Washington, DC
May 15-17, 2005

The North American - Young Generation in Nuclear group hosted its fourth annual professional development workshop in conjunction with the Nuclear Energy Institute's Nuclear Energy Assembly (NEA) in Washington, DC. The workshop was scheduled directly preceding the NEA on May 18-19, 2005. About 140 young professionals gathered in Washington DC for our professional development workshop in connection with the NEA. The theme of the workshop was "Breaking the Barriers".

NA-YGN's session writers and Capitol Hill leads helped "capture the moment" for members who wished they could have been there. Please read the 2005 NAYGN PD Workshop Summary "Breaking the Barriers" to get an inside look of what happened in Washington D.C.!

• Opening Remarks.
  • Amy Buu, Professional Development Chair, NA-YGN
  • Shannon Bragg-Sitton, President, NA-YGN
  • James Lovelock, Ph.D. (via video), Independent Scientist and Environmentalist

• Opening Plenary - Painting the Big Picture. The nuclear industry is made up of numerous organizations, from utilities to architect and engineering companies, to trade associations, professional societies, government, national laboratories and universities. To better understand the myriad perspectives on the industry and industry priorities, this session outlined the players and their roles.
  • Angelina S. Howard, Executive Vice President, NEI

• Expert Session - Key Industry Issues.
  • Moderator: Sama Bilbao y León, Public Information Chair, NA-YGN
  • David A. Christian, Senior Vice President, Nuclear Operations, Dominion Generation
  • Jeffrey S. Merrifield, Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Marvin S. Fertel, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, NEI
  • Eric Knox, Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary and Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary for Energy Science and Environment, U.S. Department of Energy

• Gaining Support for NA-YGN in Your Organization. This session discussed the value of NA-YGN locally, nationally and internationally and shared information and tips to start a chapter and gain executive support.
  • Moderator: Chris Comfort, Past President, NA-YGN
  • Stephen A. Byrne, Senior Vice President, Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer, SCANA
  • J. Barnie Beasley, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Nuclear Operating Company
  • Elizabeth McAndrew, Nuclear Engineer, Constellation Energy
  • Brent Williams, Simulator Support Engineer, Bruce Power
  • Craig Minarich, Hope Creek ERT, PSEG Nuclear
  • Duncan Robinson, Senior Engineer, Westinghouse Electric Company

• Young Generation Influencing Policy - National Impact. NA-YGN members can have an effect on local, regional and national policy. This session discussed the legislative process and how to have the maximum impact. Speakers also shared resources and answered questions such as: How do I find out more about an issue? What legislation is pending? Where does my congressional representative stand on the issue?
  • Moderator: David Pointer, Communications Chair, NA-YGN
  • Annie Caputo, Professional Staff Member, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Clint Williamson, Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate
  • Jason Remer, Senior Project Manager, Security, NEI

• Luncheon.
  • Frank Luntz, President, The Luntz Research Companies

• Young Generation Influencing Policy - Local Impact. Many local issues also affect the industry, from community support of existing facilities to the development of new plants to transporting used fuel. This session discussed the importance of local involvement.
  • Moderator: Anne Shatara-West, Treasurer, NA-YGN
  • James Scongack, Communications, Bruce Power
  • Candace Trummell, Commissioner, Nye County, NV
  • Lisa Shell, Vice President, NA-YGN

• Annual Meeting and Open Discussion.This session served as the annual NA-YGN business meeting.

• NA-YGN Commercial Breaks.

• Summary of the NA-YGN Professional Development Workshop in "Positron"