Fuller calls himself “lucky” in the circumstances leading to his employment with Entergy, then known as Mississippi Power and Light. As a mechanical engineering graduate from Mississippi State University, he was first employed at a can labeling machine factory until one day he decided to walk in to Mississippi Power & Light—still wearing his construction clothes—to complete an application.����

“I told them I was a mechanical engineer, and they told me to wait a minute. And then all of a sudden, they said, ‘The director of human resources wants to see you.’ So, I went in there and he said, ‘We just had a job opening come up in the simulator a week ago, and they’re looking for a mechanical engineer.’ And I had just walked off the street! He said, ‘Can you do an interview today?’”��

“So, I made arrangements to miss work that afternoon. I went home to get a suit and went out to the site, and I interviewed with Mike Shelley and John Throckmorton. Oh, my goodness. I didn’t think I was going to get a job that quick. That was October 22, 1984.”��

Looking back over his first six years in the simulator, Fuller recalls how he built mathematical models on a mainframe computer. “We had to have three or four big, bulky mainframe computers,” he said. “The biggest drive on the mainframe was an 80-megabyte disk drive, and all the simulations ran on big, bulky 12-inch disc plates. It was so big, you had to pick it up with a big handle to tote it around.”��

“I’d go get a reel-to-reel tape, transfer the calculations over to the simulator computer, then build a model. And it didn’t take like a minute or two; it took 30 minutes to run the model. And that was for just one model!”��

“Of course, the hardware has changed significantly, and they’re making new advances every day in the hardware realm of input/outputs,” he continued.��

“Now, PCs can run the simulator—I’m sorry, PCs��do��run the simulator!” Fuller said. “In fact, I can run it all from my PC at my desk. Now, you can put a thumb drive in your pocket and put the whole model, the whole simulator, in your pocket and walk around with it.”��

The newest technological advances in the simulator are a boon to students who grew up using gaming and cellphone touchscreens. “Now, they train the students on glass-panel touchscreens that mimic a plant panel or indication,” Fuller said. “You can get the students more familiar with the panels in the field instead of having to tell them about it in the classroom. You can actually let them play with it and do human/machine interface with it.”��

For all the advances in computer hardware, however, Fuller is quick to point out that “the simulator does not produce senior reactor operators. It’s the��attitude��of the students and the instructors about how they’re going to go about getting their SRO license.”��

“It’s like me and this PhD I was bound and determined to get,” he explained. “I finally got a PhD in mechanical engineering, same as my master’s and my undergraduate degree. It took me 20 years to do it, but I got there.”��

After six years in the training simulator, Fuller transferred to design mechanical engineering and supported several departments over the course of many scheduled maintenance outages over four decades. “I’m good at analysis and mathematical modeling; that’s my forté,” he said.����

Over the years, Fuller has noted several changes in the workforce, particularly among his engineering peers. “In the early days, when I was given a technical problem, I would usually try and solve it myself using BASIC and FORTRAN. Now, the tendency is to go to a vendor to get them to give you some kind of answer.”��

Fuller has also noticed the tendency of younger workers to change jobs several times over the course of their career. “When I was hired, when you got a job, you got a retirement; you were going to be with the company forever. You might transfer around, but you weren’t going anywhere. And that’s still my attitude.”��

Fuller returned to training in 2024, at the request of leaders who valued his broad perspective and expertise. Seeing the opportunity to expand his diverse skill base even more, he seized the opportunity to return full circle to the simulator.��

“I’ve been lucky in being able to go from material science to thermal hydraulics to electrical print reading and nuclear engineering,” he said. “I’m building radiation models now.”��

Four decades have offered Fuller an expansive perspective on company changes and their short-term and long-term effects.��

“I’ve noticed that we seem to recognize individuals more these days,” he said. “And I think it does affect people’s attitude. Our site has gotten much better in being responsive to the needs of the plant. They’ve been on the ball, getting it solved and getting it done.”��

Forty years and three degrees have also afforded Fuller the right to offer tips for success.��

“Regardless of discipline, I’d tell any new person at the plant to pay attention to detail, because life is hard and if you do something dumb, life just gets harder. A person has to know their limitations and when to reach out for help.”��

“Also, new employees need to develop an attitude about how they’re going to approach their job. Me, I always believe I’m going to do the best I can and make a useful product for the plant or the operator or the engineer to use.”��

When asked about his philosophy of work, Fuller said, “Let me give you the Mr. Spock philosophy from Star Trek: The good of the many outweighs the good of the one. I believe that’s still true today.”��

And looking back over the good that he’s been able to do over the years, Fuller says he considers it “a stroke of luck” that he walked off the street into the electric building and submitted his job application.��

“I could hardly believe it when they said, ‘We have a job for you in the simulator,’ he recalled. “And goodness, they wanted me to build mathematical models. They were then, and they still are, my forté.��

“I grew up at Grand Gulf,” said Rogers. “I remember when I first applied for the job. I was so terrified. It was my first real grown-up job. I can remember shaking during my interview.”��

Rogers’��operations class was the first group hired in six years after the plant start up. He said there was a surplus of operators left over from when Mississippi Power and Light Company, now Entergy, decided to stop construction on Grand Gulf after the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident in Pennsylvania in 1979.��

“It was so eerie when construction stopped,” he said. “It was almost like a ghost town. Tools were left in place. It was just like it was waiting for the workers to return.”��

Rogers grew up in nearby Vicksburg, so Grand Gulf has always been home to him. His mother was one of the first female Instrument and Control technicians hired back in 1985 when the plant went into commercial operation. Rogers remembers finishing his degree in electronics and his mother encouraging him to apply for the operations job. It was a decision he said he has never regretted.��

“This place has been my home for so long,” said Rogers. “I worked eight–hour shifts back then for six days straight. I spent more time with my coworkers than my family, so they became my family. I’ve always had a great relationship with former and current employees.”��

Rogers has held various positions in operations, maintenance and training during his tenure at Grand Gulf. He has used all that knowledge from over the years to help build the proficiency of current operators going through license classes.��

“Over the last 40 years, we have taken all that operating experience and built it into procedures,” he said. “I tell my operators now, ‘just follow the procedure.’ I take a lot of pride in making operators better and feeling confident that when they are out in the plant, they have the skills and ability to run it efficiently.”��

Rogers said he plans to retire in 2026, but he will always be proud of the friends he has made along the way.��

“Grand Gulf has been a pillar in the local community,” Coleman said. “It’s been an honor to grow up here and develop my career.”��

The chemistry department is responsible for protecting the nuclear reactor. As part of his new job, Coleman provides oversight to the group and makes sure everything is managed properly. He is also excited to develop his technicians and grow their proficiency.��

 “I was developed as a young technician. It afforded me the opportunity to become the chemistry superintendent today,” he said. “I want to be able to pass that knowledge and opportunity down and really teach my technicians we can be part of the solution we want to see.”��

 As Grand Gulf approaches its 40th anniversary, Coleman said he was excited to see that the same nuclear plant that gave him his start is still around and running strong to give those same opportunities to the next generation of nuclear workers in the local community.��

 He also mentioned that as a fun fact, he is a proud Dallas Cowboys fan.��

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station employees recently donated roughly 300 pounds of food to the Triumph Food Pantry. Each month, the food bank provides meals to more than 350 families in the communities surrounding Vicksburg, Miss.

“My wife and I try and find a worthy cause to donate to every year,” said Anthony Farrell, project manager at Grand Gulf.

Farrell helped collect food and money for the food pantry and helped unload 15,000 pounds of food to distribute to local families.

“They are always looking for volunteers,” said Farrell. “It was such a humbling experience for me to be able to help families in need. There are so many families out there that really depend on these food donations.”

This year, Grand Gulf is celebrating 40 years of making clean, carbon-free electricity for its customers and communities. Volunteering in the community is just another way Entergy employees can give back.

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And yet, the season also gives us time to pause, to reflect on 12 months of achievements and challenges, and to plan for fresh beginnings in the spanking-new year.

As we reminisce about the highlights of��’24, it’s only fitting that we spotlight some of the best and brightest moments for Entergy’s nuclear fleet.

Let’s flip some calendar pages and name a few….

In��March, Entergy Nuclear engineered��some exciting changes��in Port Gibson, Miss.! An all-woman group of managers led Grand Gulf Nuclear Station’s engineering team—an important first! Valerie Myers is plant support manager, Tori Robinson led the design projects team and Grace Settoon managed strategic and systems engineering. Since then, in recognition of their excellent work, Robinson accepted a position as design projects manager at the corporate office in Jackson, and Settoon was selected by site leadership to serve as a consultant at the��, headquartered in Atlanta.

In��April, two-thirds of Arkansas fell inside the path of totality during the historic total eclipse, causing a very brief reduction in output at the solar energy stations. Yet, due to Entergy’s diverse energy portfolio—roughly����comes from nuclear—Entergy still kept the lights shining bright��for its customers!

In��June,����with����to����that promises some powerful benefits! The project could increase efficiencies, lower operational costs, prevent generation losses due to equipment failures and improve the predictability of plant operations. If proved successful, Entergy will employ the model at one of its stations and potentially expand to others.

In��September, while the winds of Hurricane Francine howled, thanks to the diligent preparation, strong teamwork and safety-first mindset of Entergy’s nuclear professionals,��their plants stayed on the grid, producing round-the-clock power for its customers. Entergy’s communities are grateful for the strength and resilience not only of nuclear power—but also of the entire team at Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Ark.; Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Miss.; River Bend Station in St. Francisville, La., and Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, La.

Later in��September,��, a consortium of leading North American utilities that advise on the development and commercialization of����fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor��. Entergy’s Chief Nuclear Officer Kimberly Cook-Nelson said of the alliance, “We believe advanced nuclear technologies will play an important role in decarbonizing the U.S. energy system, and we’re pleased to be in a position to help nurture the development of new resources like KP-FHR.”

In��October, Cook-Nelson was named among the 2024����in the Profiles in Diversity Journal® magazine, which recognizes influential women who are using their talents to improve their workplace and our world. In its third-quarter issue, the journal featured Cook-Nelson’s reflections of her 28 years in the nuclear industry and her advice to never shy away from a challenge, shun the phrase “you can’t” and always remember: It’s about the people.

Also in��October, The��Entergy Charitable Foundation��awarded a����to help the HBCU establish a Critical Power Grid Network Security Lab. As an expansion of the university’s cybersecurity education curriculum, the lab will serve a twofold purpose: to offer students the necessary skills and resources to learn about the industry and to help grow a workforce to meet the needs of nuclear, electric and natural gas companies. Entergy and JSU have partnered before to create the��, another program in the��.

Later that month, Entergy’s nuclear fleet celebrated international��! The company is proud that its five reactors in four locations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi can cleanly power small towns, big cities and everywhere in between.�� By harnessing��100% clean nuclear power, Entergy is helping to meet the growing demands of the nation’s carbon-free energy needs.

In��December, Entergy Nuclear topped off the year with the����of��, Unit 1! Now, the two nuclear units at ANO generate not only a steady stream of clean, carbon-free energy but also significant positive impact in the River Valley. The station employs more than 1,000 full-time nuclear professionals who care deeply about their community. And just for good measure, let’s celebrate the contributions made by Entergy’s��entire��nuclear fleet! In 2024, all four nuclear stations—Arkansas Nuclear One, Grand Gulf, River Bend Station in St. Francisville, La. and Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, La. — together with Entergy Nuclear headquarters in Jackson, Miss.,��awarded $155,805 in grants to benefit their surrounding communities.

Lowther and Pierson have formed close professional ties over the past 25 years. Originally, Lowther worked for Pierson at Pilgrim Nuclear Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which was formerly owned by Entergy, and now Pierson works for Lowther as the employee concerns specialist at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Vicksburg, Miss.��

“Moving halfway across the country, from Massachusetts to Jackson, and not having much family, you end up getting closer to your family at work than you do normally,” Lowther explained.  ��

On Nov. 15, that longstanding relationship was put to a test. Lowther, senior manager for employee concerns and nuclear safety culture, vividly recalls the events of that day. ��

“Around 11 o’clock, I got a text message from Rich, who is my direct report. I remember that the text was kind of a weird question. And also, in his text there was an upside-down question mark which, honestly, I’ve never even seen in a text message.” ��

Lowther answered his question and added, “Do you need help with anything? Call me if so.” ��

“I was outside the grocery store at that point,” she recalled. “I didn’t get a call from him, so I went into the store. That’s when I got another text a few minutes later, and it was all jumbled up. There were a few words that caught my eyes: experience, stoke and rhythm. And he said he needed his wife home now.” ��

That’s when Lowther’s questioning attitude came into play. “I realized something didn’t sound right there,” she said. “Especially that one word—it said��stoke.�Ũ�į�į��

Lowther called her team member on the spot, and when he answered the phone, he was clearly in distress. ��

“I told him I would call an ambulance, but he argued with me, saying his dogs were at home and his wife was out of town. I said, ‘I will come there and take care of your dogs. I’m hanging up now and calling an ambulance.’” ��

From prior visits, Lowther was able to recall his address and so she summoned an ambulance. “If he didn’t need it, he could turn him away,” she reasoned, “but I wasn’t going to take a chance.” ��

Lowther then informed Pierson’s wife of the event, went to his home to check on his dogs and then headed straight to the hospital to ensure Pierson had everything he needed.��

At the hospital, the doctors confirmed that Pierson had experienced not one but��two��strokes within a five-minute span, and that the cause of the strokes was an undetected underlying condition. ��

Fortunately, after the second stroke, Pierson still had that first text open, and that’s how he was able to text the second time—by swiping his thumb around the keypad and hoping his boss could understand the garbled text. And she did as soon as she read that one word:��stoke. ��

Reflecting on Lowther’s presence of mind, Nuclear Independent Oversight Director��Greg Hudnall��said, “I am convinced that her keen awareness and quick actions changed the outcome for one of our co-workers. This situation serves as a reminder for why it is so important to connect with each other and pay attention to off-normal behaviors.” ��

Lowther later recalled how she was able to act so quickly. “I already had all of my employees’ and spouses’ phone numbers in my phone,” she said. Additionally, she pointed out that it’s important to generally know the whereabouts of her team members. “For example, Rich works a different schedule than I work,” she explained, “so I knew when he texted that he was at home and that was where I needed to send the ambulance.” ��

Hudnall agreed, saying, “Leaders should know emergency contacts and addresses for their team members without having to log in to locate the information. I think that’s something a lot of us might not be prepared for if something similar happened to one of our own. Kristie’s quick actions probably saved this person’s life. I am very proud of Kristie.” ��

Tell us about your journey to Entergy.

I was hired in commercial nuclear as an electrical maintenance instructor, and then became the maintenance and technical training superintendent. For a few years I was a loanee to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations as a training evaluator. I was given the opportunity to come south to Entergy, and I’ve been at headquarters for 12 or 13 years now, in the same position. That’s kind of unique.

How does your group perform governance and oversight for the nuclear fleet?��

At the basic level, we do document reviews of site materials and perform onsite observations to ensure we’re implementing training programs in accordance with the approved procedures and industry standards.

That means we coach, provide feedback and teach newer instructors alternative or better ways to do what they’re doing in the classroom, which is presenting materials so that trainees can attain the knowledge and skills that are needed.

In what ways is your team engaged with Entergy’s goals?��

First of all, I like training because it’s a living process. It doesn’t happen overnight. But some of these things take a long time to do, because you’re doing a lot of work up front. So, we’re implementing some programs to streamline the process for analyzing, designing and developing training.

What else are you doing to standardize business across the fleet or to better align with the industry?��

We revised our systematic approach to training procedure to streamline the process and compare apples to apples when communicating with the rest of the industry.

We’re also working to standardize the training programs for maintenance, radiation protection and engineering to make them common across the fleet. So, for example, training a journeyman electrician at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Vicksburg, Miss. will be the same at Riverbend Station in St. Francisville, La., the same at Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, La. and the same at Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Ark. That’s based on industry standards.

We’re also working on standardizing chemistry programs, which will be an industry first when we accomplish it.

Why are you proud to work for Entergy?

With the changes we’re making, we’ve been empowered to figure out things like: What are the timelines and the best ways to approach the implementation? What actions need to be taken in the interim? What’s the gap training going to look like? What does the change management look like to go from where we currently are to where we want to be? There are a whole lot of smaller pieces under the big picture that we work on individually or as a team to figure out the right way to do it.

What’s life like outside of work?��

I like to pretend that I can golf. And then last year, we bought 10 acres that hadn’t been well maintained and a house that needed some tender loving care. So, we’re in the process now of working on the house and cleaning up the property and making it ready to be my retirement home. We’re staying south because I don’t like the cold anymore.

How about a fun fact about you that people might not know?

I have seen all 50 states. My mom and dad loved to travel, and his goal was to see all 50 states. The last one I saw was Hawaii when I was in the Navy.

What’s your next bucket list trip?

My wife’s bucket list trip is to go to Hawaii, and I’ve never been to any of the European countries, so seeing the true touristy things there would be on my list. That’ll all come once I’m living on my land in retirement. That’s exactly how it’s all supposed to work out.

Scott was elected to the GGNS chapter’s board this year as president and has taken her role seriously. At the 2024 U.S. WIN conference, Scott was interviewed for an “I am a nuclear professional” social media campaign and represented Entergy with��passion. This year, Entergy was presented with the Chapter Excellence Overall Large Chapter award and was also named Most Reactive Chapter for Entergy’s advocacy for Nuclear Science Week.

Scott is continuing to drive the excellence of the GGNS WIN chapter by inspiring advocacy and public support for the advancement of nuclear energy and technology in the community and schools. In October, the GGNS WIN chapter hosted approximately 300 students over the course of Nuclear Science Week. Scott also spearheaded a professional development session in which the GGNS chapter hosted a panel discussion with Grand Gulf female managers.

Scott does all this for the site’s WIN chapter while supporting the CDO and site engineering with high quality. Co-workers say she is a joy to work with and fosters creative ideas in the engineering department. She is a valued member of the engineering team.

This week we celebrate achievements across the nuclear energy industry and at Entergy, as we recognize the vital role nuclear professionals play in powering our communities with clean, carbon-free electricity. This is only achieved because of their relentless focus on operating our plants safely, securely and reliably.����

Our customers count on us to keep the lights on, and we do so with clean, reliable energy, 24/7, 365. Our Entergy fleet of five nuclear reactors at four sites in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana prevents nearly 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in the environment each year. That is about the same as taking nearly five million passenger vehicles off the road.��

This is an exciting time to be working in nuclear. As the Nuclear ���ϳԹ��� Institute reported last year about the , from 2016 to 2020, support held steady at 45% and then jumped to nearly 60% this year. People are seeing the value of nuclear as a clean, reliable energy source, as well as a powerful economic force—driving opportunities in business, employment and volunteerism.������

In celebration of Nuclear Science Week, Entergy’s fleetwide chapters of Women in Nuclear and North American Young Generation in Nuclear will be expanding outreach, educating our customers and other stakeholders about the benefits of nuclear energy.

Engage with Entergy Nuclear on , and Entergy on or to learn more about our industry, our commitment to our customers and communities, and rewarding in this exciting and growing field.

Among his many tasks, Samples prepares all the food in the training building, serves it, runs the cash register and cleans up afterward. To make it more impressive, he does it all by himself with only the occasional helper. His customers are delighted that he always serves them with a smile and is willing to step up and help anyone who asks—even when he is really busy.��

“I am in the people business. I love taking care of people,” Samples said. That includes taking all the leftover food and giving it to people in need within the community.��

That is because, as he said, “I don’t like seeing food go to waste, and I want to help people who need it.”��

Around the GGNS site, Samples is also known as a cat whisperer for having rescued several cats onsite and helping them find homes.