Speakers

Norm Kunkel is the new nuclear development and strategy engineering director for Duke Energy. He works closely with senior management in developing nuclear options for net zero carbon emission generation strategy.

Kunkel was Engineering General Manager at McGuire Nuclear Station from 2015 to 2020 and Engineering Central Functional Area Manager and EGM for Centralized Components Engineering from 2020 to 2022 where he was responsible for nuclear fleet engineering performance. He was named to his current position in 2022. He has worked in various leadership positions in plant engineering, design engineering, operations, performance improvement, and work management. He joined Duke Energy in 1990 as a design engineer.

Kunkel is a graduate from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He served as a nuclear submarine officer from 1985 to 1990 and qualified as a navy engineering department leader in 1990. Kunkel earned a senior reactor operator certification at McGuire Nuclear Station.