Weber County
Powering Utah’s Energy Future: Opportunity & Community Dialogue in Weber County
Event Schedule
Explore the day’s presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
Facilitator: Shannon Kang, Envoy Public Labs
Facilitator: Chris Roybal, Northern Utah Economic Alliance
Convener: Stephanie Russell, Weber County
Meet the Experts
Learn more about the public, academic, and industry leaders joining the conversation.
Opening Remarks
Weber County Commissioner Chair
Gage Froerer is the Weber County Commissioner Chair. His professional experience includes being a real estate broker and a business owner in Weber County and serving as a state representative in the Utah House of Representatives from 2007–2018. Commissioner Froerer graduated from Weber High School, earned a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Utah State University and an MBA from the University of Utah. He has always lived in Weber County and enjoys the recreation opportunities available there, including golfing, skiing and horseback riding.
Public Information Officer, Utah Office of Energy Development
Heather Kelly McShane is the Public Information Officer for the Utah Office of Energy Development. She comes to the position after many years as a traffic and news reporter for KSL Radio, along with a couple of other careers. Heather’s double major in Aviation and Management, with a minor in Theater Arts, is wide-reaching and makes her well suited to learn the many moving parts of Utah’s energy landscape.
Director of Government Relations and Economic Development, Weber County
Stephanie S. Russell is the Director of Government Relations and Economic Development for Weber County, where she leads legislative strategy, economic development, infrastructure, and energy initiatives. Previously, she served in economic development and placemaking leadership roles in Georgia, advancing downtown revitalization, community development, public-private partnerships, and strategic planning. With more than 20 years of experience, Stephanie has secured millions in state and federal funding, led transformative infrastructure and clean energy projects, and developed public policy that supports long-term economic growth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology and a master’s in Public History and is recognized for building consensus and delivering projects that create lasting community impact.
Panel I
Facilitator · Envoy Public Labs
Shannon Kang is a Project Manager at Envoy Public Labs (EPL). She is managing the statewide Public Education and Community Outreach campaign for the Utah Office of Energy Development. Previously at EPL, she supported several Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy initiatives, conducting policy research and providing stakeholders nationwide with information on advanced nuclear technology. Shannon holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Purdue University, with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Public Policy.
Hi Tech Solutions and Fulcrum Point Holdings
Chris Hayter is a founder of Hi Tech Solutions and Fulcrum Point Holdings, where he is developing an integrated platform for advanced nuclear, geothermal, manufacturing, workforce development, and clean energy project delivery. Working with partners including Holtec International, Framatome, nuclear utilities, universities, and public agencies, he leads initiatives such as the Center for Energy Research and Training and supports Utah’s Operation Gigawatt. Under his leadership, HTS has achieved more than 30% annual growth and expanded internationally. Chris focuses on connecting industry, government, academia, skilled trades, and private capital to accelerate advanced energy deployment worldwide.
Founder and CEO, Cambrian Nuclear
Dr. Ethan Bates is Founder and CEO of Cambrian Nuclear, developer of Plinth, an AI-enabled platform that evaluates potential nuclear reactor sites in accordance with NRC regulations and community consent best practices. He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT and has more than a decade of experience with TerraPower, Oklo, and Deep Isolation in reactor safety, licensing, and geologic disposal. Cambrian helps communities and developers identify safe reactor sites faster and more cost-effectively. Its platform supports advanced reactor developers across the United States and delivered Greece’s first nuclear siting feasibility study.
Vice President of Project Development for the Americas, Westinghouse
John Battaglini is Vice President of Project Development for the Americas at Westinghouse, supporting the AP1000 advanced nuclear reactor, AP300 small modular reactor, and long-duration energy storage. He has more than 20 years of experience in nuclear energy, energy storage, and renewables, with leadership roles at GE, Lockheed Martin, and technology startups. His expertise spans global sales, product and project management, engineering, strategy, and business development. John previously spent 15 years in the semiconductor industry. He holds a BSEE from Drexel University, an MSEE from Clemson University, and an MBA from Villanova University.
Public Engagement Manager, GAIN
Michelle Zietlow-Miller is the Public Engagement Manager for GAIN, where she works with states and communities exploring nuclear energy by connecting them with resources, experts, and opportunities for informed discussion. She brings more than 19 years of experience in the nuclear industry, including leadership roles at Constellation Energy spanning engineering, operations, outage management, and maintenance. Most recently, she served as Director of Outage Projects for the Clinton Power Station. Michelle holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Government Affairs Director, UAMPS
Mike Squires is the Government Affairs Director for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), overseeing UAMPS’ state and federal government affairs strategy. He worked for the Lieutenant Governor of Utah and as a congressional staffer in Washington covering health care, energy, and environmental issues. Mike received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law with a graduate certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. While in law school, Mike clerked for the Utah Attorney General in the Environment and Health Division, where he worked on Clean Air Act litigation.
Keynote Speaker
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University
Dr. Matthew Memmott is an associate professor of chemical engineering at Brigham Young University. He holds a B.S. from BYU and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT. His research focuses on advanced reactor design, passive nuclear safety, system modeling, fuel utilization, economics, and grid adaptability. Before joining BYU, he served as a senior engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company, developing advanced reactor concepts and leading design work for the Westinghouse small modular reactor. His current research emphasizes molten salt microreactor technology, including fission-product and transuranic-bearing molten salts.
Panel II
Facilitator · President, Northern Utah Economic Alliance
Chris Roybal has more than 25 years of experience in executive management, consulting, and economic development. He is currently President of the Northern Utah Economic Alliance. Chris held senior management positions, including President and COO, in the freight management business with Northwest Research Corp. for more than 10 years as a logistics vendor and service provider to a Fortune 100 company. Prior to entering the transportation business, Chris was Governor Huntsman’s Chief Economic Advisor and the CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.
Assistant Professor and Energy Engineering Program Coordinator, Weber State University
Dr. An Ho is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Program Coordinator for Energy Engineering at Weber State University. He also serves as the Director of the Weber Industrial Assessment Center, a U.S. Department of Energy-funded program supporting industrial energy efficiency and workforce development. His research focuses on advanced energy systems, including nuclear hybrid energy systems and sustainable energy technologies. Dr. Ho is passionate about preparing the next generation of engineers and building partnerships that advance clean energy innovation and workforce development.
Vice President for Instructional Services, Ogden-Weber Technical College
Chad Burchell has served as Vice President for Instructional Services at Ogden-Weber Technical College since 2020. A Weber County native and Roy High School graduate, he earned a bachelor’s degree in professional sales from Weber State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Chad has more than 21 years of experience in higher education, spanning faculty, advising, enrollment, student services, and administration. His previous roles include Director of Enrollment and Business Program Advisor at the University of Phoenix’s Utah Campus, as well as Vice President for Student Services at Ogden-Weber Technical College.
Instructor of Energy Engineering, Weber State University
Ian Wilkinson earned his B.S. in Chemistry from The College of William & Mary. He then earned his M.Eng. in Nuclear Engineering from Colorado School of Mines, centering his research on computational neutronics and machine learning techniques as applied to multiple nuclear problems. Subsequently, he joined Xcel Energy to support the design of fuel loading patterns for the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Minnesota. He has additional experience in government and at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Ian joined the faculty of Weber State University as an Instructor of Energy Engineering in 2026.
University of Utah Nuclear Reactor Facility
Dr. Ted Goodell has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Utah and a senior reactor operator license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. His Ph.D. research included image analysis of uranium morphology to determine chemical processing routes used to produce the uranium. He also conducted research in cybersecurity for nuclear reactor control systems by building a digital twin of the University of Utah’s reactor. In his free time, he likes to hike and camp in Utah’s national parks and the Uinta Mountains.
Community Collaboration
Thank you to the organizations helping make this event possible.
