Spotlight
Region IV
On this Page:
- Region IV Office
- Public Affairs Officer
- Regional Counsel
- Regional State Liaison Officer
- Allegation Coordination and Enforcement Staff
- Response Coordination Branch
- Division of Reactor Projects
- Division of Reactor Safety
- Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
- Division of Resource Management and Administration
Regional Administrator: Kriss Kennedy
Deputy Regional Administrator: Scott Morris
Executes established NRC policies and assigned programs relating to inspection, licensing, investigation, enforcement, governmental liaison, and emergency response within regional boundaries.
Public Affairs Officer
Senior Public Affairs Officer: Victor Dricks
Implements NRC policies and programs for Public Affairs in the region.
Regional Counsel
Karla Fuller
Performs the legal functions necessary to carry out the assigned responsibilities of the regional office.
Regional State Liaison Officer
William Maier
Coordinates and carries out communications between NRC and the states and appropriate local governments within the region regarding the regulation of nuclear materials and facilities.
Allegation Coordination and Enforcement Staff
Michael Hay
Implements policies and programs of enforcement and training, and provides liaison between the region and OI. Manages regional allegations.
Response Coordination Branch
Chief: Jason Kozal
Division of Reactor Projects
Director: Troy Pruett
Deputy Director: Ryan Lantz
Manages inspection and evaluation programs for Region IV power reactors, including performance assessment, resident inspector, enforcement, and allegation follow-up. Provides prompt onsite follow-up in response to reactor events.
Reactor Projects Branches A-F:
Manages inspections, assessments, regional allegation follow-up, and enforcement for assigned power reactors. Recruits and trains the resident and project inspection staff. Provides initial response to site events and emergencies.
Reactor Projects Branch A
Chief: Jeremy Groom
Columbia Generating Station Resident Office
Comanche Peak Resident Office
Diablo Canyon Resident Office
Reactor Projects Branch B
Chief: Nicholas Taylor
Callaway Resident Office
Wolf Creek Resident Office
South Texas Resident Office
Reactor Projects Branch C
Chief: Gregory Warnick
Cooper Nuclear Station Resident Office
Grand Gulf Resident Office
River Bend Resident Office
Reactor Projects Branch D
Chief: Geoffrey Miller
Fort Calhoun Resident Office
Palo Verde Resident Office
Waterford 3 Resident Office
Reactor Projects Branch E
Chief: Cornelius O’Keefe
Arkansas Nuclear One Resident Office
Division of Reactor Safety
Director: Anton Vegel
Deputy Director: Jeffrey Clark
Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the specialized fields of engineering, plant systems operations and testing, maintenance rule, design, heat sink, emergency preparedness, radiation protection, security, fire protection, and problem identification and resolution. Administers the Region's operator licensing program and performs risk assessments to support the significance determination process and incident investigation program. Provides technical support for emergency response functions.
Engineering Branch 1
Chief: Thomas Farnholtz
Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the areas of civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and nuclear engineering. Plans, schedules, and conducts the following baseline inspections: 50.59, permanent modifications, safety system design and performance capability, and in service inspections. Provides support for problem identification and resolution inspections.
Engineering Branch 2
Chief: Gregory Werner
Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the areas of fire protection and maintenance. Plans, schedules, and conducts the following baseline inspections: fire protection, heat sink, and maintenance rule. Plans, schedules, conducts, and leads problem identification and resolution inspections.
Operations Branch
Chief: Vincent Gaddy
Administers and develops the initial operator license examinations and inspections to evaluate the ability of applicants and licensed operators to safely operate nuclear power plants. Reviews, approves, and maintains NRC Region IV operator licenses. Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the area of emergency preparedness, including exercise evaluations and reviews of emergency plan and procedure change submittals. Provides support for problem identification and resolution inspections.
Plant Support Branch 1
Chief: Mark Haire
Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the areas of radiation protection (public and occupational radiation safety) and security. Performs reviews of licensee security program plan change submittals. Provides support for problem identification and resolution inspections.
Plant Support Branch 2
Chief: Heather Gepford
Performs inspections and technical evaluations in the areas of radiation protection (public and occupational radiation safety) and security. Performs reviews of licensee security program plan change submittals. Provides support for problem identification and resolution inspections.
Inspection Programs and Assessment Team
Team Leader: Thomas Hipschman
Responsible for providing program support for the reactor program area and ownership for problem identification and resolution activities. Responsible for completing and /or coordinating the majority of program support activities within the reactor program area in order to minimize the administrative burden on the technical branches within the Divisions of Reactor Safety and Reactor Projects. These support functions include, and are not limited to, the following activities: conducting self-assessments; establishing policies and guidance; coordinating interactions with the program offices; providing oversight for implementation and maintenance of the reactor inspection and performance assessment program areas; providing oversight for conformance to the operating plan and metrics; initiating assessment meeting preparations; supporting the inspection program; coordinating the hiring of personnel; providing oversight of inspector qualifications; overseeing budget and FTE utilization; coordinating inspection planning activities; overseeing risk analysis activities; assisting in the coordination of knowledge management activities; and disseminating operating experience. The problem identification and resolution activities involved: program ownership of the problem identification and resolution inspection program, representing the region in safety culture activities, and review of allegations involving safety conscious work environment concerns.
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Director: Mark Shaffer
Deputy Director: Linda Howell
Provides implementation, policy oversight, and director for the material licensing and inspection programs, fuel cycle facility inspections, uranium recovery inspections, and inspection of permanently shut down reactors and independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI). Manages site decommissioning activities and regional activities relating to formerly licensed sites. Manages enforcement and allegation follow-up for materials licensees, fuel cycle facilities, sites undergoing decommissioning, permanently shut down reactor facilities, ISFSI facilities and uranium recovery facilities. Responds to events involving above noted programs. Provides coordination and oversight of Agreement State programs and activities.
Nuclear Materials Safety Branch A
Chief: Ray Keller
Conducts routine and reactive inspections of materials licensees who use byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials. Processes enforcement casework associated with these inspections. Processes and tracks Region IV materials event reports
Nuclear Materials Safety Branch B
Chief: Vivian Campbell
Performs materials licensing; evaluates financial assurance submittals; processes reciprocity requests from Agreement State licensees; and maintains the materials docket file room. Provides licensing oversight of decommissioning activities at materials facilities.
Fuel Cycle and Decommissioning Branch
Chief: Jack Whitten
Conducts routine and reactive inspections of fuel facilities, permanently shut down reactor facilities, independent spent fuel storage installations and uranium recovery facilities. Conducts inspections of decommissioning activities at fuel facilities, reactor facilities and materials facilities. Processes enforcement casework associated with these inspections. Performs reviews of decommissioning plan submittals assigned to Region IV. Implements the program for regional review of formerly licensed sites.
Division of Resource Management and Administration
Director: Jerome Murphy
Performs administrative functions in human resource management, contract administration, budget and fiscal management, ADP services, space and property management, telecommunications, and general administrative services, including license fee management and FOIA processing.
Administrative Management Team
Team Leader: Earnestine Clay
Provides mail processing services, limited duplication and reproduction service, property management (control of Region IV property), operator support (answers operator calls within the building), supply management (management of supply room and order supplies), records management (file plans, archiving & ADAMS support), facility management (manages the Region IV facility), building janitorial services (oversee building cleaning), building security (oversees guard services), process badging requests for building access, site access processing, and processing of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Financial Resource Management Team
Team Leader: Lora Nute Blackshear
Provides formulation and execution of the regional operating budget and control of funds; management and oversight of travel services; procurement of property, supplies, equipment, and services; validation and verification of time, attendance and inspection fee billing hours, as well as, certification and examination of invoices received. FRMB also is responsible for the interpretation, application, technical guidance and oversight of federal fiscal and financial laws, regulations, and agency policies.
Human Resources Team
Team Leader: Joseph Lopez
Administers and implements a full range of human capital policies and operational procedures in a consistent manner throughout the region. These include employment, recruitment, staffing, position management and evaluation, benefits, employee and labor relations, training and development, performance management and personnel transactional processing. HRB employs technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, including electronic government recruitment and staffing systems. HRB provides program direction and liaison in support of regional human resources operations. HRB provides management advice and recommendations concerning all operational aspects of human capital management. HRB advises managers and supervisors in applying human capital strategies to solve workforce planning issues and close skills gaps. HRB supports equal employment opportunity in the implementation of human capital policies and programs.
Information Technology Team
Team Leader: Harold McKelvey
Provides effective technology support for audio/visual, computer, multimedia, telephony, video, and client/web based applications and services. ITB provides fast and reliable access to all information systems. IRB facilitates the collection, storage, security and integrity of electronic data while ensuring appropriate access. IRB provides a robust, reliable and secure technology infrastructure.
