BOARD OF ADVISORS

Nils J. Diaz  -  Chief Strategic Officer

Dr. Nils Diaz is the former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).   Dr. Diaz was designated Chairman of the NRC by President Bush on April 1, 2003 and he served as such until his retirement from government service on June 30, 2006. As Chairman of the NRC, Dr. Diaz served as the principal executive officer of and the official spokesman for the NRC, and had ultimate authority for all NRC functions pertaining to an emergency involving an NRC license; he was directly responsible for all high level interactions with the US Executive Branch and the Congress, as well as international relationships and the policy development under the NRC charter. Dr. Diaz was a Commissioner with the NRC from August 1996 until he assumed the chairmanship of the Commission. During his ten year tenure with the NRC, he championed regulatory reforms to streamline licensing and regulatory processes, to improve the focus on matters important to safety, to increase risk-informed and performance-base regulation throughout the regulatory structure, and to enhance management's functions, accountability, and communications with the Congress, the public and stakeholders. As Chairman, he led the review and improvement of security and emergency response of nuclear facilities and materials, in a manner commensurate with the new threat environment facing the nation. Dr. Diaz restructured the organization of the NRC to more effectively conduct the agency's licensing and oversight operations, with a strong emphasis in the areas of new reactor licensing and fuel cycle and waste disposal. Prior to his appointment to the NRC, Dr. Diaz was the Director (1985-1996) of a national consortium for advanced nuclear power and propulsion (INSPI) for the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Department of Defense, and Professor of Nuclear Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida. As Director of INSPI, he exercised prime contractor management responsibilities for a diverse group of industries (including Aerojet, Pratt & Whitney, Hughes Electronics, and SRI), national laboratories (including LANL, SNL, and LLNL) and seven universities, under contracts with the Air Force, DNA, NASA, and DOE.

From 1969 to 1996, Dr. Diaz held positions as Professor at the University of Florida and as Dean for Research at CSULB, consulted on nuclear energy and energetics to private industry, the U.S. Government and other Governments. He also co-owned and managed six small corporations serving the nuclear industry and government, and conducting high technology development. He spent six years at nuclear utilities and corporations, often troubleshooting major performance issues using novel approaches to improving organizational effectiveness and accountability. He lived in Europe in 1981-1982, while serving as the Principal Advisor to Spain's Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, and consulting for other entities. From 1971 to 1984, at the University of Florida, he managed the reactor, the accelerator facilities, the fuels and SNMs, as well as several multi-disciplinary programs.

Dr. Diaz is internationally recognized for his broad expertise and contributions to nuclear sciences, reactor systems and fuels, to the regulation of nuclear facilities and radioactive materials, and to nuclear policy analysis and development. He has worked extensively in the international arena, including interacting and contributing to major policy and decision-making efforts. He has published extensively, and is recognized worldwide for his statesmanship on nuclear affairs.

Dr. Diaz holds a Ph.D and MS in nuclear engineering sciences from the University of Florida, and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Villanova, Havana. He was licensed as a senior reactor operator by the NRC and has formal training and practice in health physics, radiological sciences and nuclear medicine. He is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Rear Admiral H. William Habermeyer, USN (ret)

Bill Habermeyer is married to Sally Cheshire Habermeyer and they have two sons, Jim and Bill. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964 and served for twenty eight years in the Navy, primarily in submarines. He commanded the USS Puffer (SSN-652), Submarine Squadron Seven, Submarine Group Two and served as the Navy’s Director of Attack Submarines for the Chief of Naval Operations. He also served as the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U. S. Naval Academy from 1986 to 1989. Upon retirement from the Navy in 1992, he joined Carolina Power and Light and in 2000 was named President/CEO of Florida Power Corporation (later renamed Progress Energy Florida). He retired from Progress Energy in 2006. He serves on the boards of The Southern Company, Raymond James Financial Inc., The U S Enrichment Corporation and Biltmore Farms, LLC. He and his wife now live in St. Petersburg, Florida and Asheville, North Carolina.

Jenna R. Nelson - Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Jenna Nelson has been with Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated in Tampa, Florida, since August, 1993. As Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Ms. Nelson is responsible for developing an effective multinational human resources infrastructure to successfully support the company’s worldwide operations. Her global responsibilities encompass all facets of HR to include compensation and benefits, recruitment and staffing, compliance, organizational development, rewards and recognition, and HR technologies to ensure the company is able to effectively acquire, train, develop, motivate and retain its critical human resources.

Ms. Nelson has held various HR leadership positions throughout her tenure at SYKES. In 1995, Ms. Nelson was appointed to Director, Human Resources and Administration just as the company was experiencing significant growth in the United States and began operations in Europe. Following the company’s public offering and several international acquisitions, Ms. Nelson was then appointed to Vice President, Human Resources and Administration in 1998. The company continued to expand its global footprint into Central America and Asia Pacific and in July, 2001, Ms. Nelson was appointed to Senior Vice President of Human Resources.  In February, 2010, the company made the largest acquisition in its history and Ms. Nelson was appointed to her current role as Executive Vice President of Human Resources.

David H. Reed – Principal, Shepard Capital Partners, LLC

Mr. Reed is founder and principal of Shepard Capital Partners and a co-founder of Dominion Capital Group, and is currently investing and managing junior capital investments for the firms.   Since 2002, Shepard and Dominion have led or participated in over $200 million in fundings, including partnerships with CapitalSouth Partners, LLC, a mezzanine firm where Mr. Reed served as a Director from 2004 to 2009, and Westshore Capital Partners, a buyout firm in which Dominion is a General Partner.  Since 2002, Mr. Reed has been involved with over $100 million in subordinated debt and equity investments, and sourced and led over $25 million of those. 

Mr. Reed completed the Sloan Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management in 2002, where he earned a Masters of Business Administration.  Prior to Sloan, he was involved in three successful start-ups in the business services/consulting field, including Catalina Human Resources, Inc., which he founded and led as CEO for seven years before selling the company in 1998. He began his career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche in the Tampa office, after receiving a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Emory University in 1987.

Alfred N. Schiff - President Schiff & Associates

Alred N. Schiff has over 35 years of operating and corporate development experience, early in his career, he was a key reliance electric executive with responsiblities in engineering, marketing and general management in the motors, electrical drive and industrial controls business. Reliance electric acquired Toledo Scale Company, and Al headed the worldwide operations as group executive of Toledo Scale Company. Al then moved to Gilbarco Inc. as COO and Executive Vice President. He later began a private investment company, Schiff & Associates, where he is now President and serves as director of Autotech Corporation; Bison Gear & Engineering CO.; Saftronics, Inc.; Viktron Technologies; Cross Companies; Fisher Technology, Inc.; Motor Magnetics Inc.; Saminco, Inc.; Kenakore Solutions, Inc; and Sensor Systems, Inc. Al serves on the Board of Trustees of the Kendal Corp. and TV Station WEDU, is a board member and past chairman of the Foundation Board of the Tampa Museum of Science & Industry and is a retired trustee of Guilford College. He is an engineering physics graduate of the University of Rochester. Al is currently the chair of the USF College of Engineering Advisory Board and a member of the USF Foundation Board. Al and his wife Rose have named a conference room in the Engineering Building III, the newest building in the USF Engineering complex.