2025 Award WINners

Article Author:

Maryanne Stasko

October 12, 2025

The Awards and Recognition Committee would once again like to congratulate all the 2025 Award Winners! Those who earned awards are:

Professional Development and Networking – Small Chapter Southern Company – Vogtle 1&2
Professional Development and Networking – Large Chapter INPO
Outreach Professions and Trades – Small Chapter Constellation – Braidwood
Outreach Professions and Trades – Large Chapter Entergy
Outreach Advocacy and Support – Small Chapter Xcel Energy
Outreach Advocacy and Support – Large Chapter Permian Basin Nuclear Services
Culture of Inclusion and Belonging – Small Chapter Southern Co – Corp
Culture of Inclusion and Belonging – Large Chapter Westinghouse – Pittsburgh
Overall – Student Chapter University of Illinois – UC
Overall – Small Chapter Dominion Energy – Millstone
Overall – Large Chapter TVA

The video of the 2025 Awards Ceremony is now available!

U.S. WIN LEADERSHIP AWARD

We would like to again congratulate Amy Hill, Senior Reactor Operator at Duke Energy’s McGuire Nuclear Station, as the 2025 U.S. WIN Leadership Award WINner.

Amy has consistently modeled U.S. WIN’s strategic objectives and been a leading force for good in the organization. She continuously takes on challenging assignments within U.S. WIN and completes them with passion and unparalleled precision. She is a role model to younger individuals wishing to pursue STEM field careers, and inspiration to other nuclear professionals.

In her first few months of becoming the head of the entire Duke Energy fleet U.S. WIN chapter, Amy participated in executing a successful 2016 U.S. WIN conference in Charlotte, NC. Amy has also assisted in reinvigorating the Oconee Nuclear Station section of the Duke Energy U.S. WIN Chapter. In her own chapter, she has increased the organization of the chapter by creating new bylaws and updating the charter for Duke Energy U.S. WIN. These new bylaws created a treasurer position, creating more accountability for the chapter when Delivering the Nuclear Promise was in its infancy. The sheer amount of planning and attention to detail required for these activities showcases Amy’s dedication to U.S. WIN and the nuclear industry as a whole.

Amy continued in the role as President of Duke Energy U.S. WIN until she was voted to become the Region II lead in 2018. In her tenure as the Region II lead, she has outlined methods for more effective communication amongst the region, better engagement with members at large, more engagement between the region and the national level, and bi-monthly professional development sessions for the region. These methods include updating chapter contact information, creating a map of all chapters in the region, and encouraging members of national committees to provide updates during the region calls. She created Region II specific goals for 2019 to craft a more facilitative governing body and making the region more worthwhile and productive than had been in previous years, including encouraging chapters to reach out and support one another as necessary. This all culminated in a successful session organized and conducted by Amy at the 2019 U.S. WIN conference and carried over into the Region II conference sponsored and hosted by Duke Energy in 2020.

For the U.S. WIN National Conferences, Amy planned a professional development session in 2017, planned the entire professional development track (three sessions) in 2018; assisted in organizing the Student- Mentor Program in 2018; and spoke on the importance of goal setting at the 2019 conference. Her efforts provided great value to all conference attendees each year.

Amy has leveraged her position as an Intern Coordinator for the Duke Energy fleet to introduce the students to U.S. WIN. She has relentlessly encouraged the interns to attend U.S. WIN events at their site and the national conference. Her encouragement included finding funding to help the interns attend the national conference each summer. The intern participation at each level allowed them to not only learn about U.S. WIN and all that the organization has to offer, but to help them be more involved in the Duke Energy community and get the most out of their time. She has also provided professional advice and mentoring to the interns, including graduate school options, the benefit of a PE license, and how Duke Energy and U.S. WIN could be a part of an intern’s future. Outside of Duke Energy, Amy participated in recruiting efforts at Purdue University, helped their budding U.S. WIN chapter, and shared her personal OPEX about internships and professional work.

Amy has participated in or led multiple community outreach events to a diverse range of ages. She has taught multiple sessions of the Boy Scout ‘Nuclear Science Merit Badge’ and has also spoken to Boy and Girl Scout troops on nuclear energy careers and pathways. Amy participates in Nuclear Science Week events and has spoken to over 250 students about the benefits of nuclear energy over the last 3 years between students in elementary, middle, and high school. She also participates in ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering Days’ and facilitates job shadowing to encourage women to pursue a STEM career. Amy also has conducted multiple readings of “Marie’s Electric Adventure” to 1st Graders in the greater Charlotte area. Amy has been more than willing to share information from the Duke Energy chapter with other chapters for outreach events. Her knowledge sharing has led to successful U.S. WIN outreach events at the Ginna and Nine Mile Point Nuclear Stations. Not only does Amy support U.S. WIN activities, she also works hand in hand with NAYGN and local Scouting organizations for education and community improvement.

Amy has completed all these WIN activities and initiatives in her spare time while supporting her core job functions as the McGuire Nuclear Station Unit-1 reload team leader and core designer and now Senior Reactor Operator. She was awarded an Operation Excellence award in October 2018 for her work in carrying her team for two full core designs of McGuire-2, as well as designing her first core. She has taken on additional responsibility as an Innovation Champion where she leads training sessions on design and innovative thinking. Furthermore, Amy also obtained her Professional Engineers License from the State of North Carolina during all of her exceptional professional and U.S. WIN activities, a feat which requires a tremendous amount of time on its own. Amy continues to champion U.S. WIN as an important organization for Duke Energy to focus on for their Industry Leadership strategic element. Professionally, she has earned her Senior Reactor Operator license for McGuire Nuclear Station.

2025 U.S. WIN Leadership Awardee – Amy Hill

U.S. WIN CHAMPION AWARD

We also would like to congratulate Grover Hettel, Chief Nuclear Officer at Energy Northwest (EN) Columbia Generating Station.

Grover is known across our organization as a champion for diversity and inclusion chapter activities. As CNO, Grover supports our Region IV activities and serves on the Executive Board of U.S. WIN.

He mentors women at many levels of the organization and advocates for their growth and development within the company, including encouraging his direct reports to mentor women and diverse employees. His advocacy includes U.S. WIN’s NEXT program.

Grover is intentional about professional development, and seeks out literature and resources about mentoring, particularly for women and people of color. His intentionality in mentorship and advocacy set him apart from other senior leaders at our agency and in the industry. As an example of the type of care that Grover puts into his employees, every month he signs, and hand delivers birthday cards to the employees in his organization. It is a small gesture but exemplifies the type of person that Grover is.

Early on in my career at EN, I observed Grover walk the walk of a challenging yet inclusive leader who is focused on driving decisions down to the lowest levels of the organization by lifting the organization up and developing leaders. Grover has established a much greater focus on leadership development for all employees at EN, bringing forward new programs, speakers, articles, and time spent formally and informally mentoring employees.

Current U.S. WIN senior sponsor Cristina Reyff, vice president for Corporate Finance and chief financial officer, noted the benefits she saw from being one of Grover’s mentees, as well as his welcoming and inclusive attitude toward her colleague. “His style is refreshing, and he encouraged me to reach for my full potential, even beyond what I saw in myself. Grover provides candid and clear coaching that is based on observation and interaction. He had a positive, permanent impact on me from a professional and personal perspective.”

He challenges us all to be better colleagues and supports our professional development. He is a genuine person who wants the best, not just for the company, but for everyone. He wants women to succeed in their current roles and be empowered to elevate their career. Grover recognizes the specific challenges that women face in doing this. He is someone who steps away from his office and interacts with people from all levels of the organization regularly. He is an ideal example of what a U.S. WIN Champion should look like.

2025 U.S. WIN Champion Awardee – Grover Hettel

CHAPTER AWARDS

To earn an award, Chapters must submit their metrics for all four quarters and within the specified timeframe for each quarter to be considered for an award. Chapter awards are determined based on the following criteria: the number of activities held under a particular U.S. WIN strategic objective, the number of active chapter members, the number of individuals, and the public groups reached during the event and the quality of the events. The “Overall” Award takes into consideration all four strategic objectives. First time WINners are marked with an asterick.