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| ..:: Article VI
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 After two years in office as the Women in Nuclear Region IV chairman, it has been a fantastic journey.
I encourage all of you to attend the Region IV Conference this year at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The conference is free to WIN members in Region IV, and doubling or tripling up in rooms can reduce your room costs. The applications, which can be found on our website at www.winregioniv.com, should be submitted by May 1. If you are interested in going, let SONGS know via e-mail as soon as possible at women.in.nuclear@sce.com.
Region IV is also hosting a contest with the theme “Save the Earth from the Giant Asteroid” to encourage student interest in math, science and engineering. WIN chapters should encourage kindergarteners through 12th graders to submit projects, including those created with online media such as YouTube. Entries may be submitted until June 15, and awards will be presented this summer, with prizes of up to $2,000.
As I leave office in July, I look back over the last two years at our accomplishments, including continued support of our university chapters. We helped them attend the legislative conference in Washington, D.C., where we meet with our senators and representatives. This year we encouraged our legislators to consider more funding for nuclear and for our universities. Last year, I rode with 11 students from Missouri University of Science and Technology-Rolla to Washington, D.C.—what a trip. This year I flew with two Lincoln University Students and one University of Missouri-Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute, ensuring that Region IV was well represented.
We also have two new university chapters being established in Region IV—one at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., and one at Linn State University in Linn, Mo. In addition, we are trying to establish chapters at universities in Texas, Oregon and Kansas.
We had our first regional conference in 2009 in Washington, D.C. We had a bus tour to Dominion Training Center and were greeted by David Christian, chief executive officer of Dominion, who graciously sponsored a tour of Surry Plant and a dinner in Williamsburg. In addition, we heard lecturers from an author and discussions by three chief executive officers and a vice president from Luminant, Callaway and Columbia Generating Station. Speakers also discussed NRC litigations, nuclear security and the future of nuclear. We visited a winery and saw presentations from all chapters about their activities throughout the year. It was a great time and a good beginning, and this year promises another exciting conference at SONGS.
Among our other accomplishments, we formed a WIN Region IV Board and bylaws, opened Region IV to both women and men, named an official webmaster and created WIN apparel.
We held a WIN Missouri rally day to encourage passage of the construction bill in progress for building the Callaway 2 Plant. WIN chapter members from Callaway Plant, University of Missouri WIN and Missouri University Science and Technology participated, several WIN members testified before the Senate committee in support of plant construction. Another Missouri legislative day is being planned, which will provide a template for other WIN chapters throughout Region IV.
We continue to support Math Day for Girls at Lincoln University and other activities around our region to help mentor and sustain a diverse work force that offers us the opportunity to succeed and use our gifts. We continue to encourage optimism and growth.
This past year, Region IV established the Nuclear People of the Year Award. Four individuals received this honor: Adam Heflin, chief executive officer and senior vice president of Ameren and sponsor of WIN Region IV; Fadi Diya, vice president of nuclear at Callaway Plant and executive director of WIN Region IV; David Christian, chief executive officer of Dominion Generation; and Carol Berrigan, senior director of infrastructure at NEI and WIN director. Without these individuals, the above activities would not have been implemented. A very heartfelt thank you goes to Fadi Diya, whose continued hours of WIN meetings and support for our region has made it the success that it is.
I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Janese A. Neher, PE, Consulting Engineer, Callaway Plant and Ph.D. candidate, University of Missouri-Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute
 RBS Women in Nuclear continues to make their presence known around the site by exhibiting a character of caring.
During February, which is National Heart Awareness Month, WIN offered a special presentation in order to spread awareness about heart disease. Local nurse Karla Bringedahl gave advice on taking care of your heart, and Lindsay Davidson, corporate ENSHAPE coordinator, spoke on the importance of exercise. Attendees learned that small changes can make a difference in your heart health.
WIN is also featuring a rotating display board in the GSB cafeteria, with each month centered on a new topic. March was all about optimism and looking at the glass as half full, and April is focused on child abuse prevention. WIN will hold a “cutest baby picture” contest, with all proceeds going to the local branch of Child Advocacy Services.
Employees are encouraged to make a donation and vote on the cutest baby picture. At the end of the month, employees can see the winner.
If you are interested in joining the WIN chapter or would like more information, please contact President Kim Maxwell.
In January, the STP Women in Nuclear chapter held its first member meeting of the year. The guest speakers were Michael R. Gorrell and Jeffrey G. Rhame, who gave a presentation called “Preparing Yourself Financially for Retirement.” The next member meeting is scheduled for May, when STP WIN will present scholarships to seven high school seniors and college students.
The STP WIN chapter continues their mentoring activities with the Palacios High School POWER SET. Mentors meet with their mentees at least once a month to develop the nuclear work force of the future. In January, POWER SET invited all STP WIN mentors to have lunch at the high school with their mentees as a group. In February, the POWER SET organization visited STP, where students had an opportunity to visit their mentors’ office, tour the owner-controlled area and visit the new career center. The visit ended with a trip to the control room simulator where training instructor Greg Chitwood demonstrated the workings of a nuclear plant control room.
WIN also continues to provide tutoring for students enrolled in the Wharton County Junior College Nuclear Power Technology Program. The program, which was established to build the nuclear work force, allows nuclear professionals to share expertise and experiences with students requiring assistance with their class work. Tutoring includes one-on-one group sessions on subjects such as algebra, chemistry and power plant systems.
Once again, the STP WIN scholarship committee has reached new heights. This spring, STP WIN will award $8,500 in scholarships to the children of STP WIN members and possibly a POWER SET student. Three scholarships in the amount of $1,500 and four scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded. Recipients are required to submit an application, write an essay about themselves and their goals, and provide letters of recommendation.
In March, the STP WIN scholarship committee coordinated two bake sales to raise funds to support the 2011 scholarship goal, which is well on its way to being met.
In addition to involvement with POWER SET and scholarships, the STP WIN chapter has continued to support the community. In February, WIN supported the local Literacy Volunteers of America chapter by helping with their annual Knowledge Bowl. WIN sponsored two teams of adult STP WIN members as well as a team of high school students. One of the adult teams came in third place, and the high school team placed first. Other WIN members sold raffle tickets and served as judges at the event. WIN members proved they are definitely “smarter than a fifth grader.”
Throughout February—Black History Month—STP WIN showcased several individuals in black history who made an impact in science and the nuclear industry. Members made posters that included pictures and information on contributions to science and impact to our world.
The executive board voted to create a new committee to support the community by focusing on members of the military serving overseas. Impressed with the program established by Dominion, board members thought STP would be the perfect site to start a new program devoted to supporting STP WIN family military members serving overseas. The committee will be chaired by Patti Ragsdale.
This March, in honor of Women’s History Month and the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project, STP WIN took the opportunity to showcase several of their female members. Quality manager Debbie Towler was noted for being the first female licensed reactor operator at STP. WIN also recognized Lurinda Barton, offsite program manager of the emergency response organization and recipient of the Ed Blanche Memorial Award, and Judy Ashcraft, who was recently named health physics department manager.
 Missouri University of Science and Technology Women in Nuclear has had an exciting year. Our chapter became a recognized student organization on campus, which will allow our chapter to further expand our activities. Seven students attended the U.S. Women in Nuclear Washington, D.C., Delegation in March. During February, we participated in Engineer’s Week at the St. Louis Science Center. This event gave us the opportunity to provide accurate information about the nuclear industry to the public, both young and old. We held a screening of “The China Syndrome” as a social event and to make students more aware of the role media can play. We have also hosted several professional and career events during the year, all of which were open to the campus. With the academic year winding down, we’ll be saying goodbye to our graduating seniors and holding our annual elections. We look forward to planning another exciting and full year.
 About 30 teachers from central Missouri toured the Callaway Plant on Nov. 5 to learn about how the nuclear plant works and about the science teaching exhibits available through the plant.
“This is a fantastic event for teachers. I'm excited about the information we can make available to students,” said Eddie Mulholland, a South Callaway R-2 Elementary School teacher.
Teachers enjoyed checking out the various science teaching displays and interactive exhibits available from the plant's speakers bureau and Women in Nuclear chapter, especially the Van de Graaff generator that can be used to demonstrate static electricity, radiometric equipment to demonstrate radioactivity, and an energy ball to demonstrate a closed circuit.
Matt Arri, Ameren senior recruiter and WIN member, informed teachers of their importance in influencing children at a young age to be interested in careers in math and science. The Nuclear Energy Institute estimates that as much as 35 percent of the incumbent nuclear work force may be eligible to retire within five years. Another 11 percent may be lost through attrition over the same period.
Teacher Candice Marshall, of St. Francis Xavier in Taos, Mo., commented, “I think it would be great for my kids to know how this plant is one of the few in the Midwest and how much the area benefits from it. I also think that it would be great to emphasize to them how many workers will be needed in this area in the future.”
Malcolm Smith, a Callaway plant engineer and WIN member, described how teachers can receive science lesson plans for use in classrooms. In addition to offering a live theatrical performance on energy through the National Theatre for Children, AmerenUE also has a speakers bureau that will send speakers to central Missouri schools. They will bring along interactive displays and demonstrate science to students. On Ameren’s Web site, Electric Universe provides free lesson plans and games.
By showing teachers the value of math, science and nuclear power and the availability of careers right here in central Missouri, Callaway is sowing the seeds for the next generation of engineers and plant operators.
With the U2C16 outage only days away, employees from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) are taking on new responsibilities to help the plant prepare. A team of volunteers from SONGS’ Women in Nuclear (WIN) chapter now offers customized tours to help familiarize Professional Resources for Outages, or PRO employees, with their new, temporary workplace inside the protected area
“When you’re a PRO, you have to absorb a lot of new information in a short period of time, and it can be overwhelming,” explained Pauline Alten, a project manager in Engineering Services and president and founder of the SONGS chapter of WIN. “So we’re offering specialized tours to help PROs acclimate to the protected area so that they are ready to perform their temporary jobs.”
Tours are available to any SONGS employee with a PRO job inside the plant and can be customized to address any particular requests.
“The tours help make people more confident,” said Alysse Bak, a technical specialist and WIN member who provides tours. “We show them where the restrooms and cafeteria are, where they’ll report to their jobs, and where the turbine deck is, because that’s where daily briefing meetings are held.”
According to WIN volunteer tour guides, providing tours can be as useful as participating in them.
“It’s a great way to refresh your knowledge of safety procedures,” said Edward “Ted” Gribble, an engineer, and Entergy WIN member and tour guide. “During our tours, we review safety procedures and update them on recent changes to procedures, and there are always questions which provoke us to think about it and learn more.”
WIN is a global nonprofit organization with membership open to anyone who works in the nuclear industry. Despite the organization’s name, men are as welcome to become members as women are. The SONGS chapter of WIN, founded in 2007, has about 80 members, and its executive sponsor is Ross Ridenour, SONGS SVP and chief nuclear officer. To learn more about WIN, visit www.winus.org.
To request your customized tour of the protected area, contact Pauline Alten at PAX 86239, Janice Cruz at PAX 87256 or WomenInNuclear@sce.com.
 Workplace Collaboration Lecture
The Energy Northwest Chapter of Women in Nuclear hosted the third of several planned lecture series. Rich Trimble from Workplace Collaboration spoke about professional communication, providing insight and guidance on communicating and negotiating with others.
Benefit Concert
The Energy Northwest Chapter of Women in Nuclear (WIN) and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) hosted a benefit concert in October. Jury of Peers, one of Energy Northwest's own, performed for members and their guests. Proceeds benefit the chapter's community outreach programs.
Elections & Kick-Off Event
The chapter is gearing up for elections and the kick-off event. Officer nominations are currently under way, with voting to be conducted and completed in December. The kick-off event is a time for members to rally and join forces for the coming year. Members will discuss past successes and future events.
Chapter Celebration!
The chapter will host a social for members in December. This will be a time to celebrate and recognize members for their attendance and participation at the brown bag sessions, as well as provide an opportunity for networking.
Member Meetings
Monthly member meetings have been scheduled to provide an opportunity for members to stay informed on upcoming events, volunteer for events and provide feedback on past events.
Expanding Your Horizons
The chapter will be participating in the Expanding Your Horizons conference in March 2010. Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics conferences nurture girls' interest in science and math courses to encourage them to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math. For more information on this group, visit http://www.expandingyourhorizons.org/.
Senior Staff Talks on the Future of Nuclear Power
Vic Parrish, chief executive officer, and Dale Atkinson, vice president, Operational Support, will be featured speakers at the next lecture in February. Parrish and Atkinson will discuss the future of nuclear power.
Recognize a Fellow Employee With the Pink Board!
The Pink Board recognizes someone for a job well done, a good deed or even a smile that brightens someone's day. Recipients of the Pink Board include Marianne Banta, Tracy Collis, Cari Minor, Jocelyn Peterman, Celene Chambers, Gail Dockter, Kim Saenz, Anne Luo, Desiree Vogel, Tanya Demyer, Brenda Ingalls, Kimberly Windham, Mary Young, Linda Rodriguez, Mary Gulley and Samantha Taylor.
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| Copyright 2010 by Nuclear Energy Institute
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