Nuclear Energy Forum

Natalia Saraeva serves as the Lead for Engagement at the Office of Nuclear Energy within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this role, she leads efforts to foster collaboration and public engagement around key nuclear energy initiatives. Previously, she led the Consent-Based Siting Team within the same office overseeing the planning and implementation of strategies for siting federal consolidated storage facilities for the nation's spent nuclear fuel.

Before joining DOE, Natalia worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where she was detailed to DOE as a senior advisor. She also spent nearly a decade at Argonne National Laboratory, supporting a wide range of projects for DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Earlier in her career, Natalia served as a staffer for the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future and was a fellow with the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council, among other roles.

Natalia holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and an M.S. in Nuclear Security from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, as well as an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, and enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, and decompressing through yoga and Pilates.

Jan Trapani is the current Mayor of Bridgman, Michigan, a small community of 2,300 individuals, located in Southwest Michigan on Lake Michigan. We are home to the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Facility. She has served on the City Council for 4 years before she was appointed Mayor in 2024. 

Jan is a lifelong resident of Bridgman (except for a short residence in California), attended local schools, and has experienced the benefits of clean nuclear energy and economic growth. 

She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN) and has held all nursing positions from staff nurse to leadership, has achieved a Public Health Nurse Certificate in the State of California, and in years past, was a member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHG). She is currently employed at Corwell Health Lakeland in St. Joseph, MI. 

Jan has been married to her husband Vince for 39 years and is proud to call Bridgman her home.

 Gries currently President of the Indiana County Commissioners Association for the Southwest District, a role she assumed in 2023 prior Vice President of the for the Southwest District in 2022.  These positions reflect her peers’ confidence in her collaborative leadership and forward-thinking approach to county governance.

Gries is also a passionate entrepreneur and community connector. In 2018, she founded Business Networking Spencer County to strengthen local business relationships, and later that year launched Livewire Coworking, Jasper’s first co-working space. Her civic involvement includes serving on the boards of Spencer County CASA and the Spencer County Catalyst Group, both since 2018, and graduating from the Spencer County Leadership program in 2019.

 Driven by a commitment to economic development, Gries focuses on uniting local business leaders, expanding infrastructure, and preparing Spencer County for sustainable rural growth.

 She lives in Dale with her husband Jim, a grain farmer, and their three children—Jordan, Victoria, and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, horseback riding, and volunteering. Known for her deep roots in the community, Heather Gries continues to be a champion for progress, connection, and quality of life in Spencer County. 

Representative Ed Soliday was employed by United Airlines for over 35 years holding several positions from Pilot and Flight Manager to Vice President of Safety Quality Assurance and Security. Captain Soliday was also responsible for crisis management during 9/11 at United. While serving as a line pilot for United, he also served as President and Chief Executive of Kid’s Alive International, a group of international children's homes.

As an attack helicopter pilot in the United States Army, Representative Soliday earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart for his service.

During his career at United, he made multiple significant contributions to safety including the development of emergency response methodologies, and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Device development and Safety Management Systems. 

Soliday served on numerous aviation safety related advisory boards and commissions including the International Air Transportation Association Flight Safety Committee, the Executive Board of the Flight Safety Foundation, and the NASA Aviation Safety Program Executive Panel.

Among his awards are the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame, Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety, the Vanguard Trophy and the Laura Tabor Barbour International Air Safety Award, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Aviation Administration Distinguished Service Awards. In 2009, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, of which Captain Soliday was the founding co-chair, received the prestigious Collier Trophy for reducing the commercial aviation fatal accident rate by 83% in 10 years, which is the longest period without a commercial aviation fatality in the history of the industry.

After retiring from United Airlines, Representative Soliday was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2006 were he served as a chairman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee until 2011 where he then became chair of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, and committee member of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee and the Governor’s Security Council. 

While in the legislature he received the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Government Official of the year Trophy, the ACEC Gus Grissom trophy, The Indiana Constructors Trophy, The Telecommunications Association Award, and twice received both the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Outstanding Legislator Trophy and Farm Bureau Legislator of the Year. Soliday also received the Northwest Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council Service to Labor, The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters Voice of Labor, and several other legislator of the year awards. 

Representative Soliday has been married to his wife, Mary, since 1969. Ed and Mary have two grown children and two grandchildren. They grew up in and have been residents of Porter County for over 50 years. They attend Liberty Bible Church.

Steve Baker is president and chief operation officer of Indiana Michigan Power (I&M). His team is responsible for providing electric service to approximately 600,000 customers in Indiana and Michigan. Baker oversees I&M's distribution operations, safety, customer service, communications, finance, external affairs and regulatory functions.

Baker previously served as vice president, distribution operations for Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and was responsible for the safe and reliable operation of the electric distribution system for approximately 550,000 customers throughout Oklahoma.

Baker began his career as a distribution engineer in 1990 with West Texas Utilities in Abilene, Texas and held a variety of leadership positions at AEP Texas.

Baker received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University. He is a graduate of the Nuclear Reactor Technology Course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Executive Program-Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and the Texas A&M Management Development Program.

Community service and economic development within the I&M service territory are key focus areas for Baker. He serves as a member of the board of directors for the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Energy Association, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc, the Northeast Indiana Council of CEOs and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. Baker is also a member of the Texas Tech University Whitacre College of Engineering Dean's Council.

Matt MacVicar is Vice President of Government Relations at Rolls-Royce, where he leads federal government advocacy for the Company’s nuclear energy and civil aerospace divisions.

Prior to joining Rolls-Royce Government Relations in 2019, Matt held a series of roles spanning from defense aerospace research to mining—with stops in Australia, Canada, and Latin America.

Drawing on a background in international security and energy science, Matt previously served on the board of directors for the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Washington DC Branch where—as Head of Programs—he led global conversations on the intersection of technology and aerospace.

Matt is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Dr. Seungjin Kim is Capt. James F. McCarthy Jr. and Cheryl E. McCarthy Head and Professor of the School of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University. He is also the director of Purdue University Reactor One (PUR-1) and the Advanced Reactor Thermal-hydraulics Laboratory.  Dr. Kim earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University in 1999. He is recognized as an expert on reactor thermal-hydraulics, reactor safety, two-phase flow, reactor system analysis codes, and computational two-phase flow.  Dr. Kim is an American Nuclear Society (ANS) Fellow and has received Technical Achievement Award from ANS, Thermal Hydraulics Division. He served on the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee (NEAC) in the Office of Nuclear Energy of U.S. Department of Energy in 2018 and 2019.  He is the Chair and a founding member of OECD NEA’s Global Forum on Nuclear Education, Science, Technology, and Policy. At Purdue, Dr. Kim is serving as one of the principles-in-charge for Purdue-Duke Energy joint study to explore feasibility of using advanced nuclear technology for Purdue campus community’s long-term energy needs. He also led the consortium for ‘Study on SMR Technology and Its Impact for Indiana’ sponsored by the Indiana Office of Energy Development as the Principal Investigator.