NOW 2026 Agenda
The Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) is an annual event focused on all aspects of the nuclear ecosystem, bringing together stakeholders from across industry, government, research, academia, and the next generation of the workforce to connect, collaborate, and advance what’s next.
BUILDING MOMENTUM, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR
All sessions will take place in the Ballroom A-B-C, off the Henley Concourse at the Knoxville Convention Center.
(Please note: Session times, speakers, and agenda details are subject to change.)
August 4, 2026
From Strategy to Deployment
Click here to download a PDF of the full agenda
Check in, enjoy breakfast, and begin exploring the exhibitor hall before the opening session.
Bob Morris, Board Chair, Tennessee Nuclear Network
Tracy Boatner, President & CEO, East Tennessee Economic Council
Mayor Indya Kincannon, City of Knoxville
Mayor Terry Frank, Anderson County, Tennessee
Mayor Wade Creswell, Roane County, Tennessee
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. Representative TN-03
Video Remarks: United States Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty
Featured Speaker: Brandon Williams, Undersecretary for Nuclear Security, U.S. DOE, and National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator
Moderator: Martin Williamson, Senior Director of Global Security and Strategic Partnerships, CNS
Todd Ailes, President & CEO, Consolidated Nuclear Security
Joseph Miller, President of Government Operations, BWXT
Brandon Williams, Undersecretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, U.S. DOE and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration
Moe Khaleel, Associate Laboratory Director for National Security Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Featured Speaker: Christofer Mowry, Chief Executive Officer, Type One Energy
Featured Speaker: Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, State of Tennessee
Featured Speaker: Governor Bill Lee, State of Tennessee
Fireside Chat with: Commissioner Deniece Thomas, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Enjoy refreshments while networking with fellow attendees, and be sure to visit the Exhibit Hall to connect with our exhibitors and explore the latest products, services, and innovations supporting the nuclear industry.
Thank you to UT System | UT Center for Industrial Services and LIS Technologies Inc for sponsoring this networking break.
Moderator: Dan Stout, Managing Director, Advanced Nuclear Advisors
Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer, Radiant
Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Kairos Power
Patrick Looney, Senior Vice President of Advanced Nuclear Market Development, GE Vernova Hitachi
Bryan Dorsey, Senior Director of APX Development, Westinghouse Electric Company
Clayton Scott, Chief Commercial Officer, NuScale
Featured Speaker: Tim Walsh, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, U.S. DOE
Moderator: Jim Blankenhorn, President & CEO, UCOR
Mary Helen Hitson,Y-12 Field Office Manager, National Nuclear Security Administration
Trey Wheeler,Oak Ridge National Lab Site Manager, U.S. Department of Energy
Erik Olds, Manager, Oak Ridge Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy
Lunch buffet: Enjoy a complimentary lunch while networking. Lunch will be served on the concourse.
Don't forget to visit the exhibit hall!
Featured Speaker: Xyla Foxlin, Social Media Influencer
Introduced by: Sarah Stockton, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications, BHA Strategy
Thanks to for BHA Strategy for supporting NOW 2026 as our Chain Reaction Supporter.
Featured Speaker: Will Wagner, Vice President, Nuclear Power Business Development
Bechtel Power Corporation
Moderator: Michael Russell, Vice President of Nuclear & Quality Services, Strata-G
Jean-Luc Palayer, President & CEO , Orano USA
Ben Jordan, Director, Centrus Energy
Joel Duling, President, TRISO-X
Christo Liebenberg, President, Co-Founder, and Chief Technical Advisor, LIS Technologies
Keeley Marrocco, Chief Operating Officer, Standard Nuclear
Moderator: Seth Kirshenberg, Executive Director, Energy Communities Alliance
- Jean-Luc Palayer, President & CEO Orano USA
- Leigh Martin, Section Head, Integrated Fuel Cycle Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (invited)
- Ed Petit de Mange, VP of Fuel Recycling, Oklo
- Marla Morales, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and High-Level Waste Disposition, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy
Enjoy refreshments while networking with fellow attendees, and be sure to visit the Exhibit Hall to connect with our exhibitors and explore the latest products, services, and innovations supporting the nuclear industry.
Thank you to UT System | UT Center for Industrial Services and LIS Technologies Inc for sponsoring this networking break.
Moderator: Bill Tindal, Director, Tennessee Nuclear Network [TN²]
Commissioner David Salyers, Tennessee Dept. of Environment & Conservation
Gale Hauck, Acting Deputy Director, Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN); Technical Area Lead, DOE Microreactor Program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Braden Stover, Senior Advisor for Nuclear and Quantum Strategy, Tennessee Dept. of Economic & Community Development
Meryl Harris, Target Market Specialist, Tennessee Valley Authority
Moderator: Peter Newby, President, MS Technology
Will Wagner, Vice President of Nuclear Power, Bechtel
Greg Wilkett, SRPPF Project Director, Fluor
Joshua Patterson, Sr. Vice President, Markets & Strategy, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions
Moderator: Hash Hashemian, President & CEO, AMS
Stephen Streiffer, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Mike Laufer, CEO and Co-Founder, Kairos Power
Brandon Gibson, Chief Operating Officer, State of Tennessee
Matt Rasmussen, Chief Nuclear Officer, Tennessee Valley Authority
Join us as we wrap up Day One of the NOW Conference with the Atomic After Party, proudly sponsored by Omega Technical Services.
This special evening is dedicated to networking, refreshments, and lively conversation, creating the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re eager to share insights, expand your professional circle, or simply enjoy great company, Omega Technical Services is making this engaging and memorable close to the first day possible.
We look forward to seeing you there and making the most of these valuable opportunities together!
AUGUST 5, 2026
Innovation, Workforce, and What's Next
Check in, enjoy breakfast, and begin exploring the exhibitor hall before the opening session.
Bob Morris, Board Chair, Tennessee Nuclear Network
Mayor Warren Gooch, City of Oak Ridge
Featured Speaker: Annie Caputo, President, Caputo Energy Advisory, LLC
Interviewed by: Steve Jones, President, Steve Jones & Associates
Featured speaker: Scott Hsu, Fusion Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
Moderator: Troy Carter, Director of Fusion Energy Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Matt Miles, Senior Vice President External Affairs, Type One Energy
Bibake Uppal, President, Kyoto Fusioneering
Dominic Bindl, Chief Operating Officer, Realta Fusion
Beth Shelton, Director of the State of Tennessee Division of Radiological Health, TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation
Guin Shaw, Partner, Rutherford Energy Ventures
Fireside chat with:
Stephen Streiffer, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
and
Jason Remer, Nuclear Policy Advisor, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Enjoy refreshments while networking with fellow attendees, and be sure to visit the Exhibit Hall to connect with our exhibitors and explore the latest products, services, and innovations supporting the nuclear industry.
Thank you to Centrus and LIS Technologies Inc. for sponsoring this networking break.
Moderator: Scott Atchley, Chief Technology Officer for the National Center for Computational Science and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Paul Artman, Fellow System Design, AMD
Soumyendu Sarkar, Senior Director & Senior Distinguished Technologist of Artificial Intelligence, HPE
Michelle Vincenti Urpi, Intel
Levi Patterson, Director of Energy, Science, and AI Infrastructure Policy, NVIDIA
Andy Roehr, Managing Director-Energy, Baker Tilly
Erin Henderson, Director of Energy Infrastructure, Microsoft
Featured Speaker | Mike Skaggs, Interim President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority
Moderator: Julie Ezold, Technical Advisor for the Radioisotope Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Jeremy Busby, Associate Laboratory Director, Isotope Science and Enrichment Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Sarah Schaefer, President and Project Manager, Isotek Systems, LLC
Carolyn Anderson, UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Medicine: Radiopharmaceutical Therapies, UT-Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dave Frate, Radioisotope Power System Deputy Program Manager, NASA Glenn Research Center
Session Lead: Dr. Naomi Asher, Founder & Principal Consultant, The Maven Consulting
Learn practical strategies to network with confidence, make lasting professional connections, and create new career opportunities.
Where: Room 301D
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
*Students should attend and then put their newly learned skills to network during lunch.
Lunch buffet: Enjoy a complimentary lunch while networking. Lunch will be served on the concourse.
Don't forget to visit the exhibit hall!
Featured Speaker: Commissioner Deniece Thomas, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Featured Speaker: Michelle Goodson, Director, ORAU STEM Accelerator, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Moderator: Michelle Goodson, ORAU
Will Trumm, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative, Human Resources and Federal Affairs Officer, TVA
Jason Hatfield, Vice President and Chief of Staff, TRISO-X
Sonya Johnson, Public Affairs and Workforce Development Director, UCOR
John (JJ) Langford, Chief Technology Officer Enrichment Operations, BWXT
Kristen Ellis, Associate Principal Deputy Under Secretary for the Office of the Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy
Moderator: Teresa Duncan, Nuclear Workforce Lead Strategist at Tennessee Board of Regents and VP of Workforce and Community Development, Roane State Community College
Kelli Chaney, President, Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville
Nick Brown, Professor and Pietro F. Pasqua Fellow, University of Tennessee
Randy Steele, Faculty, Nuclear Power Engineering Technology, Chattanooga State
Ben Di'Chiara, Director of Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, Battelle
Sue Magidson, Executive Consultant, Vanderbilt University
Moderator: David Terry, President, National Association of State Energy Officials
Molly Cripps, Director, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs
Kenya Stump, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
John Williams, Chief Policy Officer, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Emy Lesofski, Director, Utah Office of Energy Development and Energy Advisor to Governor Spencer Cox
Session Lead: Dr. Naomi Asher, Founder & Principal Consultant, The Maven Consulting
Guest Speaker: Kylie Julius-Schumacher, Communications Manager, Strata-G
Prepare for career success with practical tips on interviewing, starting strong in your first role, and setting goals for future advancement.
Where: Room 301D
Time: 3:15 - 4:00 PM
Moderator: Nathan Capps, Senior R&D Staff, Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Mehdi Reisi Fard, Director, Division of Advanced Reactor Engineering, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Jason Remer, Nuclear Policy Advisor, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Bob Morris, Board Chair, Tennessee Nuclear Network