Meet the NA-YGN Core

Brent Williams
Past President
past-president@na-ygn.org

Brent Williams is the President/Elect of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN). He has been on the NA-YGN Core since 2005. During this time he has presented on YG issues at a dozen safety, public, nuclear industry and YGN events, engaged in letter writing campaigns, organized contests, discussed energy policy with a member of the Sierra Club, judged science fairs and been yelled at by the Executive Director of Greenpeace Canada.

Brent is the also the Responsible System Engineer for the Bruce B Training Simulator at Bruce Power. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that the simulator is available for training and examinations at any given time, and for ensuring that the simulator response corresponds to reality.

Brent received his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario in 2002, is married with two children, and is currently lobbying for a fourth Lego Mindstorms set.

Michael Kurzeja
President
president@na-ygn.org

In May of 2009, Michael S. Kurzeja assumed the role of President and he is focusing on expanding public advocacy efforts of the organization and improving communications both with its members and the nuclear industry. The previous year he served the organization as Vice President. Michael became a NA-YGN member in 2006 and during his time as a member he served in various positions and successfully led a team that developed and distributed NA-YGN’s “Critical to Success” survey.

Michael is a Shift Supervisor at Exelons’ PowerLabs division. In this role, he is responsible leading a group of technicians and engineers in equipment optimization tasks for both Exelon and commercial clients throughout the nuclear industry. Michael is also serving as the Project Manager for PowerLabs 2010 project, which aims it to increase efficiencies and reduce overall costs by leveraging emerging technologies. Michael started with Exelon in 2001 and has held various technical positions prior to his selection for his current assignment in 2006.

Michael enlisted in and served five years in the United States Marine Corps. In 2008, Michael graduated from Grantham University with a B. S. degree in Electrical Engineering Technology in 2008 and is current pursuing his M.B.A.

Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides
Vice President
vp@na-ygn.org

Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides started serving as Vice President in May 2009. For the previous four years, she has served as the Communication and the US Affairs Chair of NA-YGN. In these roles she helped to organize the Awards Committee, Conservation Committee and Publication Committees. Before being elected to the Core, she was the initiating president of the Calvert Cliffs Chapter of NA-YGN and helped organize the fleet model of young professional chapters at Constellation Energy.

In 2008 McAndrew-Benavides began a new job as Manager of Industry Infrastructure at the Nuclear Energy Institute. In this role she is focused on work force development and supply chain issues for the nuclear industry. Prior to this job, she worked for Constellation Energy in their new nuclear division, UniStar Nuclear. Elizabeth’s work experiences at Constellation Energy including rotations in Operations, Quality & Performance Assurance, Technical Assistant to the Vice President, and Nuclear Engineering department.

In addition to a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering, Elizabeth completed an M.A. in Teaching Leadership from the College of Notre Dame in 2006. This course of study focuses on adult learners and professional training. She is currently working on her PhD. in Organizational Leadership.

Jennifer Varnedoe
Professional Development Chair
pd@na-ygn.org

Ms. Bowie graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master's of Engineering at NC State.

As of 2006, Jennifer is in the Edison Engineering Program at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and will look forward to graduating from the program in August. Her rotations in the program have covered ESBWR thermal-hydraulic safety analysis, power plant services new product introduction, new plant licensing, and bulk isotope production.

She joined NA-YGN in 2005 and currently serves on the GEH NA-YGN Section Steering Committee and is actively involved in the revitalization of the Southeastern NC ANS Section. Last year, she served as the Retention and Social committee chair for the GE Hitachi chapter. In that role, she helped establish programs to get new hires engaged in the business and industry and provided social opportunities for folks from across business to meet eachother.

Recently she has taken to being a triathlete, with her first race being on Sunday (May 4, 2008)! Jennifer is doing the event with her entire family and is pretty much addicted to running, biking and swimming!

Adam Strange
Treasurer
treasurer@na-ygn.org

I am the current Treasurer and would like to remain the Treasurer of NA-YGN. My desire to remain Treasurer is to complete the projects I started over the past two years. I do not feel that I would be acting as a responsible Treasurer if I left the Core with these items not being fully implemented in a state of transition.

Since I became Treasurer, I worked with my committees to develop recommendations to make NA-YGN more financially stable. Two of the accomplishments I am most proud of are: developing an entirely new fundraising strategy that will be implemented for 2011 and aligning the career fairs towards supporting the regional needs of NA-YGN.

Other financial recommendations have been accepted by the Core and are in the process of being implemented. These recommendations will make the organization more flexible in the way we do business. I want to see these processes through to the end.

Misha Swanson
Communications Chair
communications@na-ygn.org

Misha Swanson became the NA-YGN Communications Chair in May 2009. Previously she had served NA-YGN as chair of the Midlands chapter, as well as founder and co-chair of the PSEG Chapter. Misha also serves as the US representative to the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC).

Misha started at PSEG Nuclear in 2002 as a Fuel Reliability Engineer, but left in 2005, when through NA-YGN contacts, Misha secured a position with Westinghouse Columbia’s Fuel Fabrication Facility as a Project Manager. In this position, she oversaw the first deliveries of BRW fuel from Columbia and worked with manufacturing operations as a Production Planner. Westinghouse also granted Misha the opportunity to attend the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) in both 2006 and 2008; where she served as the US Representative to IYNC. In November 2008, she started in the Nuclear Fuel Supply Group at Constellation Energy in their Baltimore office.

When not meticulously tracking fuel fabrication prices, Misha likes to experiment with cooking, and dance like nobody’s watching. Complaints about the website should be directed to her.

Kristin Zaitz
US Affairs Chair
usa@na-ygn.org

Kristin Zaitz started serving as the US Affairs chair in May 2009. Previously she was the NA-YGN West Regional Lead as well as the Diablo Canyon YGN Chapter Chair. She has been involved in the leadership of the Diablo Canyon YGN local chapter since 2006.

In her time with the Diablo Canyon YGN leadership, Kristin has actively promoted professional development, public information, and community service opportunities for the chapter membership. In her role as West Regional Lead, she has fostered communication between the local chapters in the western US -promoting a sharing of best-practices, advice, and resources. In 2007, she traveled to the South Texas Project to help them with their chapter kickoff. In 2008, Kristin and the west region local chapter leaders overcame the geographic obstacles of the western US to hold the first annual West Region YGN event.

Kristin is a licensed professional civil engineer and project management professional. She works at Diablo Canyon Power Plant as a civil engineer. Prior to this job, she was a construction planning supervisor at Diablo Canyon, and a project engineer at a commercial structural engineering firm. She enjoys long-distance running, scuba diving, snowboarding.

Vicente Xolocostli
Mexican Affairs Chair
mexico@na-ygn.org

M. en C. Xolocostli became the Mexican Affairs Chair in May 2008. He is a researcher of National Institute for Nuclear Research since 2004.

M. en C. Xolocostli received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical and electrical engineer in 1998 and his masters degree in nuclear engineering in 2003, the first in the Universidad Veracruzana (Veracruz’s University, Mexico), and the second from Instituto Politecnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico). He represented to Mexico in the Third Annual WNU Summer Institute celebrated 14 July to 24 August 2007 in Daejon Korea. M. en C. Xolocostli has the Distinction of the best average in the Master in Sciences studies in Physics and Mathematics School from National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, 2000 & 2001.

M. en C. Xolocostli is a member of SNM (Mexican Nuclear Society) and Chair of members issues of SNM since January 2006. Member of AJENM (Youth Association for Nuclear Energy in Mexico) and President of AJENM since March 2008.

Tracy Edwards
Canadian Affairs Chair
canada@na-ygn.org

Tracy Edwards was elected to the core and became the Canadian Affairs Chair in May 2008. She is a founding member of the Bruce Branch of the NA-YGN at Bruce Power in Canada, and served on the executive of that chapter for two years. In these roles she has organized NA-YGN chapter events and professional development sessions.

As an engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo, Tracy started working as a System Engineer at Bruce Power, in the Performance Engineering department. She currently works in the Nuclear Systems section and is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

Tracy is a fellow of the inaugural session of the World Nuclear University, and spent two years on assignment to the Government of Canada working on nuclear policy issues. These two experiences have given her an unusually global perspective on the issues surrounding the nuclear industry. She is a strong communicator, and is known for her team skills and for achieving results.

Rachelle Benson
Public Information Chair
pi@na-ygn.org

Rachelle Benson assumed the role of Public Information Chair in May 2009 and has more than eight years experience in communications, community outreach, and government affairs. As Exelon Nuclear’s community outreach manager, Rachelle is responsible for developing and managing effective regional and fleet public outreach initiatives and strategies that support Exelon’s goals. Some of these initiatives include leveraging fleet and station contributions and sponsorship activities, developing and executing programs to gain third party support and managing and coordinating community presentations, plant tours and community newsletters.

Rachelle also is responsible for issues management and crisis communications on issues such as security, license renewal, steam generator replacement projects and environmental and regulatory concerns. In her current role, Rachelle also worked on Exelon Nuclear’s new plant development project in Texas. She succeeded in opening a community outreach office in Victoria, TX to give Exelon a full-time presence in the community, creating an Exelon Nuclear Texas-specific website, managing the development of an independent, third party coalition, Nuclear Energy for Texans and educating stakeholders about the benefits of nuclear energy through community presentations and a community information night.

Rachelle has been a member of NA-YGN since 2005. Rachelle works with Exelon NA-YGN members to get them involved in community outreach activities, such as speaking engagements about the benefits of nuclear energy, judging science fairs and teaching students and boy and girl scouts about nuclear energy.

Rachelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Corporate Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University.