Resident Inspectors

Hanford

Padraic Fox

Padraic Fox has been a Resident Inspector at Hanford site since November 2014. After joining the Board’s technical staff in September 2009 and before becoming a Resident Inspector, he was responsible for evaluating safety system designs and startup readiness activities associated with DOE defense nuclear facility design and construction projects. His efforts were primarily focused on the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the Idaho National Laboratory, and both the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility Upgrade Project and the Transuranic Waste Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Prior to joining the Board’s staff, Mr. Fox spent 10 years working as a consulting engineer and project manager. He has 23 years of active duty service in the United States Navy, serving on nuclear powered surface ships and as an engineering duty officer.

Mr. Fox has a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.

Ben Caleca

Mr. Ben Caleca joined the Board’s technical staff in May 2010 and has served as a Resident Inspector at the Hanford site since November 2018. At headquarters, he conducted technical safety reviews involving a broad range of topics, including structural and earthquake engineering, the safety bases for defense nuclear facility design and construction projects, and the safety bases for multiple operating defense nuclear facilities. Mr. Caleca served as the staff lead for safety reviews at facilities such as the Plutonium Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the H-Canyon facility at the Savannah River Site, and most recently, the PUREX Storage Tunnels at the Hanford Site.

Mr. Caleca earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Perry Meyer

Dr. Perry Meyer joined the Board’s technical staff in November 2010 and has served as a Resident Inspector at the Hanford site since July 2021. At headquarters, he was responsible for conducting technical safety reviews of operating DOE defense nuclear facilities, evaluating safety system designs at DOE defense nuclear facility design and construction projects, and assessing the adequacy of DOE safety standards.

Prior to joining the Board’s staff, Dr. Meyer spent 18 years as a staff scientist in the Fluids and Computational Engineering Group at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA. Dr. Meyer holds Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington.

Nichole Huntington

Ms. Nichole Huntington joined the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board as Resident Inspector at the Hanford Site in 2022. Ms. Huntington joined the Board after working at Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) at the Hanford Site since 2017, where she held the roles of Waste Transfer Engineer and Cognizant System Engineer for the Double Shell Tank Waste Transfer System. Her assignment builds on prior federal experience from the Department of Defense (DOD) complex where she served as a Radioactive Waste Engineer for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Ms. Huntington further developed her background in nuclear safety serving as a Nuclear Safety Engineer for Bechtel National Inc., at the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford with a focus on the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification facility.

Ms. Huntington holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

David Gutowski

Mr. David Gutowski has been one of the Board’s Resident Inspectors at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico since January 2018. Mr. Gutowski joined the Board's technical staff in June 2003. Before being assigned to Los Alamos, he was the Board’s Resident Inspector at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Before these field positions, Mr. Gutowski served in a variety of positions at the Board’s headquarters in Washington, DC. His most recent headquarters position was as the Board's cognizant engineer for the Savannah River Site. He previously served as the Board’s cognizant engineer for the Y-12 National Security Complex and also has held responsibility for staff activities related to independent safety oversight of nuclear materials stabilization, high-level waste management, and chemical hazards. Mr. Gutowski has a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland.

Pantex

Savannah River Site

Zachary McCabe

Mr. McCabe joined the Board’s technical staff in June 2011. During tenure with the staff, he has conducted technical safety reviews in the areas of structural and seismic engineering, the safety bases for defense nuclear facilities, and work planning and control. Mr. McCabe has also conducted reviews of Critical Decision milestones of designs for new defense nuclear facilities and major modifications to existing facilities. Since November 2015, Mr. McCabe has been one of the DNFSB’s Resident Inspectors at the Savannah River Site. As a Resident Inspector, Mr. McCabe advises the Board on the overall safety conditions of defense nuclear facilities at Savannah River, and participates in technical reviews conducted by the Board and its staff related to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of defense nuclear facilities. He also acts as the Board’s liaison with DOE and contractor management at the Savannah River Site, state and local agencies, the public, and industry officials.

Mr. McCabe has a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Leigh Lin

Ms. Leigh Lin joined the Board’s technical staff in June 2012 and has served as a Resident Inspector at the Savannah River Site since September 2021. Prior to becoming a Resident Inspector, she served as the Board’s cognizant engineer for the Savannah River Field Office. She also previously served as the Board’s cognizant engineer for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. At headquarters, she conducted technical reviews of safety bases, new facility designs, and deactivation activities at DOE defense nuclear facilities, including at the Savannah River Site, Hanford Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Ms. Lin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Eric Richardson

Mr. Richardson joined the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as a Resident Inspector at the Savannah River Site in 2021. Prior to joining the board, Mr. Richardson worked at SRS with the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise since 2015 where he held the roles of Training Manager and H-Area New Manufacturing Deputy Facility Manager. Prior to SRS, he served in United States Navy for 12 years as a Nuclear Submarine Officer.

Mr. Richardson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University and holds a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Engineer certification from Naval Reactors. He is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

Y-12 National Security Complex / Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Clint Jones

Mr. Jones joined the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as a Resident Inspector at the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site in 2022. Prior to joining the board, Mr. Jones worked at Y-12 with Consolidated Nuclear Security since 2020 where he held the roles of Shift Technical Advisor and Shift Manager. Prior to Y-12, he worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a Senior Resident Inspector and Resident Inspector at various commercial nuclear reactor sites for 8 years. Mr. Jones was also a Senior Shift Refueling engineer at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for 5 years where he worked on nuclear submarines.

Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Frank Harshman, Jr.

Mr. Frank Harshman, Jr has been a Resident Inspector of the Department of Energy’s Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since May 2022. Mr. Harshman brings 23 years of nuclear experience from the military and civilian sectors. He joins the Board after working at Y-12 in Facility Operations Management since 2020, where he held the role of Shift Technical Advisor. Prior to Y-12, he worked in commercial nuclear power, filling various roles in Radiation Protection and Operations.

Mr. Harshman holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Flight from Southern Illinois University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science and Technology from Thomas Edison State University, and a Master of Science degree in Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.