Our Speakers
Ernie Moniz - Keynote Speaker
U.S. Energy Secretary from 2013-2017
Ernie Moniz served as the 13th Secretary of Energy under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. A physicist by training, Moniz played a critical role in advancing energy technology and policy, particularly in the areas of nuclear security and clean energy. Under his leadership, the Department of Energy launched several initiatives to support the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors and foster international collaboration on nuclear safety and nonproliferation. Moniz’s deep expertise in both the technical and policy dimensions of energy makes him a highly respected voice in the field.
Rick Perry - Keynote Speaker
U.S. Energy Secretary from 2017-2019
Rick Perry served as the 14th Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure, Perry focused on promoting energy independence and innovation, with a significant emphasis on advancing nuclear energy as a key component of a diverse and secure energy portfolio. Prior to his role at the Department of Energy, Perry served as the Governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, where he championed policies that positioned Texas as a leader in energy production and innovation.
Rep. Cody Harris
Texas House of representatives
Cody Harris’ conservative values are deeply rooted in Texas House District 8. His ancestors settled in Freestone County after the Civil War and his great-grandfather was the last operator of the Wildcat Ferry on the Trinity River between Anderson and Freestone counties.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, Cody owns and operates Liberty Land & Ranch in Palestine, a statewide real estate brokerage firm. He is an active member of the Texas Association of Realtors, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program (TALL), and lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
As State Representative, Cody’s priorities include securing the border, strengthening public schools, protecting farmers and ranchers and private property owner rights, lowering property taxes, shrinking the size of government and fighting for pro-life and pro-family values.
Protecting farmers and ranchers is personal to Harris. During the 1980s, his family lost everything during the savings & loan and oil market collapse. The family leased a 100-acre tract of land outside Palestine and planted a crop of watermelon, corn, cucumbers and cantaloupe. They sold the produce on the side of the road to make ends meet and eventually recovered.
As the father of an adopted daughter, Harris also focuses on protecting the state’s most vulnerable children and reforming Child Protective Services.
Cody and his wife Taylor are proud parents to three sons and a daughter. The family is active at First Baptist Church where Cody serves as Deacon. Harris has also served in the following positions – Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, member and President of the Palestine YMCA Board of Directors, President of the Palestine Young Professionals Network, volunteer for Palestine YMCA Youth & Government, and volunteer for Palestine ISD Business Mentor Program.
Harris, a native of House District 8, serves on the House Calendars Committee, Transportation Committee, and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Harris is also the Presiding Officer on the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Advisory Committee and was appointed by Governor Abbott to the Southwestern States Water Commission.
James Glotfelty
commissioner, Public Utility Commission of texas
Governor Greg Abbott appointed James Glotfelty to serve as a commissioner on the Public Utility Commission of Texas on August 6, 2021, for a term set to expire on September 1, 2025. Before his appointment, he served as Founder and Executive Vice President of Clean Line Energy.
His public sector experience includes serving as Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Energy Policy Director to Texas Governor George W. Bush and Legislative Director to Congressman Sam Johnson. He founded and led the Office of Electricity at The U.S. Department of Energy, led the joint US-Canadian Power System Outage Task Force and served on the White House Task Force to Streamline Energy Permitting.
Mr. Glotfelty’s private sector work also includes various Executive and Managerial roles at Calpine Corporation, ICF Consulting and Quanta Services.
He served as Chairman of AWEA on the Transmission Committee and held board positions on ConservAmerica, Texas Housing Finance Corporation and Group NIRE. He regularly participated in the Aspen Institute Energy Forum, the Harvard Energy Policy Group and the Keystone Energy Forum.
A former Committee Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership and an Alumni of the Texas Lyceum, Jimmy received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Marketing from Texas Christian University.
Brooke Paup
Chairwoman, Texas Water Development Board
Brooke Paup has served as a Board member of the Texas Water Development Board since February 22, 2018. Governor Greg Abbott designated her as Chairwoman on April 22, 2021.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Paup served as the director of legislative affairs for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for the previous three years. While there, she led a team of legislative professionals to address statutory tax reforms.
Paup is formerly the deputy division chief of intergovernmental relations and former special assistant for policy and research for the Office of the Attorney General, where she worked on legislative issues, special litigation, and public finance-notably House Bill 4 and Senate Joint Resolution 1 in the 83rd Legislative Session, which created the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT). Paup has 18 years of state government experience.
In September 2022, Governor Abbott appointed her to the Environmental Flows Advisory Group. She is also a member of the State Bar of Texas and Symphony League and a board member of the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas Auction Committee. Paup earned a bachelor of arts from Texas A&M University and a juris doctor from Texas Tech School of Law.
She lives in Austin with her husband, Spivey, and their two children, Henry and Heidi.
Sen. Charles Perry
texas Senate
State Senator Charles Perry is a life-long West Texan and a practicing CPA from Lubbock. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014 after serving two terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
Since 2015 Senator Perry has been focused on developing undeveloped water supplies. Strategies include the most cost-effective energy to develop and move the water supply. Specifically, he is working with Abilene Christian University and other public universities to develop a small modular reactor. The project is set to yield a 100-megawatt reactor that can be massed produced.
Senator Perry currently chairs the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs and is Vice-Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He also sits on the Senate Committees for State Affairs, Finance, and Transportation and he co-chairs the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Advisory Committee and the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund (TIRF). Governor Abbott appointed him to the Southwestern States Water Commission and the Western States Water Council.
Senator Perry grew up in the district he represents, graduating from Sweetwater High School. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and management information systems from Texas Tech University.
He is married to his wife, Jacklyn, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
W. Nim Kidd, MPA, CEM
Chair, TERC
From 2004 to 2010, Chief Kidd served as City Emergency Manager for the City of San Antonio, where he managed the city’s response to over a dozen state and presidential disaster declarations. In 1997, Chief Kidd was one of the original members appointed to the Texas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team. In 2001, he was the Plans Section Chief that responded to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Chief Kidd formerly served as chair for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council (NAC). Chief Kidd holds a Masters of Public Administration from Texas State University, a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and two associates’ degrees. He is the Vice Chancellor for Disaster and Emergency Services for The Texas A&M University System. He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®), a Texas Master Firefighter, and holds Hazardous Materials and Emergency Medical Technician certifications. Chief Kidd and his wife, Dr. Emily Kidd, M.D., share three children and a beautiful granddaughter together.
Jim Burke
President and CEO, VIstra
Jim Burke is Vistra’s president, chief executive officer, and a member of its board of directors. Vistra is a Fortune 500 integrated power generation and retail electricity company based in Irving, Texas, with operations across the U.S. from California to Maine. Burke has been with Vistra and its predecessor companies since 2004, serving in various leadership positions, including chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and as chairman and CEO of TXU Energy, the company’s retail subsidiary and leading competitive retailer in Texas.
Burke has worked in the retail electric market since 2000 in both the residential and commercial segments. Prior to joining TXU Energy, Burke held senior leadership positions at Gexa Energy and Reliant Energy.
Before his work in competitive electricity markets, Burke worked at The Coca-Cola Company, both domestically in the juice division of The Minute Maid Company and internationally in the expansion of the juice business through Coca-Cola Bottlers in Latin America, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Before Coca-Cola, he was a management consultant for Deloitte & Touche Consulting.
Outside of his responsibilities at Vistra, Burke serves as a board member of the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, as an energy advisory council member for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and as an advisory board member for the Tulane University Energy Institute. He is also a board member for the United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas and the Ursuline Academy of Dallas.
Burke is a graduate of Tulane University, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in business administration in finance and general management. He is a licensed certified public accountant and has also earned the designation as a chartered financial analyst.
Douglass Robison
President and CEO of Natura Resources
Douglass Robison is the founder and President of Natura Resources. Throughout his career in the energy sector, Douglass has been at the forefront of leading-edge technologies, in his role as Partner, Co-founder, President and Executive Chair of ExL Petroleum, a Permian-based oil and gas exploration and production company, and now as the founder and President of Natura Resources. In 2004 he was appointed by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to serve on the Texas Energy Planning Council and co-chaired the Energy Supply Committee during which time his committee identified the importance of nuclear energy in our energy future. Natura Resources is a natural fit for his deep-seated interest in advanced energy technologies.
simon irish
CEO of terrestrial energy
Simon Irish is Chief Executive Officer of Terrestrial Energy. He has 20 years of global investment banking and investment management experience in New York and London, and has a formal education in the quantitative sciences and quantitative finance. Mr. Irish has established and managed multi-billion-dollar alternative investment businesses in North America.
Mr. Irish formerly led the investment effort in North America for Man Group Plc, a leading global investment management business. He began his banking career at Credit Suisse in London before moving to New York. In 2010, he focused on investment opportunities in breakthrough energy technologies and specifically nuclear energy given its unique virtues, and the unparalleled commercial potential of Generation IV fission technologies in many industries and in an age of energy transition. Mr. Irish holds an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MSc in Finance from the London Business School.
kathleen barrón
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Constellation Energy
Barrón serves as chief strategy and growth officer for Constellation, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and the leading competitive retail supplier of energy products and services for 2 million homes and businesses across the United States. In this role, Barrón is responsible for corporate strategy, corporate development, public policy, sustainability, communications, corporate relations and philanthropy for Constellation. She is also part of Constellation’s Executive Committee.
Barrón previously served as Exelon’s executive vice president for government and regulatory affairs and public policy, where she led the development and implementation of federal, state and regional governmental, regulatory and public policy strategies for Exelon Corporation, the nation’s largest producer and distributor of clean energy. She was responsible for identifying and assessing key federal and state policy issues of interest to Exelon, crafting the company’s position on such issues, and developing strategies for achieving public policy objectives on behalf of Exelon’s customers and businesses. She was also responsible for managing the company’s wholesale market design advocacy in each of the regional markets where the company operates.
Prior to joining Exelon, Barrón was the Deputy General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), where she advised the Commission on all aspects of its responsibilities and represented the Commission before Congress, government agencies, and industry groups. Previously, Barrón was the FERC’s associate general counsel for energy markets, where she led a group of about 90 lawyers on legal and policy matters related to electric power sales and transportation, electric system reliability, corporate regulation of public utilities and natural gas and oil pipeline transportation. Prior to joining FERC, Barrón was in private practice with the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP. There, she represented utility and independent power producer clients in proceedings before FERC, U.S. Courts of Appeal, and state utility commissions.
carl perez
ceo of exodys energy
Carl is a native New Yorker who graduated from Babson College. In his last year of undergraduate studies, he began his decade-long nuclear adventure as the CEO of Elysium Industries, a molten salt reactor company where he led its partnerships, technology development, and government relations. He then co-founded Exodys Energy, a nuclear fuel recycling vendor, in October 2022 alongside U.S. Navy nuclear system designers and recycling operators from La Hague in France. He advises several nuclear initiatives within industry and government, such as Nuclear Energy Institute’s Recycling Task Force. Carl recently became a published writer, having authored Chapter 22 of the latest edition of the “Molten Salt Reactor & Thorium Fuel Cycle” Textbook.”
j. clay sell
CEO of x-energy
Clay Sell serves as Chief Executive Officer of X-energy. Clay has deep professional expertise across many sectors of the international and U.S. energy industry developed through his service in senior level positions in the private sector and government. Sell joined X-energy as CEO in January 2019 and has led the company through a period of dramatic transformation and growth in product development investment, U.S. government funding awards, private capital raised, and customer commitments.
From 2008-2018, Clay was the president of Hunt Energy Horizons, LLC, the renewable energy subsidiary of Hunt Consolidated, Inc., a multinational energy, real estate, and investment corporation controlled by the Ray L. Hunt family of Dallas. Previously, Clay held positions for 14 years in the U.S. government, as Deputy Secretary of Energy in the George W. Bush Administration from 2005-2008, as a Special Assistant to the President from 2003-2005, and in senior staff positions in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Clay holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law and a BBA in Accounting from Texas Tech University.
congressman jeff duncan
united states representative
Congressman Jeff Duncan represents South Carolina’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the oldest committee in Congress, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Prior to serving in Congress, Duncan worked for seven years in community banking before becoming President and CEO of a South Carolina-based, family-owned real estate marketing firm that specialized in statewide real estate auctions. He concurrently served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2002-2010 where he chaired the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee. Duncan is focused on delivering American energy independence through an all-the-above energy policy. Duncan leads the Subcommittee in developing policy to deliver affordable and reliable energy for all Americans. This encompasses legislation and issues pertaining to National Energy Policy, including policies to strengthen our electric grid, modernize our nuclear industry, expand pipeline capacity, and policies dealing with FERC.
paul goranson
CEO of encore energy
Mr. Goranson, through his 30+ year career, has taken the initial work in the field of in-situ recovery (ISR) technology and elevated commercial uranium production to a large scale.
He is an experienced executive with an impressive history in the uranium extraction industry, including building, renovating and operating a number of ISR facilities in the United States, including our Alta Mesa and Rosita ISR projects. Most recently, Mr. Goranson was the Chief Operating Officer for Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc., where he was responsible for the operations of the company’s conventional and in-situ recovery uranium projects, including Nichols Ranch and Alta Mesa ISR Projects. Mr. Goranson served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Director for Uranerz, where he was responsible for commissioning, operating and expanding the Nichols Ranch ISR Uranium Project. Mr. Goranson was President, Cameco Resources, the company that operated Cameco, Inc.’s U.S. ISR operations. Also, Mr. Goranson was Vice President of Mesteña Uranium LLC, where he led the construction, startup and operation of the Alta Mesa project which achieved over one million pounds of uranium production per year. His responsibilities included marketing uranium, negotiating long-term uranium supply contracts and spot uranium sales with nuclear utilities . In addition to his experience with conventional and ISR uranium production, Mr. Goranson has extensive experience in uranium markets, Federal and State regulatory affairs and government policy.
Mr. Goranson has recently served as the President of the Uranium Producers of America, and as the President of the Wyoming Mining Association. He has served in leadership positions within the National Mining Association, Texas Mining and Reclamation Association, and the Nuclear Energy Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Brush Country Groundwater Conservation District located in South Texas. Mr. Goranson is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, and he holds a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Gas Engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University, respectively.
pablo vegas
president and ceo of ercot
Pablo Vegas holds a life-long passion for learning, innovation, and growth. He has developed these passions over a 29-year career spanning the boardroom and the C-suite across the energy industry, financial services and banking industry and in management consulting and professional services.
Mr. Vegas is currently the President and CEO of ERCOT. In this role, he plays a critical part in ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the Texas electric grid, enabling the energy transition and expansion that is supporting the fastest growing economy in the United States.
Prior to ERCOT, Mr. Vegas was Executive Vice President of NiSource, and Group President of NiSource Utilities, where he oversaw NiSource’s electric and gas business segments and championed outstanding service to NiSource customers. He served as a versatile executive at NiSource for six years, holding numerous roles, including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and President of Columbia Gas Group, and Chief Customer Officer.
Prior to joining NiSource, Mr. Vegas held a variety of senior executive positions with American Electric Power (AEP), including President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Ohio, President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Texas, and Vice President and Chief Information Officer of AEP.
Before his career in the energy industry, Mr. Vegas served in senior leadership positions with IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andersen Consulting.
Mr. Vegas serves on the advisory board for the Harvard Business School Mid-US Research Center. He is a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. He is a member of the Austin Area Research Organization. He was appointed to the Texas Energy Reliability Council by Governor Abbott in 2022 and also serves as a member of the Texas Advanced Nuclear Working Group.
Mr. Vegas attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, completed the AEP Strategic Leadership program at the Ohio State University, and graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.
Jeffrey S. Merrifield
Partner - Leader, Nuclear Energy and Co-Leader, Energy Transition Practice, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and Former Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Honorable Jeffrey S. Merrifield, a former presidential appointee to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is leader of Pillsbury’s Nuclear Energy Team and co-Leader of the firm’s Energy Transition practice. He is widely recognized as an international thought leader on nuclear power and the deployment of complex energy systems for the avoidance of carbon generation.
During his three decades of involvement in the energy industry, Jeff has developed wide-ranging relationships throughout the international nuclear community that allow him to identify strategic and legal solutions for major energy and environmental matters. He is considered a leader in advanced nuclear and fusion deployment and has assisted large and developing nuclear utilities, suppliers and governments in effectively meeting their regulatory requirements and strategic objectives regarding the deployment of complex energy systems. Jeff’s well-received corporate executive experience, as well as media and public speaking capabilities, also provide a significant resource for the advocacy of common-sense and cost-effective solutions.
john sharp
chancellor of the Texas A&m university system
Chancellor John Sharp ’72 earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of Squadron 6, the Corps staff of the Corps of Cadets, and the 1972 rugby team. He also was elected sophomore class president, student life chairman, Muster chairman, and student body president.
Upon graduation, Sharp was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.
He later earned a master’s in public administration from Texas State University. He is a distinguished alumnus from both universities.
Sharp served more than three decades as a state legislator, senator, railroad commissioner and comptroller before becoming a partner at Ryan & Company. He became Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System in 2011.
Sharp was married to Charlotte Sharp for 42 years before her passing in 2020. They have a daughter, Victoria; a son, Spencer; and two granddaughters, Simone and Freya.
Today Sharp is married to Diana Atchison Sharp, who has sons, Cas and Cullen; daughter Courtney Harvey; and grandchildren, Corr, Palmer, Annabel, Max and June.
rod chaplin
ceo of reploy power
Now based in Texas, Rod Chaplin has been the CEO of REPLOY Power since the beginning of commercialization in 2022. He has spent his career in the technology ecosystem of the energy industry. Prior to joining REPLOY Power, Rod was the CEO of Landis+Gyr Australia and New Zealand, a global power technology company. He has also managed Landis+Gyr’s Asia Pacific customer business. He has experience in market development, regulation, R&D, manufacturing and start-ups. Rod’s other experience in the power technology and services sector includes roles within IBM and Toshiba subsidiaries. He has previously held non-executive directorships in Australia with the IBM Credit Union and the charity, Parkinson’s NSW.
brian gitt
head of business development, oklo
Brian Gitt has a diverse work experience spanning various industries.
Brian is currently serving as the Head of Business Development at Oklo Inc, where they are responsible for providing reliable low-cost clean energy solutions to various industries.
Prior to this role, Brian worked as an Energy investor, writer, and public speaker at briangitt.com in 2020.
From 2019 to 2020, they were the Head of Sales and Business Development at Reach Labs, where they played a key role in developing wireless power technology for industrial and supply chain applications.
Brian also co-founded UtilityScore in 2016 and served as its CEO, where they developed an API that estimates utility costs for millions of homes in the U.S., bringing transparency to the housing market.
Before UtilityScore, they were the CEO of BKi, a consulting and software solutions company that commercializes new technology in buildings, vehicles, and power plants.
Brian’s earlier roles include serving as the Executive Director of Build It Green, Founder/Vice President of Business Development at Biosystem Solutions, and Construction Project Manager at Building Solutions.
Brian Gitt’s education history includes attending Y Combinator (S16) and Prescott College. Brian does not have any specified start or end years for either school. At Y Combinator, Brian did not obtain a degree and their field of study is unknown. At Prescott College, Brian studied Environmental Studies but did not complete a degree.
clayton scott
chief commercial officer, nuscale
Clayton Scott was named Chief Commercial Officer in August 2023 after joining NuScale as Executive Vice President, Business Development in 2022. In this role, Scott oversees global business development efforts, including all sales, marketing, business development and communications functions for the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Scott brings more than 40 years of diverse global experiences allowing him the ability to open markets and raise brand awareness.
Prior to NuScale, from February 2018 through December 2021, Mr. Scott was a Senior Vice President – Global Sales, Deputy Director I&C Business Unit for Framatome, responsible for the global I&C sales, P&L within the group and a global footprint of more than 2,000 staff. Prior to Framatome, Mr. Scott served as the Chief Nuclear Officer for Schneider Electric from January 2014 to February 2018, responsible for the company’s global nuclear organization, with offices and facilities in North America, Europe/MENA and Asia. Mr. Scott previously served as the Chief Nuclear Officer of Invensys’ global nuclear business. He was appointed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to chair a task force on harmonizing digital licensing issues globally, and began his career as an instrumentation technologist for Ontario Hydro, where he was involved in the commissioning and start-up of four CANDU units at the Pickering Nuclear Power Station in Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Scott is a frequent lecturer on topics within the energy sector and serves as a member of the University of Tennessee Advisory Board. Mr. Scott carries dual citizenship between the U.S. and Canada, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Irvine, and a Leading with Finance certificate from the Harvard Business School online
brent berg
Senior Vice President for U.S. Operations, Uranium Energy Corp
Brent Berg is an environmental engineer and project management professional with over 27 years’ experience in the mining and mineral processing industry, including 21 years working at in-situ recovery “ISR” and conventional uranium facilities.
Mr. Berg was appointed Senior Vice-President, U.S. Operations of Uranium Energy Corp in March 2024. Mr. Berg previously worked for Rare Element Resources as President and CEO, Taseko Mines as General Manager of the Florence Copper Project, and for Excelsior Mining Corp. as Vice President of Sustainability, Health & Safety. Additionally, Brent spent over 21 years at Cameco Corporation in various roles, including as President of Cameco Resources, where he was responsible for oversight of the company’s U.S. in-situ uranium operations in Wyoming and Nebraska.
Brent is a Professional Engineer with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Systems Engineering and an MBA from the University of Regina. In 2023, Brent received a Master of Legal Studies degree from the University of Arizona with a focus on mining law and policy.
robert bryans
Vice President of Government Relations and Strategic Alliances, core power
Bob is the Vice President of Government Relations and Strategic Alliances at CORE POWER and holds a wealth of experience from a distinguished career in both the defense and regulatory sectors.
Before joining CORE POWER, he served as a chief of staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Prior to that, he spent 35 years in the US Navy. His naval career was marked by significant milestones, including commanding the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) and guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) and serving as integrated air and missile defense commander for the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group.
When not at sea, he filled senior systems engineering acquisition and resource sponsor positions for ballistic missile defense programs at the US Missile Defense Agency and surface ship weapon and sensor programs on the staff of the chief of naval operations, Pentagon.
He is a graduate of Old Dominion University, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Southern Evangelical Seminary and has completed the National Security Policy and Strategy program at the Naval War College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives.
Brian Lavezzari
Strategic Risk Advisor, Lockton
Brian has been a licensed insurance professional for nearly 20 years. Brian came to Lockton with a focus into Sustainability, the Energy Transition, and a drive to help foster the nuclear industry. His education includes a Bachelors in Business Administration from Texas A&M and a Masters in Sustainability from Harvard University Extension. Brian uses these tools, and his experience in renewable energy project development, to help his clients secure funding of various types in their capital stacks, including utilizing specialized insurance products to leverage benefits. Lockton is the world’s largest independent insurance Broker, and their entrepreneurial culture allows Brian to tackle challenges within the emerging energy technology sector in unique ways. Brian is a proud member of the Texas Nuclear Alliance and looks forward to helping advance the industry within the great state of Texas.
Elina Teplinsky
Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Elina Teplinsky, Pillsbury’s Global Energy Industry Leader and a leading member of the firm’s International Nuclear Projects and Hydrogen teams, focuses on international nuclear energy matters, including advice to U.S. and global clients on transactional and regulatory issues.
Elina is a trusted advisor to nuclear owner-operators, reactor and equipment suppliers, investors, architect-engineering companies and technical consulting firms on complex nuclear transactional and regulatory matters. She frequently serves as lead outside counsel on new build projects, equipment and fuel procurements, M&A transactions and joint ventures in the nuclear sector. She has worked on transactions for more than 30 countries worldwide.
Elina advises clients on all aspects of the transactions, including: project strategy, structuring and risk allocation; drafting and negotiation of EPC, equipment and fuel supply agreements; mitigation of nuclear liability risk; adherence to multilateral and bilateral treaty requirements; and addressing nuclear trade and investments restrictions. She has advised several governments and government-owned organizations on the drafting and implementation of nuclear legislation and regulations. Elina has also advised organizations on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) responsibilities associated with the energy sector.
Christine Csizmadia
Senior Director for State Governmental Affairs & Advocacy at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Christine is the Senior Director for State Governmental Affairs & Advocacy at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and has been with NEI for 18 years developing and managing state government affairs and grassroots programs. As the senior director of the state and local government affairs team at NEI, Christine manages coalition building, grassroots mobilization and state and local elected official outreach and education. Christine also runs integrated advocacy campaigns related to nuclear issues such as state efforts to preserve nuclear assets, federal regulatory oversight, advanced technology and used nuclear fuel. Christine also manages NEI’s advocacy arm, Nuclear Matters, a coalition that seeks to inform and educate policymakers and the public on the value of nuclear energy.
Christine serves as the Vice President of the Foundation Board for the National Conference of State Legislatures and is an officer of the Board for the National Foundation of Women Legislators. She has also been active locally and nationally with both Women in Nuclear (WIN) and North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN), served as President of NAYGN 2012-2013 and selected for the 2022 WIN Next Executives of Tomorrow (NEXT) program.
Christine received her undergraduate degree from George Mason University and completed graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University in Political Communication.
armond cohen
executive director, clean air task force
Armond Cohen is Executive Director of Clean Air Task Force, which he has led since its formation in 1996. Prior to his work with CATF, Armond founded and led the Conservation Law Foundation’s Energy Project. He has published numerous articles and reports on climate change, energy system transformation, and air pollution; he speaks, writes, and testifies frequently on these topics. He is a board member of the California Foundation on the Economy and the Environment, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, and a member of the advisory board of Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research and the Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council. He is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School and Brown University, and began his career as a clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit.
charles oppenheimer
Founder & Co-Executive Director, Oppenheimer Project
Charles has spent his career in software and as an entrepreneur. He believes there is value in representing J. Robert Oppenheimer from a family perspective, and in creating an inclusive organization that all can be involved in via the Oppenheimer Project.
isabelle boemeke
isodope; Founder & Executive Director, save clean energy
jeffrey miller
Senior Director of Business Development, TerraPower
chris matos
Energy Market Development, Google
brett rampal
Senior Director of Nuclear & Power Strategy, Veriten
Brett Rampal is a nuclear energy and power generation expert. He most recently led Clean Air Task Force’s (CATF) efforts to help shape nuclear energy policy advocacy, research, and development both internally and at numerous levels of the government. Prior to CATF, as a fuel engineer at NuScale, Brett supported the certification application for a “first of its kind” small modular nuclear reactor. Previously, at Westinghouse, Brett held numerous roles including lead core designer and engineering project manager for the Millstone, North Anna and Surry nuclear power stations. In addition to his role at Veriten, Brett provides consulting services for organizations including Segra Capital Management and the American Nuclear Society. Brett holds a bachelor’s and a Master of Sciences degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida.
david staack
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Texas A&M University System
David Staack, Ph.D. is Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at The Texas A&M University System; a system of 11 universities and 8 state agencies with externally funded research expenditures of $1.3 billion annually. In his administrative role Dr. Staack supports multi-university and multi-agency research initiatives, intellectual property and commercialization, institutional infrastructure projects, research compliance and business practices and industry partnerships across the A&M System.
Prior to this role, Dr. Staack served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Interim Director of the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute. In that capacity, he led the establishment of the institute, including the planning of new facilities, research programs, and workforce development initiatives, all made possible by the appropriation of $226 million to the institute through the Texas CHIPS Act. Previously, in other administrative roles, Dr. Staack served for five years as the College of Engineering Director of Undergraduate Laboratory Instruction, where he led the design and implementation of a new common laboratory and makerspace infrastructure, benefiting over 12,000 students in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex. He has also served on the Faculty Senate and as Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee.
Dr. Staack is also currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, plasma engineering, and experimental design. Dr. Staack leads an active research program as the principal investigator at the Plasma Engineering and Non-Equilibrium Processing Research Laboratory, where his group investigates various plasma discharge and electron beam phenomena and their applications. His research spans diverse fields, including energy transition technologies, medical device and sensor development, hypersonic and spacecraft propulsion, environmental remediation, oil and gas reforming, carbon sequestration, biofuels, drilling technologies, semiconductor processing, advanced manufacturing, and high-speed optical, laser, and x-ray sources and diagnostics. His work includes both fundamental research and industry translation, with over 100 archival publications and more than 70 patent publications.
David Staack has been a faculty member at Texas A&M University since 2009. He joined Texas A&M after receiving his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, working for four years at Princeton University’s Department of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and completing his M.S. and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2000.
kreshka young
North America Business Director, Energy & Climate, Dow
commissioner jim wright
railroad commission of texas
Jim Wright is a life-long south Texan, and a fifth-generation Texas rancher. As such, he understands the important relationship the energy industry has with the citizens of our state and the role energy plays as a cornerstone of the Texas economy.
Since his election to the Railroad Commission in November 2020, Commissioner Wright has emphasized the need for a fair and consistent regulatory environment designed to promote and encourage innovation in our state’s energy sector.
Wright believes that the long-term success of the Texas economy and the Texas energy industry are closely linked, and that increasing and strengthening access to global energy markets will ensure that Texas remains an energy and economic powerhouse for years to come.
Wright has championed solution-oriented leadership since his arrival at the Railroad Commission and has encouraged the industry and the public to engage collaboratively with the Commission for the long-term benefit of the citizens of our great state.
Commissioner Wright understands that the energy industry of tomorrow will look vastly different than the one today. Which is why he believes the Railroad Commission must be proactive when it comes to issues such as water and carbon management, and when considering regulations for new energy technologies such as geothermal power and hydrogen production and storage.
Jim Wright first started working in the energy sector at age 19. Through hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck, Wright capitalized on his years of hands-on experience to create a group of environmental management companies that service the energy industry.
In addition to his professional achievements, Wright was a rodeo cowboy, participating in bull riding competitions for more than two decades. Balancing his professional endeavors, Wright is a devoted family man, living in Orange Grove with his wife, Sherry, and their five children, and actively participating in Texas Cowboy Churches.
chairman greg bonnen
texas house of representatives
Representative Greg Bonnen (Friendswood) is Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and is currently serving his sixth term as State Representative for House District 24.
Prior to serving as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, he served as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher and Public Education and as a member of the Insurance Committee. He has also previously served on the Energy Resources Committee; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, the Judiciary, and Criminal Justice; Joint Interim Committee on Coastal Barrier Systems; Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) Funding Structure Oversight Board; Interim Committee on Border Security; and Interim Committee on Mental Health.
Representative Bonnen has been named a Courageous Conservative by the Texas Conservative Coalition, Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business, Texas Values Faith and Family Champion, and Pro-Life Hero.
Dr. Bonnen is a practicing neurosurgeon and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Houston Physicians’ Hospital.
Dr. Bonnen grew up in Angleton and graduated cum laude from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, and attended medical school at UTMB where he also did his neurosurgery residency and served for two years as an assistant professor of neurosurgery. During college, Representative Bonnen spent two summers working as a counselor at Texas Lion’s Camp for handicapped children, which he credits with introducing him to both his profession as a doctor and his wife, Kim. He has continued to devote time to his church and different charitable organizations and has participated in numerous mission trips to Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Cuba, and the Philippines.
Representative Bonnen and his wife Kim live in Friendswood and have two daughters, Lindsay and Janae.