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      Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)

      September 8–11, 2025

      Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis

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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.

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  • Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
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Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
Schedule Timeline

Monday — February 3, 2025
4:00PM
Registration/Help Desk Hours
Registration/Help Desk open from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm
Magnolia Foyer
6:00PM
Events
Opening Reception
Magnolia ABCD
6:00PM
Expo
Technology Expo open from 6:00- 8:00 pm
Magnolia ABCD
Tuesday — February 4, 2025
7:30AM
Registration/Help Desk Hours
Registration/Help Desk open from 7:30 am-4:00 pm
Magnolia Foyer
7:30AM
Breaks and Meals
Breakfast in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
7:30AM
Expo
Technology Expo open from 7:30 am- 4:00 pm
Magnolia ABCD
8:00AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Plenary Sessions
Opening Plenary: Understanding the Industry Landscape
Magnolia EFG
9:30AM
Breaks and Meals
Break in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
10:00AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Education/Academia/Government: Future of Academia -- Programs and Engagement
Cumberland C
Industry Training: Future Training and Educational Methods
Cumberland B
Operator Training and Licensing
Cumberland A
11:40AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Plenary Sessions
Awards Luncheon and Plenary: Advancing the Industry
Magnolia EFG
1:00PM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Education/Academia/Government: Academia to Industry
Cumberland C
Education/Academia/Government
Cumberland B
Building Bridges to Careers: The New Apprenticeship Era
Cumberland A
2:40PM
Breaks and Meals
Break in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
3:20PM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training -- Artificial Intelligence
Cumberland B
Industry Training: Innovative Learning Methods
Cumberland C
Unique Role of Community Colleges in Training and Workforce Development
Cumberland A
Wednesday — February 5, 2025
7:30AM
Registration/Help Desk Hours
Registration/Help Desk open from 7:30 am-4:00 pm
Magnolia Foyer
7:30AM
Breaks and Meals
Breakfast in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
7:30AM
Expo
Technology Expo open from 7:30 am- 4:00 pm
Magnolia ABCD
8:00AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Plenary Sessions
Wednesday Morning Plenary: Embracing Change
Magnolia EFG
9:40AM
Breaks and Meals
Break in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
10:10AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training: Nuclear Accreditation
Cumberland C
Decades of Dialogue: NESD Chairs on Policy, Pathways, and Professional Growth
Cumberland A
Lightning Talks: Accreditation, Technology, and Modernization of Training
Cumberland B
11:50AM
Breaks and Meals
Wednesday Walk-Around Lunch
Magnolia ABCD
1:10PM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training: Learning Technology
Cumberland C
Education/Academia/Government: Nuclear Innovation and Work Force Development
Cumberland B
Advanced Nuclear Workforce Development
Cumberland A
2:50PM
Breaks and Meals
Break in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
3:20PM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training: Remote and Online Training
Cumberland C
Industry Training: Systematic Approaches
Cumberland B
Thursday — February 6, 2025
7:30AM
Registration/Help Desk Hours
Registration/Help Desk open from 7:30 am-10:00 am
Magnolia Foyer
7:30AM
Breaks and Meals
Breakfast in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
7:30AM
Expo
Technology Expo open from 7:30 am-10:00 am
Magnolia ABCD
8:00AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Digital Twins
Cumberland A
Academia: Education/Academia/Government -- Workforce
Cumberland B
9:40AM
Breaks and Meals
Break in Technology Expo
Magnolia ABCD
10:00AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Technical Sessions
Industry Training: Training and Performance Assessment
Cumberland A
Industry Leadership and Collaboration: Training Leaders
Cumberland B
11:40AM
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025) Plenary Sessions
Closing Plenary and Lunch: Next Steps
Magnolia EFG
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