Kristine Svinicki, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), recently joined TerraPower’s Board. An internationally recognized policy expert and innovator, Svinicki brings her more than 30 years of experience at the state and federal levels to guide and inform TerraPower’s work using innovative nuclear technology to solve the world’s toughest problems in energy, climate and human health.
Svinicki joins Bill Gates (chairman), Nathan Myhrvold (vice chairman), Chris Levesque, John Gilleland, Mohamed Al Hammadi and David Scott on the TerraPower Board.
“I am pleased to welcome Kristine to the TerraPower Board at this exciting time for our company,” said Chris Levesque, TerraPower President and CEO. “Her expertise in nuclear innovation and regulation will be invaluable as we prepare to demonstrate the Natrium™ technology as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.”
Svinicki stepped down as NRC chairman in early 2021. Three successive U.S. presidents appointed her to the NRC, making her the longest-serving member in the agency’s history. During her time at the NRC, Svinicki cultivated a culture of transformative thinking in agency processes. She also advanced the use of previously untapped technologies to surmount the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver sustained assurance of nuclear safety and security to the American public.
Before serving on the NRC, Svinicki was an expert and policy advisor to members of the U.S. Senate on topics ranging from energy to national security. She previously managed nuclear research and development programs at the U.S. Department of Energy and worked as an energy analyst for the state of Wisconsin.
Svinicki holds a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan, where she currently serves as adjunct professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences.
