Continuous Improvement Conference Is a Resounding Success - DevonWay

The 4th Annual Continuous Improvement Conference and DevonWay User Group drew utility executives, nuclear power professionals, and safety-oversight representatives from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). The three-day event, held in San Francisco on September 12-14, focused on utility-industry safety culture and effective applications of technology to continuous improvement. Participant response was overwhelmingly positive.

Continuous Improvement Conference morning sessions comprised engaging, informative presentations and an exceptional panel of industry leaders answering challenging questions from the audience.

Tim Rausch, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, PPL Generation, Susquehanna Station, said “I can’t remember an industry executive panel that provided so many good ideas for addressing improvement priorities in a Q&A format. I was pleased to serve as moderator with the other CNOs on the panel.”

“This was a very informative and great conference. I was very impressed with the high levels of quality of presenters and speakers,” said Benny Malekzadeh, Sr. Engineer and Performance Advocate at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.

Robert Felton, DevonWay’s Chairman and CEO, said, “We are very pleased with the success of the conference and appreciate the participation of so many industry leaders. The afternoon DevonWay User Group sessions were a great way for our user community to explore conference topics and collaborate on how the application of new technology can sustain excellence for a new generation of nuclear power professionals.”

The conference featured industry leaders:

• SUSAN EISENHOWER, President of the Eisenhower Group, providing strategic counsel on political, business, and public affairs projects, gave the opening keynote, sharing nuclear industry insights.
• AMIR SHAHKARAMI, CEO, Exelon Nuclear Partners and Senior Vice President Exelon Generation, gave his perspective and personal experiences of Fukushima Daiichi events and presented lesson learned – and to be learned – in the context of the global nuclear economy.
• MARIA SCHWARTZ, Senior Safety Culture Program Manager, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission presented the NRC Safety Culture Policy Statement and discussed safety as an overriding priority to competing goals.
• Dr. RUTH TODD, Director ITDS, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) discussed the importance of Operating Experience to improve any process and save lives.
• RANDY EDINGTON, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Arizona Public Service, Palo Verde Nuclear Power Station emphasized the importance of CAP (Corrective Action Program) to safety culture, as well as innovative approaches to engage plant personnel and reach out to the public.
• RAFAEL FLORES, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Luminant Energy, Comanche Peak Station shared best ways to harness technology to sustain excellence.
• TIM RAUSCH, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, PPL Generation, Susquehanna Station will discussed leadership and the use of technology to effectively communicate, collaborate, and innovate.
• MATT SUNSERI, CEO and Chief Nuclear Officer, Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, Wolf Creek Station discussed best ways to adopt technology to improve processes.

DevonWay User Group activities included Special Interest Group meetings and opportunities for customers, prospects, and industry parties to connect and share experiences. U.S. Women in Nuclear, North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) members, and the Utilities Service Alliance were in attendance and sponsored breaks.