Speakers

Meghan Millwood is president and chief executive officer of ORAU.

She provides comprehensive oversight, strategic direction, and leadership for ORAU and its diverse set of scientific and technical solutions that are helping advance national priorities in science, health, and workforce solutions.

Millwood works closely with government agencies and ORAU’s 170+ member university consortium to secure new programs and partnerships to further enhance ORAU’s national and international reputation. Millwood oversees ORAU’s flagship contract, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which ORAU manages for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Millwood’s background includes more than 24 years of human resources experience with the past 20 of those at ORAU. Prior to assuming her current role in 2025, she served as chief human resources officer. She also previously served as director of compensation and benefits, operations manager, as well as other roles to include positions in talent management and a generalist function.

Prior to joining ORAU, Millwood worked in human resources at Polo Ralph Lauren for four years. Millwood received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Campbell University. She has a Senior Professional Human Resources certification.

Michelle Scott, acting deputy assistant secretary for strategic crosscuts at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, has over 30 years of experience in the Department. In her current role, Scott is responsible for programmatic and externally directed research and development toward crosscutting technologies that support and enable the new and advanced reactor, fuel cycle, and spent fuel management technologies that advance the state of nuclear energy innovation, improve its competitiveness, and promote continued contribution to meeting the Nation’s deployment objectives.

Upon completion of her overseas assignment and returning to the Office of Nuclear Energy, Scott served as a senior advisor in the International Office. She focused on industry engagements regarding market priorities and multilateral presence and lead on critical multilateral initiatives.

Scott previously served as a senior advisor to the principal deputy assistant secretary in the immediate office of the assistant secretary of nuclear energy and led the interagency civil nuclear working group “Team USA” to support U.S. companies compete in the global nuclear market and develop and address policy to support the U.S. nuclear infrastructure. Scott has served in several management positions in the International Nuclear Energy Policy office. Her responsibilities included the advancement of the office’s international cooperation mission by identifying crosscutting opportunities between the U.S. nuclear industry. 

Brooks Young is the executive director of TNWorks, the State of Tennessee’s single source for workforce and a central component of its economic development strategy. In this role, he leads a coordinated, statewide effort to connect business and industry with customized, data-driven workforce solutions; helping companies expand, compete, and succeed in a rapidly changing economy.

TNWorks brings together multiple state agencies and partners into a unified system designed to simplify how employers access talent, training, and workforce resources. Under Brooks’s leadership, the initiative focuses on aligning education, workforce, and economic development strategies to meet real-time industry needs and strengthen Tennessee’s competitive advantage.

Brooks brings over a decade of experience in workforce, education, and economic development, with a background in public-sector strategy and operations. Previously, Brooks served in the Office of Strategy at the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, where he led enterprise-level initiatives, managed large-scale funding portfolios, and worked across agencies and industries to improve how workforce systems deliver results for employers and communities.

Known for his ability to translate complex systems into practical strategies, Brooks has led efforts that improve coordination across institutions, expand training capacity in high-demand sectors, and strengthen the connection between talent pipelines and business demand. 

Charlie Woody joined the Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local Union #46 in 1990. Charlie is a third generation insulator and very proud that his grandfather was one of six charter members of Local #46. 

Charlie worked at Sequoyah and Watts Bar Nuclear Plants, Kingston and Bull Run Fossil plants, Y-12, K-25 and X-10 on the Oak Ridge reservation and several commercial jobs in and around the Chattanooga area during and after his four-year apprenticeship with Local 46.

In 2003, he was asked to serve as the job steward at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. He was elected to the Local 46 Executive Board shortly thereafter and then on to Vice President. In 2010, he was elected business manager, to which he is currently serving in his sixth term. In 2014, Charlie was elected president by the Knoxville Building & Construction Trades Council and is currently serving his fourth term.

Charlie enjoys representing the Insulators Local 46 and members of the Knoxville Building Trades Council and understands that building long-lasting relationships with contractors benefits us all.

Ashley Stowe, Ph.D., serves as ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer. In this role, he enhances ORAU’s scientific research opportunities and expands partnerships with universities, national laboratories and private industry. Under his direction, the Research and University Partnerships office provides awards to ORAU member universities, identifies and promotes funding opportunities by facilitating inter-institutional relationships, and leverages relationships with other organizations to support increased funding for scientific research and education.

Stowe previously served as the director of Y-12’s Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center, and has a distinguished 18-year career at the Y-12 Nuclear Security Complex, including serving as the university partnerships program manager, technology transfer lead, CNS engineering internships program manager, fellows program manager, and director of Y-12’s Nuclear Forensics and Detection Division.

Stowe also serves as an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University, is an adjunct lecturer at the College of Business at the University of Tennessee, and is an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UT.

Jamie Choate is the director of workforce strategy & enablement at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). In this strategic leadership role, Choate drives enterprise‑wide workforce planning, capability development, and labor forecasting and modeling to ensure TVA has the skilled and adaptable talent required to power the region’s energy future.

Choate leads efforts to strengthen workforce agility by aligning strategic talent initiatives, expanding partnerships, developing robust pathways and pipelines, and equipping both current and future employees with critical skills. Her work integrates predictive analytics, strategic planning, and cross‑functional collaboration to position TVA for long-term success in a rapidly evolving industry.

With more than two decades of experience at TVA, Jamie has advanced through multiple leadership roles after beginning her career as an apprentice. Her background in the energy sector, combined with her strengths in organizational leadership, financial management, training strategy, and change management, has established her as a trusted leader focused on innovation and the future of work.

A fair day's pay for a fair day's work, there's not a better slogan to work under. Chris O'Keefe is the business manager for Iron Workers Local 384. In 2010, he became aware of Union apprenticeship programs and jumped to the opportunity of joining. From the apprenticeship on, O'Keefe has traveled the nation as a union ironworker, working on skyscrapers to bridges and TVA power plants to Oak Ridge laboratories.

In 2017, he was hired on at the hall as the local organizer and has won three business manager elections since 2020. He currently works with Iron Workers and Contractors building East Tennessee families with good wages and benefits. There’s joy knowing that we work for contractors that show care, not only from their words, but in their actions to keep our men and women safe while working in labor intensive conditions.

Jason Andrews began his professional career as a sheet metal apprentice. He rose to foreman, steward and general foreman on many projects. He served as Local Organizer for four years, then elected business agent for 12 more years. Jason attended college at The George Meany Center in Silver Springs, Maryland. He is the past president of the Tennessee State Building Trades and the past head trustee of the Knoxville Central Labor Council.

Patty Weaver, Ed.D., serves as the vice president for external affairs at Pellissippi State Community College, where she provides leadership for the college’s outreach and engagement strategies. In this role, she oversees workforce and community development, marketing and communications, event services, career development, and the Pellissippi State Foundation—the College’s philanthropic arm. Her work is instrumental in connecting the institution to its external partners and the broader community.

A native of Monroe County, Weaver brings over 27 years of experience in education, including eight years as a Marketing educator at the K-12 level and 20 years in higher education leadership. Her previous roles at a Tennessee Board of Regents institution include Director of Campuses, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development, where she directed a broad portfolio including workforce development, continuing education, work-based learning initiatives, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, the Advanced Technologies Institute, and operations of off-campus centers. 

She currently serves on several boards, including the Tellico Reservoir Development Agency, Blount Partnership, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, Fairview Technology Center, and Junior Achievement of the Ocoee Region and recently was selected to participate in Leadership Knoxville.

Lyn Potter, Ph.D., is the Department Head of Engineering Systems Technology and Director of Program Innovation and Partnerships at Chattanooga State Community College. She leads workforce initiatives supporting the energy and advanced manufacturing sectors, with a focus on building talent pipelines through dual enrollment, career and technical education programs, and apprenticeships. Her work centers on aligning education with industry needs by expanding capacity, strengthening instructor pipelines, and preparing students for high-demand, safety-critical careers.

Christian Fuller is a 15+ year member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 5. He currently serves as Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 5, Executive Vice President of the Tennessee State Building Trades, Financial Secretary-Treasurer for the Knoxville Building Trades, and Executive Vice President of the Nuclear Council for SMART. He has previously served as a Foreman and General Foreman over nuclear HVAC systems, Training Director, and Business Representative for the Sheet Metal Workers Local 5.

Chris Ayers is a 26-year TCAT veteran, who has worked for three different TCATs. For the last twelve years his role has been primarily academic as the Vice President of TCAT-Harriman before becoming the President of the College in March 2024. His academic role includes program development including many variations of industry training such as internships, cooperative agreements, and apprenticeships. Chris holds an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee Technological University. He also holds a graduate certificate from ETSU in community college leadership. He has served for over 22 years in different capacities for the Council on Occupational Education. He is Tennessee Trained (a special industry curriculum development program) through the Tennessee Board of Regents and a graduate of the TBR leadership program. Chris has also served on many different community boards and is an alum for three Tennessee county leadership programs and the East Tennessee Regional Leadership Program.

Holly Cross, Ed.D., is an educational leader with a strong background in curriculum, instruction, and Career and Technical Education (CTE). She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education from the University of Tennessee, as well as an Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Administration and Supervision and Doctor of Education (EdD) in Instructional Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.

Cross began her career in education as a classroom teacher at Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge Schools, Tennessee. Over the course of her career, she has served in a variety of leadership roles, including instructional technology coach, curriculum coordinator, communications supervisor, and CTE director. Her work has focused on advancing innovative instructional practices, strengthening career pathways, and expanding opportunities for students to achieve college and career success.

Shannon Rosedale serves as the senior policy and research coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. In this role, she supports the Department's current efforts, like the Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative, and researches new opportunities to further the Commissioner’s vision. Her background in social work, paired with a passion for learning, has helped her focus on the way evidence-based programs can transform the social safety net. Her work at the Department of Human Services lets her put this into practice. 

Previously, she worked with nonprofit organizations by providing them with public policy development, technical assistance, and project management. She joined the Department in 2023.

Dawn Carlock is director of economic and community development for the Roane Alliance.  As director, Carlock focuses on attracting new businesses and investments in the industrial, retail, and service sectors. Her “boots on the ground” approach involves substantial collaboration with industrial partners and local companies to support business retention and expansion efforts. Furthermore, she strives to develop relationships with regional economic developers to encourage a spirit of regionalism and shared success.

In her previous position as chamber coordinator for the Roane County Chamber of Commerce, Carlock excelled in managing the administrative aspects of the Chamber and played a pivotal role in enhancing community engagement through new, transformational events.  She spearheaded several new community events including the Roam’r Jeep Festival, Taste of the Holidays, and National Night Out, which have significantly contributed to the excitement and togetherness of the Roane County community.

Abby Gibbons is a Mobility Mentor at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in partnership with the East Tennessee Collaborative program. Originally from North Carolina, she moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2012 to attend Johnson University and graduated in 2016. She fell in love with East Tennessee and has lived here since! She has a background in Human Services and has worked with different community organizations doing case management, program implementation, and financial coaching. In her free time, you will find Abby playing any type of game, playing pickleball, going on lots of walks/ hikes, baking, and spending time with friends.

Through the East Tennessee Collaboration, she has had the opportunity to help parents move from just surviving to thriving. She looks forward to sharing some of the lessons learned along the way to best support parents as they make intentional career moves. 

Kristen Rawson is the manager of the Y-12 National Security Complex Operations Center. She leads 12 employees maintaining a 24/7 site operations.

Kristen joined the Y-12 family in June of 2022 as part of the Skillbridge program. She interned in information Security, Vulnerability Assessment, and emergency management. In December of 2022, she was hired as a readiness assurance specialist in emergency management. In May of 2024, Kristen became the manager of Readiness Assurance group and in November of 2025 she moved into the manager of the Operations Center position.

Prior to joining Y-12 Kristen spent 23 years of active-duty service in the United States Navy as a meteorologist and intelligence professional. She was stationed in several places foreign and domestic. She has completed three sea deployments and one land Middle East deployment. She retired in November of 2022 as a Chief Petty Officer.

Michelle Goodson currently serves as the director of the ORAU STEM Accelerator. In this role, Goodson advances key nuclear workforce development initiatives, such as the Partnerships for Nuclear Energy (PNE), a comprehensive research institute that consists of leading universities, community colleges and technical skill training organizations, industries producing nuclear reactors large and small, professional industry organizations, national research laboratories, and government agencies. 

Goodson is recognized as a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Arts in Human Resources from the University of Alabama and is pursuing a Doctor of Business at National University, focusing on Generation Z's retention in the nuclear industry.