NextEra Energy held an inspiring U.S. Women in Nuclear (U.S. WIN) Fireside Chat on Friday, February 16th, at the Lewis Hay III Learning Center in Juno Beach, FL. The featured guest speakers were Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Annie Caputo and Entergy CNO Kimberly Cook-Nelson. The event focused on respect and communication in our industry and was moderated by NextEra U.S. WIN fleet lead Minneva Taltoan. Participants gained valuable insights on Respect and Communication in the workplace and how to navigate communications for both personal and professional development.  The event was attended by over 240 individuals both in person and virtually.

Guest speakers:

Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Annie Caputo was reappointed into her position in 2022 after previously holding the seat from 2018 to 2021. With more than two decades of experience in nuclear energy and security policy, she has consulted for the U.S. Department of Energy Idaho National Laboratory, worked with the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and spent 13 years in Congress. Prior to her positions on Capitol Hill, she worked for Exelon Corporation in a variety of positions. Caputo earned a nuclear engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Entergy Chief Nuclear Officer Kimberly Cook-Nelson is responsible for the safe, secure and reliable operations of Entergy’s four nuclear power plants and five reactors located in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. She previously held various leadership positions of increasing responsibility in system engineering, continuous improvement, maintenance, nuclear safety assurance and operations. She has an MBA, a master’s degree in engineering management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Orleans. She also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.