Council of Industry Leaders and Scientists will help shape the company’s growth and commercialization strategy
BURNABY, British Columbia—(June 23, 2014) — General Fusion, a leader in developing fusion energy, has assembled a world-class Advisory Council that includes veteran Astronaut Mark Kelly and Carol M. Browner, a key figure in two US administrations.
Mark Kelly is a retired American astronaut, engineer and U.S. Navy Captain. Kelly flew a number of space shuttle missions, and was commander of the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Many know Mark Kelly as the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, an author and a leading voice for common-sense solutions to gun violence.
“I am excited to be joining the advisory council of General Fusion,” said Kelly “It’s a company which truly shows incredible promise for solving the world’s energy needs with a clean, safe and secure solution.”
Ms. Browner, former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Bill Clinton, and former Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy under President Barack Obama, spearheads a powerful group that will help the company shape its strategy for commercialization.
The Advisory Council will provide General Fusion with strategic, financial and policy advice, as well as input into the physics of General Fusion’s approach called Magnetized Target Fusion. The Council includes leaders in business, government as well as fusion physics.
“I am looking forward to being involved in General Fusion’s transformative plan to make fusion energy a commercial reality in the coming years, and look forward to working with the highly-experienced Advisory Council,” said Carol Browner.
Along with Mr. Kelly and Ms. Browner, the Advisory Council includes:
Mark Dudzinski, former Chief Marketing Officer of GE Energy,
Dr. T Kenneth Fowler, formerly of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he was associate director for Magnetic Fusion Energy. Before his retirement, Dr. Fowler was Chairman of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mike Harcourt, former premier of British Columbia and Mayor of Vancouver, Mr. Harcourt is Chair of University of British Columbia’s Regional Sustainability Council for sustainability initiatives, as well as Associate Director of the Centre for Sustainability Continuing Studies at U.B.C.
Dr. Thomas Jarboe, Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington. Dr, Jarboe’s fusion research focuses on the efficient formation and sustainment of magnetic confinement configurations through a method call helicity injection.
Dr. William Lattin, formerly of Intel Corporation where he was Vice President of Intel’s System Group and currently president of Lattin Enterprises, which invests in development-stage technology companies. He has served on 14 public and private corporate boards and has a deep background in technology companies.
Ram Narula, the former Principal Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Bechtel Power Corporation, and
Donald L. Runkle, Executive Chairman, EcoMotors International and former General Motors top engineering executive.
“With diverse backgrounds and world-class expertise from fusion science to environmental policy, the Advisory Council members understand the elements of the research, industrial, and government ecosystem that will be necessary for General Fusion’s success,” said General Fusion CEO Nathan Gilliland.