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
Check in, enjoy breakfast, and begin exploring the exhibitor hall before the opening session.
- Tracy Boatner, President & CEO, East Tennessee Economic Council
- Bob Morris, Board Chair, Tennessee Nuclear Network
- Mayor Indya Kincannon, City of Knoxville
- Mayor Warren Gooch, City of Oak Ridge
- Lt. Governor Randy McNally, State of Tennessee
- Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. Representative TN-03
- United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (video)
- United States Senator Bill Hagerty (video)
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, CNS
- 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: Governor Bill Lee, State of Tennessee
Featured Speaker: Matt Rasmussen, Chief Nuclear Officer, Tennessee Valley Authority
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 The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services for being the Neutron Networking Sponsor for day one.
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
Moderator: Dan Stout, Advanced Nuclear Advisors
- Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer, Radiant
- Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Kairos Power
- Nicole Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer, GE Vernova Hitachi (invited)
- Lou Martinez Sancho, Chief Technology Officer, Westinghouse
- Clayton Scott, Chief Commercial Officer, NuScale
12:45 PM | Featured Speaker: Xyla Foxlin, Social Media Influencer
Enjoy a complimentary lunch while hearing from featured speaker Xyla Foxlin and connecting with fellow attendees before the afternoon sessions begin.
Thanks to for BHA Strategy for supporting NOW 2026 as our Chain Reaction Supporter.
Featured Speaker: Felice Presti, Manager of Nuclear Power Operations, Bechtel
Moderator: Michael Russell, 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
- Keely 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
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 The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services for being the Neutron Networking Sponsor for day one.
Moderator: Bill Tindal, Director, Tennessee Nuclear Network [TN²]
- Commissioner David Salyers, Tennessee Dept. of Environment & Conservation
- Gale Hauck, 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
- Brian Stenstrom, Vice President of Construction, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions
Moderator: Hash Hashemian, President & CEO, AMS (confirmed)
- 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 with an evening of networking, refreshments, and conversation. Connect with fellow attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors while strengthening relationships and making new industry connections.
Thanks to Omega Technical Services for being the Atomic After Party supporter of NOW 2026!
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
Featured Speaker: Annie Caputo, President, Caputo Energy Advisory, LLC
Interviewed by: Steve Jones, Steve Jones & Associates
Featured speaker: Scott Hsu, Fusion Partner, Lower Carbon Capitol
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 (invited)
- Stephen Streiffer, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Jason Remer, 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.
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
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, Steve & Karen Ellebracht Professor in Medicinal Chemistry, Professor of Radiology, University of Missouri
- Dave Frate, Radioisotope Power System Deputy Program Manager, NASA Glenn Research Center (Invited)
Recharge, make new connections, and explore the exhibitor hall before afternoon sessions begin.
Thank you to Centrus and LIS Technologies for supporting the day two networking breaks.
Featured Speaker: Commissioner Deniece Thomas, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Featured Speaker & Moderator: Michelle Goodson, Director, ORAU STEM Accelerator, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
- 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
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
Moderator: David Terry, 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
- Utah Office of Energy Development
Moderator:
- Mehdi Reisi Fard, Director, Division of Advanced Reactor Engineering, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Beth Shelton, Director, State of Tennessee Division of Radiological Health, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
- Jason Remer, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Bob Morris, Board Chair, Tennessee Nuclear Network