The 2023 U.S. WIN Conference marked the election and transition of leadership for the U.S. WIN Awards & Recognition Committee. The committee has been led by Lisa Zurawski of Constellation Energy for the past couple of years, and during her leadership, the committee created the Champion Award to add to the suite of recognitions the committee awards. This year, Maryanne Stasko of Duke Energy was elected to become chair. The U.S. WIN Communications Committee caught up with both leaders in the Q&A below.

Lisa Zurawski, past chair of the Awards & Recognition Committee

Principal Regulatory Engineer, Constellation Energy Generation, LLC

[Comm Comm] Hey Lisa! Describe yourself to us in 10 words or less.

[Lisa] Dynamic nuclear professional with a passion for public nuclear education.

[Comm Comm] What are 5 things you learned during your term as the Awards chair?

[Lisa]

1. Pandemics change the status quo. A lot.
2. Being the Awards Chair was more work than I thought it would be. But I enjoyed every minute of it.
3. I like giving people awards. It makes them happy, which makes me happy.
4. Some of the chapters get very creative when you ask them to make a video.
5. U.S. WIN is one of the best organizations to be associated with. (I knew that before my term. It was reinforced during my term.)

[Comm Comm] Do you have any advice for Maryanne as she steps into the chair role?

[Lisa]

• Roll with the flow. Somethings are out of your hands, and you just have to roll with it.
• Ask for help. You are not alone. You have a committee of people to help.

[Comm Comm] Where and in what roles do you think the Awards Committee needs more volunteers?

[Lisa] We just had elections and have a new Chair, Vice-Chair, and Recorder. However, the Awards Committee can always use more committee members. It makes the work easier when we are determining the chapter awards!

[Comm Comm] What is your next adventure in U.S. WIN?

[Lisa] I am now on the Steering Committee. I am going to be the Region III and Awards & Recognition Committee Liaison. I also continue to be the Alternate Co-Chair for the Constellation – Cantera Chapter.

Maryanne Stasko, chair of the Awards & Recognition Committee

Sr Nuclear Engineer, Duke Energy

[Comm Comm] Hey Maryanne! Describe yourself to us in 10 words or less.

[Maryanne] I’m an introverted engineer who has learned to fake being an extrovert!

[Comm Comm] What are some of your favorite things about being part of the Awards Committee?

[Maryanne]

1. I love being able to network with fellow U.S. WIN members from other Chapters.
2. We all like to scope out what other Chapters are doing throughout the year so we can take ideas back to our members.
3. It’s exciting to see Chapters using the PD Library.
4. It’s challenging for me to be on that stage during the conference Awards Luncheon, but I love calling out those names and handing out those awards!

[Comm Comm] What do you hope to accomplish as the Awards Committee chair?

[Maryanne] I would love to get more engagement from all of our Chapters so our job is harder!

[Comm Comm] Where and in what roles do you think the Awards Committee needs more volunteers?

[Maryanne] We need more volunteers from all regions! Whether you want to try an officer position or just volunteer your time, we need more voices at the table when we go through the awards process. As we move through the discussions, our members who are part of the subject Chapter step out of the conversation. And I’d love to add more creative folks to help us make the ceremony more fun and glamorous!

[Comm Comm] How can U.S. WIN members join the committee?

[Maryanne] Send me an email at [email protected], and we can set up a time to discuss the awards process and your time commitment – it’s not a large block of time!

The U.S. WIN Awards & Recognition Committee is focused on the development and maintenance of the Chapter recognition program and other means to recognize U.S. WIN member contributions to their organization and the nuclear industry. For more information, log into the website and visit https://www.winus.org/awards/.