Name: Nuclear Deterrence Summit 2025
Start: 2025-01-27T00:09:00-0500
End: 2025-01-30T17:00:00-0500
Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott

2025 Agenda

Monday, January 27th

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8:30 am — 1:00 pm

Pre-Conference Workshop Modernization: Delivering on the Strategic Deterrent

(Attend the Pre-Conference workshop for an additional $199 to your registration price – includes lunch in the Skyview Room).
*Pre-Conference Workshop is closed to Press.

View the Pre-Conference Agenda

Sponsored by:
2:00 pm — 2:15 pm

Welcome to the 2025 Summit!
2:15 pm — 3:00 pm

Opening Keynote: Building Relationships

This keynote will focus on the ongoing relationships and communications between NNSA headquarters, the field offices, and the M&O partners. This session will discuss current updates, expectations and progress for delivery schedules, performance metrics and milestones.

Teresa Robbins Acting Administrator National Nuclear Security Administration DJ Johnson Vice President Honeywell Federal Solutions Moderator
3:00 pm — 3:30 pm

Trail Mix & Mingle Networking Break

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3:30 pm — 4:15 pm

Furthering the AUKUS Partnership and the Path Forward

This session will address the maturing partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States under the AUKUS trilateral agreement, which enables cooperation essential to Australia’s capacity to safely build, operate and maintain a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability. The agreement serves as a critical platform for ensuring stability, fostering innovation, and bolstering shared defense capabilities. The session will explore recent developments and successes within the AUKUS framework, highlighting collaboration efforts in advanced technology sharing, infrastructure modernization, and nuclear-powered submarine capabilities.

Mike Costas Senior Vice President and General Manager Bechtel National Inc. Greg Meyer Senior Vice President, Operations Fluor Corporation Michael Lempke President, Global Security HII Mission Technologies Moderator
4:15 pm — 5:15 pm

Navigating Future Challenges in Nuclear Weapons Development: Strategic Solutions from NNSA Lab Directors

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, geopolitical shifts, and evolving security threats, NNSA lab directors face unprecedented challenges in the development, maintenance, and modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Join the directors of Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories to explore the future landscape of nuclear weapons development, focusing on strategic solutions to emerging challenges.

Discussions will cover the integration of cutting-edge technologies, maintaining safety and security in a rapidly changing environment, workforce development, and the role of international collaboration. Attendees will gain insights into navigating the complexities of nuclear deterrence, ensuring national security, and sustaining innovation in the face of budgetary and political constraints and what comes next.

Kimberly Budil, PhD Director Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Thomas Mason, PhD Director Los Alamos National Laboratory James Peery, PhD Laboratories Director Sandia National Laboratories John Longenecker Chief Executive Officer Longenecker & Associates Moderator
5:15 pm — 6:45 pm

Aloha Nights Welcome Reception

Join us for the Aloha Nights Welcome Reception. Immerse yourself in a vibrant Hawaiian atmosphere as you savor delicious themed food and beverages while networking with fellow attendees and speakers.

Capture the moment at our digital photo station, featuring a variety of themed backdrops that perfectly embody the Aloha spirit. After snapping your photos, easily text or email them directly to yourself, creating lasting memories of the evening.

Enjoy the lively sounds of a live band, setting the perfect backdrop for great conversation and connection. Don’t miss this opportunity to kick off the conference with delightful food, fun photos, and fantastic entertainment. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Tuesday, January 28th

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7:30 am — 8:30 am

Networking Breakfast

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8:30 am — 9:15 am

Morning Keynote: Updates from NNSA Leadership

This session will discuss the latest priorities for the NNSA Leadership including, workforce recruitment and retention, ongoing challenges in infrastructure while building for future needs and requirements, monitoring pit production in accordance with DoD needs including the changing security landscape and maximizing NNSA capabilities for other challenges.

James McConnell Associate Principal Deputy Administrator National Nuclear Security Administration Cheryl Cabbil Senior Vice President, Environment & Defense Division, Energy & Environment Amentum Moderator
9:15 am — 10:00 am

Pit Production Current Updates and Future Projections

In this panel, our speakers will provide information related to the Pit Production Mission. NNSA Headquarters will provide a program overview, highlights of this mission from 2024, and then successful initiatives that are enabling the Pit Mission execution including the highlights for the two site solution. We will hear from representatives at Los Alamos National Lab and the Savannah River Site who will provide program information from their respective Pit Missions.

Audrey Beldio Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Production Modernization & Materials Management National Nuclear Security Administration David Dooley Associate Laboratory Director Weapons Production Los Alamos National Laboratory Michael Mikolanis Manager NNSA Savannah River Field Office Tony Wampler Senior Business Development Director Merrick & Company Moderator
10:00 am — 10:30 am

Popcorn Social Networking Break

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10:30 am — 11:45 am

Perspectives from NNSA Site Operations

Gain insights into the operational challenges and strategic initiatives at the (NNSA) sites. This session will feature key leaders from various NNSA facilities who will share their perspectives on managing site operations, maintaining safety standards, and advancing mission-critical objectives. Attendees will hear about the latest developments in site management, collaboration across facilities, and the innovative approaches being employed to ensure national security and technological advancement and guidelines to assist sites to move into the next phase.

Kelly Beierschmitt President and General Manager PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC Dennis Carr President and Chief Executive Officer Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC Roger Rocha President Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (NNSS) Richard Tighe, PhD President and Chief Executive Officer Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC Eric Wollerman President Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies Christine Gelles Chief Operating Officer Longenecker & Associates Moderator
11:45 am — 12:30 pm

National Security Implications of the Front End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

A thriving domestic nuclear fuel cycle is critical for civilian nuclear energy, but also has important implications for national security. This panel will discuss strategies for revitalizing America’s nuclear fuel supply chain — from mining to conversion to enrichment – to meet unobligated national security needs as well as civilian requirements.

Malcolm Critchley President and Chief Executive Officer ConverDyn Scott Melbye President, Uranium Producers of America & Executive Vice President Uranium Energy Corporation Amir Vexler President & Chief Executive Officer Centrus Energy Thomas D’Agostino Group President, Mission Solutions Fluor Corporation Moderator
12:30 pm — 1:45 pm

NNSS 75th Anniversary Networking Luncheon

Honeywell cordially invites you to a special celebration luncheon honoring the remarkable achievements and contributions of the Nevada National Security Sites over the past 75 years. Join us for an afternoon of recognition and celebration, beginning with a delicious lunch, followed by a champagne toast and inspiring remarks from MSTS President Roger Rocha. We look forward to celebrating this milestone together, with more exciting moments to come.

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1:45 pm — 2:45 pm

Beyond Boundaries: Integrating Federal, Corporate, and Community Partnerships for Comprehensive Nuclear Deterrence and Resilience

This session explores innovative approaches to strengthening nuclear deterrence by engaging not just federal entities but also corporate partners, small businesses, and local communities. By fostering inclusivity and expanding the scope of deterrence strategies, this discussion will aim to build a resilient and holistic defense ecosystem. Panelists will discuss leveraging public-private partnerships to enhance critical infrastructure protection against nuclear threats, the role of small businesses in supply chain security and emerging technologies, collaborative frameworks for multi-sector preparedness and response and lessons learned from cybersecurity and counterterrorism to mitigate cascading risks in nuclear deterrence.

Martie Larson, CPC, ELI-MP, CLDS, PMP Founder and President Genuine Success, LLC Vayl Oxford Strategic Advisor and Director for Global Security Strategy Savannah River National Laboratory Ambrosia Patterson Change and Transformation Lead Senior Manager Accenture Federal Services Kyle Kilroy, PhD, PE, C Eng. Senior Director, Operations Management Solutions, LLC Moderator
2:45 pm — 3:45 pm

Infrastructure Initiatives and the Path Forward

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) infrastructure modernization initiative is a decades-long effort to modernize and expand the facilities and infrastructure needed to produce nuclear weapons. The initiative uses data-driven and risk informed decision making tools to ensure efficiency and repeatable results for construction projects, repurposing, upgrading current capabilities including, uranium enrichment, plutonium pit production, lithium processing, and tritium processing, are reliable for the future nuclear stockpile.

Daryl Hauck, PhD Manager, Sandia National Laboratories Field Office National Nuclear Security Administration Mary Helen Hitson Manager NNSA Y-12 Field Office Nicole Nelson-Jean Associate Administrator, Office of Infrastructure National Nuclear Security Administration Darnell Wagstaffe Senior Vice President and Sector Manager, Infrastructure Solutions Parsons Moderator
3:45 pm — 4:15 pm

Sugar Rush Networking Break

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4:15 pm — 5:00 pm

Digital Engineering Implementation in Nuclear Weapons Delivery

Digital engineering will help the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) meet the crucial operational needs of nuclear deterrence, as well as other mission areas that deliver critical systems to the nation. At last year’s event, NNSA stated that digital engineering was a top priority and since then, it established a Digital Transformation Steering Group to address both challenges and solutions for the implementation. Digital engineering can be applied to many capabilities that facilitate increased collaboration while reducing the time required to execute programs, by shifting away from traditional and cumbersome paper-based documentation. This panel will discuss the capability that is in the process of establishing for the NSE, and how it will benefit our enterprise.

James Wolff Associate Administrator for Information Management and Chief Information Officer National Nuclear Security Administration Angela Sheffield Director, Digital and Artificial Intelligence Portfolio Air Force & DoD Commands Business Group SAIC Moderator
5:00 pm — 6:00 pm

Workforce Development Challenges, Successes and Future Plans

Staffing shortages and mismatches of skills with work requirements pose risks to production goals, cleanup initiatives, and national security implications. NNSA and its contractors have developed a workforce planning processes and tools to accurately predict the mix of skills and quantity of personnel needed to deliver the NNSA mission today and tomorrow. This panel discusses techniques for projecting multi-year workforce needs in a complex environment, including identifying the skills and qualifications projected to be in the highest demand and recruiting, training, and retaining personnel to meet that demand.

Sean Alford, PhD Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC Carl Beard, PhD Production Operations Director PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC Frank Gibbs, PhD Senior Nuclear Advisor, TechSource & Adjunct Professor The University of Texas at El Paso Keith Wing Strategic Advisor Management Solutions, LLC Moderator
6:00 pm — 7:30 pm

Tacos & Tequila Fiesta Reception

Join us for a vibrant evening at the Tacos & Tequila Fiesta, a special networking reception designed to bring attendees together in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Sponsored by Fluor, this lively event invites you to indulge in a delicious taco station and savor our specialty margaritas and refreshing mocktails as you mingle with industry peers and leaders, all while enjoying the lively music that sets the perfect backdrop for conversation and connection. The reception will take place in the exhibit hall, providing the ideal setting for making meaningful connections amidst the flavors of Mexico.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy great food, delightful drinks, and engage in inspiring discussions. Whether you’re looking to unwind after a day of sessions or to spark new collaborations, the Tacos & Tequila Fiesta Reception promises to be an unforgettable highlight of the event!

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Wednesday, January 29th

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7:30 am — 8:30 am

Networking Breakfast

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8:30 am — 9:30 am

Morning Keynote: Managing Global Risk

Do our current risk management processes really support fully informed decision making at all levels, from strategic down to technical risk? This session will first explore how our definitions of risk and our tools do or do not support effectively analyzing, integrating, and managing risks to achieve our objectives. Then, the discussion will shift to the decision makers, focusing on the challenges they face and how they can best use knowledge of risk to navigate the path to success.

Todd Ailes Project Manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent - Destruction Pilot Plant Bechtel National Inc. Vice Admiral Terry Benedict (USN Retired), President Systems Planning & Analysis
9:30 am — 10:30 am

Weapons Directors Update

Join our national laboratory weapons program directors to discuss a non-classified overview of current weapons programs, the challenges of design and maintenance projects dealing with system alterations, life-extension, stewardship, the impact and consequences of recapitalization, schedule compression due to mission expansion, and initiatives for improved mission delivery.

Dave Hoagland Executive Principal Deputy Administrator Defense Programs National Nuclear Security Administration Laura McGill Laboratories Director Sandia National Laboratories Bradley Wallin, PhD Deputy Director Strategic Deterrence Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Robert Webster, PhD Deputy Director, Weapons Los Alamos National Laboratory Brian D’Andrea Chairman and Chief Executive Officer TechSource, Inc. Moderator
10:30 am — 11:00 am

Cookies & Conversations Networking Break

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11:00 am — 11:00 am

Conference Ends