What is NucLEADers?

Every two years, NAYGN analyzes the status of its members through a career survey.  The survey helps NAYGN leadership get a better understanding of where its membership base stands on career demographics as well as what the membership base desires for development.  In 2020, the NAYGN bi-annual career survey indicated that our members were looking for more Leadership and Communications training.  In response to these findings, NAYGN set forth to develop a program unlike any other we have before: NucLEADers.

NAYGN partnered with Dale Carnegie to provide a professional development program for a cohort of young, nuclear professionals that will address our members’ desire for more professional development, specifically when it comes to leadership and communication.  The participants that go through this program will come out prepared to take the next step in their career and become the future leaders of the nuclear industry.  This is why the question isn’t so much “what is NucLEADers?” as it is “who are NucLEADers?”  

About the Program

Our NucLEADers are selected to be a very diverse group representing all corners of our industry.  For 9 months, our NucLEADers will participate in leadership and communications training sessions that will be informative, engaging, and enlightening.  The core of the cohorts training will center around sessions led by the industry experts at none other than Dale Carnegie.  Throughout this 9 month period, there will be connector sessions that will continue to engage the NucLEADers and further develop their learning and take-aways from the Dale Carnegie sessions.  These connector sessions include engagement amongst the cohort members as well as opportunities to engage with industry executives.  The NucLEADers will additionally participate in sessions requiring them to reflect back on previous trainings and identify how it impacts their daily roles.  The bulk of the course is broken into three triads: one on communications and two on leadership.  At the end of the program, the NucLEADers will work on a specific project that will help the betterment the nuclear industry.

The Current Cohort

 Aditi Bhardwaj, OPG; Benjamin Neff, BWXT
Brenda Akumu, OCNI; Chason Zacher, PSEG
Courtney Chapman, Constellation
Dylan Verburg, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Gregory Golding, Moltex Energy; Nazli Eser Kaya, GE
Hayley Kunzli, Entergy; Jacob Watson, Framatome
John Whitten, Duke Energy; Luca Capriotti, INL
Marek Piechowicz, Shine Technologies
Marissa Womble, MPR; Matthew Clark, Next Era Energy
Paul Rodgers, South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company
Robert W Drsek, Energy Harbor; William Lee, OPG
Zachary Hills, ENERCON; Zohab Paracha, OPG

Program Development Team

The NucLEADers program was developed by NAYGN members for NAYGN members.  The development team truly identified with the needs of members seen through the career survey because they are members!  The program development team worked with Dale Carnegie to develop a program that would last long after their own time with NAYGN.

Monica Block

Program Lead

Exelon

 

Aleisha McAteer

Program Founder

Westinghouse

Madelynn Monte

Program Founder

Westinghouse

Christopher Chance

Program Developer

Duke Energy

Tom Myers

Program Developer

Duke Energy