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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.
Technical Session|Panel
Tuesday, February 4, 2025|1:00–2:40PM EST|Cumberland A
Session Chair:
Hannah Hunnicutt (Oak Ridge Assoc. Univ.)
Session Organizer:
The panel discussion will focus on the newly established Department of Labor Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship programs, with ORAU serving as the intermediary. As pioneering programs, this initiative presents a significant opportunity to reshape workforce development on a national scale. The primary objective of the panel is to provide a comprehensive overview of these programs, highlighting their structure, benefits, and potential challenges. The discussion aims to illustrate how these programs serve as valuable tools for industry recruitment and offer tax benefits to participating companies. Additionally, the panel will explore the programs' role in addressing skills gaps and creating pathways to meaningful employment for individuals across the country. Key goals of the presentation include: Explaining the structure and implementation of the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, emphasizing ORAU's role as the intermediary. Highlighting the benefits for both industry partners and apprentices, including tax incentives, skill development, and career advancement opportunities. Discussing the program's alignment with broader workforce development goals and economic needs. Addressing potential challenges or weaknesses in the program's current form and exploring strategies for improvement. Showcasing early success stories or outcomes, if available, to demonstrate the program's potential impact. The desired outcomes of this panel discussion are to increase awareness and understanding of these new apprenticeship programs among stakeholders, encourage industry participation, and foster a dialogue on how to maximize the programs' effectiveness. By presenting a balanced view of both benefits and potential weaknesses, the panel aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and industry leaders involved in workforce development. Through this discussion, we hope to inspire collaboration between educational institutions, businesses, and government agencies to support and expand these apprenticeship programs, ultimately contributing to a more skilled and competitive workforce nationwide.
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