Vision for a New Future
The Nuclear Executives of Tomorrow (NEXT) program was created by U.S. Women in Nuclear in conjunction with the Nuclear Energy Institute and nuclear executives across our industry. The collaborators determined there was a need for executive-level leadership development focused on preparing the best and brightest individuals for future positions of greater strategic leadership within their respective organizations and the industry. The program supports highly capable female leaders primed for executive-level advancement. It aims to provide challenging experiential opportunities and create a tight-knit professional network focused on helping each other succeed. The expected participant outcome is development within executive leadership competencies, broadened strategic perspective, a well-established professional network, and an active industry-wide role in supporting a future that is both diverse and sustainable.
About Us
In partnership with Intend to Create Coaching & Consulting LLC, U.S. Women in Nuclear created a Leadership Cohort program in 2019 that has blossomed into the Nuclear Executives of Tomorrow (NEXT) executive immersive leadership program. The 12-month long is produced by a planning and oversight team of industry leaders who lend their knowledge and hands-on support. NEXT has graduated two cohorts with a third whose journey began in summer 2021, each with 12 to 14 members. At least 58 % of each graduated class has received promotions during or within 12 months of completing the program.
“Any plans to make it continue beyond our formal year would bring me joy!”
– NEXT20 Cohort Member
Current Class
NEXT22
Christine Csizmadia
Ashley Finan
Cindy Fung
Danielle Fuson
Katherine Gil
Jenny Hageman
Shannon McArdle
Shannon Rafferty-Czincila
Sabrina Salazar
Rebeka Seemann
Dawn Sileo
Lashawna Stokes
Dominique Wilson
Jennifer Yarbrough
Alumni
NEXT21
Susan Baier
Denise Brandon
Bonnie Bryant
Leah Crider
Melissa Driscoll
Jean Fleming
Anna Krause
Deborah McBreen
Renee Meeks
Mary Pietrzyk
Heath Winn
Fatma Yilmaz
Cohort Capstone: @NukeBoss, Nuclear Mentoring Instagram page
NEXT20
Laura Basta
Amanda Donges
Kelly Ferneau
Nicole Flippin
Erin Henderson
Lisa Hilbert
Kendra Hullum-Lawson
Christine Kenny
Norha Z. Plumey
Danielle Ramaley
Cristina Reyff
Rebecca Salvadore
Cohort Capstone: Nuclear Leadership Website
The NEXT program has successes to celebrate–62% of both the NEXT20 and NEXT21 cohorts have been promoted and recognized for their leadership. Join us in congratulating these NEXT change-makers for their recent achievements:
- Bonnie Bryant is now the General Manager of Plant Operations at Entergy
- Leah Crider is now the Chief Commercial Officer at Orano Federal Services
- Jean Fleming is now the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs outside of PSEG
- Anna Kraus is now the Senior Site Project Manager at Exelon Nuclear
- Deborah McBreen is now the Director of Organization Performance and Regulatory at Exelon Nuclear
- Renee Meeks is now the Vice President of Talent & Culture at INPO
- Mary Pietrzyk is now the Director of Origination at NextEra Energy Resources
- Heather Winn is now the NOS Director at Luminant
- Fatma Yilmaz has been featured in the U.S. WIN Member Spotlight
- Amanda Donges, Vice President Industry Trends and Organizational Learning, INPO
- Cristina Reyff, Vice President Corporate Finance, Chief Financial & Risk Officer, Energy Northwest
- Nicole Flippin, Robinson Nuclear General Manager Plant Operations, Duke Energy
- Laura Basta, Manager Nuclear Maintenance, Duke Energy
- Christy Kenny Notigan, Vice President Global Talent Management and Diversity & Inclusion at Solenis
- Norah Plumey-Torres, Clinton General Manager Plant Operations, Exelon Generation
- Melissa Driscoll, Engineering Accelerated Development Rotations, PSEG
Oversight Committee
- Victoria Dennis, Senior Manager of Nuclear Safety Culture & Regulatory Programs at Tennessee Valley Authority
- Ellen Ginsberg, Senior Vice President of General Counsel & Secretary at NEI
- Jhansi Kandasamy, Net Zero Program Director, Idaho National Laboratory
- Susan Korn, Director of Outage Services Programs & Alliances at Exelon Corporation
- Carla Ogunrinde, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Intend Coaching & Consulting (NEXT Program Director)
- Tova Anderson, Customer Account Manager at Westinghouse Electric Company
Planning Team
- Lisa Brattin, Senior Vice President of Workforce Training, Education, and Proficiency and Executive Director of the National Academy of Nuclear Training at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
- Lisa Clark, Principle Program Manager at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
- Eunice Deras, Training and Development at Nuclear Energy Institute
- Catherine Derkosh, Communication Leader at General Electric-Hitachi Nuclear Energy
- Melanie Hernandez, Business Operations Manager at Intend Coaching & Consulting
- Christine King, Director of Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear at Idaho National Laboratory
- Carla Ogunrinde, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Intend Coaching & Consulting (NEXT Program Director)
- Hannah Patenaude, Radiochemistry Ph.D. Student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Sarah Risley, Nuclear Training Accreditation Supervisor at Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- Patricia Welsh, Senior Program Manager of Industry Leadership and Development at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
Nominations for NEXT23 will open in January 2022. Please contact Eunice Deras at [email protected] for questions.