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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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From operator to entrepreneur: David Garcia applies outage management lessons
David Garcia
If ComEd’s Zion plant in northern Illinois hadn’t closed in 1998, David Garcia might still be there, where he got his start in nuclear power as an operator at age 24.
But in his ninth year working there, Zion closed, and Garcia moved on to a series of new roles—including at Wisconsin’s Point Beach plant, the corporate offices of Minnesota’s Xcel Energy, and on the supplier side at PaR Nuclear—into an on-the-job education that he augmented with degrees in business and divinity that he sought later in life.
Garcia started his own company—Waymaker Resource Group—in 2014. Recently, Waymaker has been supporting Holtec’s restart project at the Palisades plant with staffing and analysis. Palisades sits almost exactly due east of the fully decommissioned Zion site on the other side of Lake Michigan and is poised to operate again after what amounts to an extended outage of more than three years. Holtec also plans to build more reactors at the same site.
For Garcia, the takeaway is clear: “This industry is not going away. Nuclear power and the adjacent industries that support nuclear power—and clean energy, period—are going to be needed for decades upon decades.”
In July, Garcia talked with Nuclear News staff writer Susan Gallier about his career and what he has learned about running successful outages and other projects.
OVERVIEW
The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is the premier organization for those that embrace the nuclear sciences and technologies for their vital contributions to improving people’s lives and preserving the planet.
ANS membership is open to all and consists of individuals from all walks of life, including engineers, doctors, students, educators, scientists, soldiers, advocates, government employees, and others. Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024, ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society. Learn more about the governance of the Society.
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To empower a strong, connected, and engaged professional community that cultivates nuclear science and technology for the benefit of humanity.
A world that unlocks the full potential of the atom to improve human lives and preserve our planet.
1. Excellence: We strive for excellence in all aspects of nuclear science, technology, and engineering, setting high standards for innovation, safety, and professionalism.
2. Transparency and Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards of honesty, independence, and accountability in all our communications, interactions, and endeavors.
3. Collaboration: We value collaboration and teamwork, fostering partnerships across disciplines, industries, and global borders to advance nuclear knowledge and address complex challenges.
4. Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace diversity and inclusion, recognizing the value of varied perspectives and backgrounds. We continuously seek to create a diverse and sustainable membership by actively reaching out to individuals and communities, inviting them to participate and contribute to the advancement of nuclear science and technology.
5. Education and Outreach: We are committed to education and outreach, promoting public understanding of nuclear science and technology while supporting the development of the next generation of nuclear professionals.
6. Safety and Security: We prioritize safety and security as fundamental principles, advocating for rigorous safety standards, responsible stewardship of nuclear materials, and effective safeguards to protect people and the environment.
7. Sustainability: We advocate for the responsible use of nuclear technology to meet global environmental and human development objectives while minimizing impact on communities.
The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is committed, in principle and in practice, to creating a diverse and welcoming environment for everyone interested in nuclear science and technology. Inclusion means creating an environment – both in ANS and in the profession – in which all members are valued equitably for their skills and abilities and respected equally for their unique perspectives and experiences. Diverse backgrounds foster unique contributions and capabilities, and so creation of an inclusive Society ultimately leads to a more creative, effective, and technically respected Society.
ANS believes that everyone deserves opportunities for learning, networking, leadership, training, recognition, volunteering in Society activities, and all the other benefits that involvement in the Society brings, regardless of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, marital status, military service status, national origin, parental status, physical appearance, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. The selection of a member to serve in ANS's volunteer leadership structure shall be based solely on the member's ability, interest, and commitment to serve. In particular, ANS encourages members at each level of the Society and in each Professional Division and Technical Group to make special efforts to recruit underrepresented minorities and women to ensure that they are adequately represented in the Society.
