officer, Professional Development Officer,
Technology Officer, and Treasurer.
You must be logged in to vote! (Member Center Drop Down: Top Right of Page)
If you have any questions or issues during the voting process,
please send an email to past-president@naygn.org.
The Candidates
Vice President
The Vice President is elected to a three-year term. At the end of the Vice President’s 1-year term, they move to the role of President of NAYGN for one year, and then serve a final year as the Past-President. Therefore, the VP role is one of familiarizing oneself with the broad activities of the group during the 1-year term. The Vice President is also called upon to develop a vision for the group for the upcoming term as President. The Vice President is responsible for performing the following duties:
- Oversee the Engagement Committee
- Promote chapter and local section development
- Oversee the Benchmarking Committee
- Shadow the President to ensure they understand the job responsibilities
Tori Bayush
Biography
Tori Bayush is currently a Fire Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Safe Shutdown Senior Engineer at Southern Nuclear where she is responsible for developing, maintaining, and applying state-of-the-art tools and risk models for the plants. Over her 8-year tenure with Southern Nuclear, she has supported and led many nuclear industry and DEI committees and leadership programs. During her spare time Tori enjoys being outdoors, competing in trail races, and volunteering for charitable organizations in her community.
Vision Statement
Tori’s vision for NAYGN is to strengthen our collective impact by empowering our chapters to be more cohesive, collaborative, and engaging organizations. Stated simply, she wants us to “grow better” to set us up for the long term. We’ve grown membership and have the numbers. Now she wants to invest time listening and understanding our chapters’ gaps, concerns, and future innovative ideas. Through small but intentional steps, we can work together to build trust, share best practices and synergies, untap our full potential, and align as one voice to achieve our NAYGN mission.
History Statement
Tori has actively served NAYGN in many capacities since 2019, including currently as both Southern Nuclear’s Corporate Chapter Chair and the 2024 Continental Conference Planning Lead. Her background uniquely extends beyond nuclear to include event coordination and food/retail management. She has leveraged that experience alongside her nuclear professional insight to proudly triple our chapter’s metrics in all categories since 2022. In addition to high engagement and active membership, Southern Nuclear chapters have been recognized nationally for excellence. She is grateful to have shared these experiences with other chapters as a mentor, and she continues to learn from other chapters.
DEI Commitment
As an Asian-Pacific Islander and military brat, Tori fully embraces NAYGN’s commitment to DEI. She had the opportunity to travel around the world and experience and understand different cultures and values. We cannot continue to drive for excellence and be the future of nuclear without fostering an inclusive culture of belonging and ensuring all of us value and support one another. She always has and will continue to encourage an environment where all NAYGN members with different backgrounds and perspectives can realize their full potential while being their authentic selves and releasing the full energy of our organization.
Canadian Operating Officer
The Canadian Operating Officer is a two-year commitment, and they will serve as a voting member of NAYGN’s Board of Directors. The Canadian Operating Officer is responsible for serving as a liaison between the Board and the regional chapters including relaying important news. The Canadian Operating Officer will maintain a list of current chapters, collect participation metrics and promote the growth of local chapters.
Luke Dolenc
Biography
Luke’s current job is Reverse Engineering at Kinectrics, working to keep the CANDU fleet operating for decades to come by executing projects involving the replacement of obsolete components. He has a degree in Engineering Physics (specializing in nuclear engineering) and has extensive technical knowledge about various nuclear reactor operations.
Vision Statement
As Canadian Operating Officer, Luke aims to build a relationship with the indigenous communities, improve the operating structure of the position itself, strengthen relationships with existing partners, and seek new opportunities for collaboration. Building a relationship with indigenous communities will start by using existing connections to organize a listening session on their concerns and then working respectfully to address them down the road. Luke will ensure a more manageable funnel is in place to handle money regarding the regional conference and work towards furthering NAYGN partnerships.
History Statement
Luke has been the Canadian Regional Lead for over a year. During this time, he has assisted in starting/restarting 10 chapters while losing only 1, hosted a sold-out Canadian Regional Conference of 130 people, fostered collaboration between the 24 existing chapters, and attended a handful of clean energy conferences, including COP28. Before being the Canadian Regional Lead, Luke was the Local Chapter Lead at McMaster University. He has been a part of that chapter since conception, so he knows what it takes to start a student chapter successfully. Luke also recently assisted in restarting the Kinectrics Local Chapter.
DEI Commitment
Luke will uphold NAYGN’s DEI commitment by connecting with Canada’s indigenous population, visiting high schools to recruit diverse people into the workforce, and staying up to date with the DEI committee’s goals for the year.
Professional Development Officer
The Professional Development Officer is a two-year commitment, and they will serve a voting member of NAYGN’s Board of Directors. The Professional Development Officer is responsible for supporting the NAYGN Continental Conference and offering professional development opportunities through webinars and programs, including NucLEADers and the Atomic Mentoring Program.
Justin Roberts
Biography
Justin Roberts has over 9 years of nuclear industry experience and currently works as a Procurement Specialist for Talen Energy – Susquehanna after beginning his career in Security. He attended Kutztown University where he obtained his B.S. in Criminal Justice, following that he completed his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. He brings a strong foundation to this role with having over 10 years of Professional Development experience across several different industries and he plans to leverage that along with his education to contribute to the growing organizational success in this dynamic position.
Vision Statement
Justin’s outlook for professional development is to build upon the dynamic culture and help empower individuals where they can continue to thrive and make this industry flourish. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, he aspires to unlock the full potential of every professional, enabling them to adapt, innovate, and excel in their respective fields. His goal is to help promote the nuclear initiative where professionals are equipped to drive positive change and achieve sustainable success. NAYGN is driving advocacy for nuclear to be supported in the clean energy transition and by expanding professional development opportunities more future success will be achieved.
History Statement
Justin’s background with NAYGN began in July when he embarked to help revitalize our Susquehanna chapter and in just 6 short months it has been fully reestablished, and he currently serves as the chapter’s Vice President. Along with revitalizing this chapter, he has also contributed to the following committees: Conference Planning, Clean Energy, Engagement & Government Outreach. He has taken on different parts of the 2025 Conference Planning to help streamline the planning process while making it easier for others to join the planning committee. Additionally, he helped advocate at RE+ in September 2023 and was presented the opportunity to attend COP28, which was done virtually.
DEI Commitment
Justin aims to uphold NAYGN’s fundamental principles specific to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Recognizing that solving intricate problems requires innovative solutions, he believes that fostering a collaborative environment with a variety of perspectives will generate a diverse array of ideas. By actively seeking out team members with different experiences than mine, he is committed to ensuring inclusivity and harnessing the strength of diverse thinking to address challenges effectively.
Paula Rusenovich
Biography
Paula has been a member of NAYGN for 8 years and in the nuclear industry for 14 years. She was a nuclear reactor operator in the United States Navy, then transitioned to commercial nuclear power maintenance and work management at Constellation’s Clinton Power Station. She has a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State University. Paula is currently a program manager on Constellation’s corporate Innovation Team.
Vision Statement
Paula believes everyone should have opportunities for professional growth. The NAYGN Professional Development officer should strive to maintain and enhance NAYGN’s development programs and webinars while exploring creative ways to provide additional opportunities for members. As Professional Development officer, she will use her experience to help others grow by empowering them to succeed in leadership roles and by offering educational opportunities for skill development.
History Statement
DEI Commitment
As an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Paula is dedicated to promoting these values for all members of NAYGN. She recognizes the uniqueness of individuals and the strength it brings to our organization. It is important to her that everyone feels appreciated and respected for their differences. Her goal is to foster an environment that encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives and experiences for the benefit of all our members.
Technology Officer
The Technology Officer is a two year commitment, and they will serve as a voting member of NAYGN’s Board of Directors. The Technology Officer is responsible for the maintenance and security of all digital tools, including: the NAYGN WordPress and Wix Website platforms, the Google Workspace platform, the NAYGN Domain Name platform, and all other technology platforms used by the organization. The Technology Officer also leads the Webmaster Committee.
Jeanne Ruppelius
Biography
Jeanne graduated from Cal State University, Fullerton with a double major in Business Administration and Anthropology. She started her career in education, then moved into manufacturing and aviation, before shifting to nuclear in 2022. Currently, she works at Curtiss-Wright as a Marketing and Communications Specialist. With over 10 years of experience in digital marketing, she’s trained in creating engaging content, managing websites (including WordPress, Drupal, and other CMS), and optimizing website performance.
Vision Statement
Jeanne’s vision is to expand the Technology/Web Committee so that anyone who wants to learn, regardless of “techiness”, can contribute. Through the WordPress community, she has met people from different industries and skill levels, and she has seen them grow in confidence. She wants to bring this energy to our committee. She wants to push the Technology Committee beyond the website—such as identifying and testing new digital tools, and exploring tech events outside nuclear. And as the current Rebrand Lead, she would also be able to help implement the new branding across the website more effectively.
NAYGN History
After participating in Hill Day at the 2022 Conference, Jeanne helped revive her local chapter and coordinated 10 outreach events between 2022-2023. The events centered around STEAM outreach and went outside the “nuclear bubble.” She also had the opportunity to attend 2 critical clean energy conferences, RE+ and COP28, where she advocated with other nuclear champions, challenged stereotypes with the public, and even engaged with anti-nukes. She currently serves as her chapter’s VP and as the NAYGN Rebranding Lead. She is also a member of the Web, Continental Conference Planning, and Clean Energy Committees.
DEI Commitment
Besides Jeanne’s technical skills, she has an innate passion to help her community. Through her volunteer work with other social justice and nature-centered organizations, she has seen the unique challenges faced by non-profits and marginalized communities. There’s always more to learn and room to grow! She may not be a nuclear engineer, but she is still passionate about environmental justice and energy abundance/access. And as a mixed-race woman from California, she hopes to bring another perspective to the table. Diversity is more than skin deep—it includes differences in job functions, environments, and other lived experiences.
Chris Slaughter
Biography
Chris is an Engineering Technical Specialist with Dominion Energy, at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Power Station. He serves as the Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CAD) Site Administrator at V.C. Summer Station and serves as an Innovation Envoy for the Nuclear Design Engineering Department. He has been in the nuclear industry for over 9 years. He has over 11 years of Engineering experience, including 3 years of Nuclear Plant Operations and Training experience.
Vision Statement
If elected to this role, Chris will continue to leverage, maintain, and improve NAYGN’s technology tools to allow for easier tracking and integration of our technology systems, which will lead to easier and more thorough turnover of all our technology tools to future NAYGN Board Members and Committee Members. He will also continue to work with the Rebranding Committee to launch a more attractive and intuitive NAYGN website. These initiatives will allow for NAYGN to build on the positive momentum that we have gained thus far and allow us to continue to make a substantial impact within the nuclear industry.
NAYGN History
Chris joined NAYGN in 2014 when he began working in the nuclear industry. Since 2018, he has served as a V.C. Summer Chapter Leader in the Social Networking, Public Information, and Professional Development Officer roles. He has also served on multiple NAYGN Committees since 2018, including: the Public Information, Social Media, Conference Planning, Video Development, and Webmaster Committees. Since joining the Webmaster Committee, he created our NAYGN Events website, and enhanced NAYGN’s main website substantially. He also serves as NAYGN’s Engagement Committee Lead and was recently awarded an NAYGN Individual Achievement Award at our 2023 Continental Conference.
DEI Commitment
As a minority, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is of the utmost importance to Chris. He pledges to do his best to foster an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued, included, heard, and recognized for their contributions. We are truly stronger together, and the unique perspective that we can all bring to the table should always be nurtured, recognized, and rewarded.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is a two-year commitment, and they will serve as a voting member of NAYGN’s Board of Directors. The Treasurer is responsible for all finances including coordinating fundraising, sponsorship, and approval of expenditures. The Treasurer is responsible for establishing the budget as well as processing payments, reimbursements, and preparing financial documents.
Brian Holman
Biography
Brian graduated from NC State with a B.S. and M.S. in Nuclear Engineering in 2010 and 2012, and finished an MBA in 2022. He is currently a Safety Analysis Engineer at Duke Energy, and has been with the company almost two years. Prior to this role, he worked at Entergy in Nuclear Fuels for almost 10 years, focusing on spent fuel and neutron absorber material management and later on as reload lead.
Vision Statement
If re-elected to Treasurer, he will continue automating the tasks he can and make the job easier for future Treasurers with a robust guide on how to fulfill the role. He plans to build a strong sustainable fundraising committee to help obtain more sponsors and conference exhibitors. He plans to develop an investment strategy for the organization’s cash reserves, to enable NAYGN to make additional income in a safe manner without needing to add sponsors.
NAYGN History
Brian has been involved with NAYGN since he started in nuclear, becoming the Vice Chair of the Echelon chapter for many years, until moving into the Chair position. After a few years in the Chair position, he became the Entergy Fleet President, where he owned the NAYGN budget and presented a budget request for a regional conference. After moving to Duke Energy, he was elected NAYGN Treasurer. As Treasurer, he has made many improvements, such as streamlining our financial tracking and invoicing, enabling us to accept credit card payments, and moving the cash reserves to a higher interest bearing account.
DEI Commitment
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are important for any organization to be successful. Having diversity of thought results in better and more creative results, and having an inclusive environment allows one to feel more comfortable providing their ideas and opinions. As a member of the board, Brian will seek to foster and understand various points of view and make sure that every voice is heard. He will aim to build relationships with organizations outside of NAYGN’s typical demographic and consider diversity in building committees.
William Lee
Biography
William is a Supply Chain Manager at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), managing two teams that support emergent mission critical procurement across the Nuclear Sustainability Services, Advanced Inspection Maintenance, and Pickering Nuclear Generating Station teams. Prior to this role, he has had extensive supply chain experience across OPG that included: multi-million dollar negotiations, and multi-year strategic procurement strategies. He graduated from Ontario Tech University in 2017 majoring in Finance with a minor in Supply Chain.
Vision Statement
William’s vision as treasurer would revolve around smarter strategic spending, and proper fiscal responsibility. As we collectively enter the nuclear renaissance, it will be more important than ever to demonstrate to our peers and members that we’re maximising the value of every dollar entrusted to us. He would look to establish long standing partnerships with current and new vendors that benefit our ability to execute NAYGN’s mission, as well as explore new sponsorship opportunities with industry members as we show them our value proposition.
NAYGN History
Since 2017 William has been an active member with the NAYGN Durham Chapter, serving two consecutive terms as Treasurer. In his tenure, he has completed several initiatives such as: updating the travel governance to demonstrate best value for money, creating budgeting templates/guides for event coordinators for financial considerations, and securing external sponsorship funds for the first time in the chapter. These initiatives helped the chapter win the “Best Chapter in Canada Award” at the NAYGN Conference by maximising the value of our budget. He is also leading the Benchmarking Committee and was a member of the NUCLeaders program.
DEI Commitment
William will uphold NAYGN’s commitment to DEI by fostering an open and inclusive work environment. Having experienced discrimination growing up, he understands how unwelcoming it can feel to not have your peers stand by you. He has volunteered for the past three years as a mentor for visible minorities in the industry and supported DEI initiatives in his company in order to take initiative and develop the ideal work environment. He is confident that his personal and professional experiences will allow him to uphold and progress NAYGN’s commitment to DEI.
Michael Smyth
Biography
Michael is a professionally licensed mechanical engineer at GE Hitachi. He started his career with Nextera Energy and then spent the last ten years with ENERCON as an engineer and engineering supervisor. He has served NAYGN at the chapter level, as southeast region lead, Benchmarking Committee lead, and Technology Officer on the Board of Directors. Michael has a wife and two kids, George and Ruth, living in Atlanta, GA.
Vision Statement
Michael wants to use his tenure as treasurer to solidify NAYGN’s financial standing and to optimize the sponsorships it is trusted with to advance the nuclear industry and it’s members. Building on the work of past treasurers and his own network developed through his career in the industry, Michael wants to push the industry forward to maximize the impact of NAYGN.
NAYGN History
Michael has served NAYGN at the chapter level, as southeast region lead, Benchmarking Committee lead, and Technology Officer on the Board of Directors. Michael has seen how to be effective on the Board of Directors and looks forward to the opportunity to serve as treasurer.
DEI Commitment
As treasurer, it will be important to ensure that NAYGN funds are utilized in an equitable manner, respecting all backgrounds. It will be important to continue to seek out diverse sponsors to ensure that NAYGN’s support is balanced and represents our entire membership base. As an ally, Michael’s time on the Board is focused on ensuring inclusive practices are performed and equitable perspectives are shared in every decision we make.
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