Mark Hellstern, a retired U. S. Navy captain, has considerable experience in the nuclear field. As he closed out a stellar 26-year career with the Navy, Hellstern was the senior officer for regulatory oversight for construction, maintenance, operations, and training of the Navy’s 10 nuclear aircraft carriers. After retiring, he served as TVA general manager for nuclear construction oversight. He currently is major project manager for Progress Energy’s Crystal River 3 Containment Repair. Hellstern holds a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from the U. S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in physics from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School.