Candidates for leadership roles offer statements

Vice president/president-elect:

Griffith

Andrew (Andy) Griffith, an ANS member since 2013, is a nuclear energy research leader at Battelle and executive director of the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center. In 2022, Griffith was the acting assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Department of Energy and has served in multiple deputy assistant secretary roles over the last decade.

Statement: I believe in the full potential of nuclear energy. My priorities/passions support the following:

• Sustain existing LWRs—bedrock of any future scenario. Demonstrated by leadership while acting assistant secretary to establish the Civil Nuclear Credit program.
• Deploy advanced Gen III+ and Gen IV reactors—needed to decarbonize the grid in harmony with renewables but absolutely essential to decarbonize the industrial sector with process heat.
• Innovate new fuels and used fuel options for fuel cycles with improved sustainability—establishing more sustainable nuclear energy systems (improving the life cycle front-end, advanced reactor, and backend approaches).
• Explore parallel paths for used fuel interim storage, recycling, and disposal options—seeking near-term steps is important, even if it is not urgent.
• Train/educate/certify new generation workforce including crafts and universities—build the workforce of the future.
• Prepare and establish a robust supply chain—prioritize domestic suppliers and include like-minded partners to meet demand.

Peters

Mark T. Peters, an ANS member since 2007, is the chief executive officer of MITRE, a nonprofit organization that manages federally funded research and development centers. Peters previously was the executive vice president for national laboratory management and operations at Battelle. Prior to that he was the director of Idaho National Laboratory for five years.

Statement: I am committed and excited about the current and future role of nuclear science and technology in solving global energy, security, and health challenges. ANS is an ever-growing, important, and objective voice in the national and international dialogue across these areas of challenge. As ANS’s vice president, I would champion ANS continuing to grow as an organization, advocate, and influencer. ANS must be a strong objective voice and provide tools and approaches to inform the public, government, and students about the value of nuclear science and technology. This needs to include a strong focus on K-12 STEM education to encourage more young people to understand and go into nuclear science and technology fields and continue through robust community college and university programs and the developing ANS professional certification program. ANS must also be a strong, objective advocate for robust investment in university and national laboratory R&D infrastructure. Finally, ANS must continue to expand its role as an unbiased source of information on nuclear science and technology to the public and policymakers.

Treasurer:

Desai

Harsh S. Desai, an ANS member since 2011 and the current ANS treasurer, is the chief commercialization officer at Zeno Power. Desai previously held roles at the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Department of Energy, and he was the 2014 ANS Congressional Fellow.

Statement: It is an honor to be a member of this dedicated group with a common mission: to advance and advocate for the beneficial use of nuclear energy, science, and technologies. Throughout my 14 years as an ANS member, I have served in many leadership positions with the Society, including my current role as the ANS treasurer and member of the board of directors.

In my fiduciary role, we’ve updated budget processes to ensure profit and loss tracking across five key categories (products, projects, internal R&D, G&A, and mandatory), enhancing our financial sustainability. We’ve also strengthened processes to secure the longevity of scholarships, grants, and awards. These efforts will further enable ANS to fulfill the mission by advancing technical disciplines, supporting member growth, delivering value-add products and projects, and equipping policymakers with valuable resources. My experience includes roles in financial stewardship at a nuclear start-up, nonprofits, national labs, and industry, all driven by a commitment to delivering clean, reliable energy. Growing up in India with limited access to safe air, water, and electricity has fueled my passion for our field. I look forward to continuing to serve as your treasurer. Let’s get back to work!

Ezold

Julie G. Ezold, an ANS member since 1988, is a technical advisor at the Department of Energy’s office of science isotope R&D and production program out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She previously has held roles as a waste management/environmental restoration engineer and a nuclear criticality safety engineer. Ezold just completed a three-year term on the ANS board of directors this past June.

Statement: For more than 30 years I have been active in the Society, beginning as a student and now serving in leadership roles at the national level. During this time, I have witnessed many changes to the organization, and in the past few years ANS has become more diverse and stronger. To continue this trajectory, the Society must manage its assets effectively, wisely, and in a transparent manner. I believe ANS has much to offer, not only to its greatest asset, its members, but also to the public. If elected treasurer, I will work to ensure the solvency of our Society: to provide scholarships and grants to support our future members, provide opportunities for our members to be involved with the budgetary process, and assist in identifying opportunities to strengthen our engagement with our members and the community.

Board of Directors statements:

We will post the statements from the candidates for the board of directors next week. There are six positions on the board (four U.S. directors, one non-U.S. director, and one student director) up for a vote this year. Ballots will be sent via email on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and must be submitted by 1:00 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.