Speakers

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

Bachelors of Science – Electronics Technology, University of the State of New York

Senior Reactor Operator. DTE Energy Enrico Fermi 2. 

License number: SOP-31568, Docket number: 55-32560

US Navy (Retired) - Electronics Technician Chief Petty Officer

QUALIFICATIONS:

Supervisor of Engineering / Project Manager

Superintendent of Maintenance – Instrumentation and Controls

Senior Reactor Operator: Control Room Supervisor and Shift Engineer

Systems Engineer

Process Controls Engineer

College Professor (Adjunct)

WORK EXPERIENCE:

VITAL TECH SERVICES (VTS)

10/22 – Present     Director of Engineering

Project Manager of the as built of DTE’s Belle River Power Plant Fly Ash project.  This consisted of numerous walk downs and the revision/creation/cancellation of 900 drawings.  All of these drawings were placed in a database so that they could be found using various sorting methods.

Managed the as built of Warren Truck Assembly Plant’s power house.  

Worked with the VTS staff to design and operationally test an automatous Rover for Ford’s Central Energy Plant.

Performed engineering work at DTE’s Enrico Fermi 2.  Developed engineering design scope for: abandoning CTG11-3 and CTG11-4, installing new Marion radiation monitors, designing a DCS modernization plan, and replacing the turbine building fire detection system.  Wrote 2 design packages: one for main unit step up transformer #2 and one for RHRSW.

DTE ENERGY COMPANY

1/18 – 10/22       Engineering Manager / Project Manager: Capital Projects

Managed and responsible for the entire electrical distribution (345kV through 120Vac) and digital control systems for DTE Energy’s Bluewater Energy Center.  This is a $1B combined cycle power plant producing 1,300MWof electricity.  

Spent eleven (11) months with Kiewit Engineering (EPC vendor) in Lenexa, KS as DTE’s engineering manager and liaison for this project.  Reviewed/commented on all civil, mechanical, and electrical drawings to ensure they were correct, met the contract specifications, and the correct equipment was procured.  Attended numerous FATs (Factory Acceptance Tests) to ensure equipment and systems worked properly before being shipped to site.  Worked closely with Kiewit to create and revise the Project Tagging Requirement (PTR) for the entire plant.  

Designed the human factored control room desks and simulator for this project.  This was the 4th control room and 3rd simulator that I assisted in designing during my career.  Highly knowledgeable with human factor engineering on DCS and PLCs and well versed in ISA 18.2.

Managed the electrical and instrumentation & controls commissioning and start up.  Represented DTE and managed the hundreds of mechanical and electrical punch list items.  Walked down hundreds of drawings to ensure they contained the as built configuration of the plant.  In 2020, Covid shutdown construction for 2 months, and the project was still delivered on time and under budget.

7/08 – 1/18      Engineering Supervisor / Project Manager: Capital Projects

Supervise and manage the Discipline Engineering organization in Major Enterprise Projects.  Responsible for design, review, construction, commissioning, and startup of all projects from $10M to $1.2B at DTE Energy.  

Personally manage the electrical distribution and digital control systems for a $1.2B Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) project at the Monroe Fossil Generation Power Plant.  Execute the software development, graphics development, hardware selection, testing, commissioning, and configuration control of the Digital Control System (DCS).  Also accountable for the software development, testing, and commissioning of a high-fidelity simulator.  Manage, provide contractor control, and supervise the budget for these areas of responsibility.

Worked with a human factors company to help design a state-of-the-art control room for FGD operation.  Using industry best practices and human factoring, this control room will serve the plant for the next 30 years.

Develop strategies to meet schedule and project goals using risk analysis tools and continuous improvement initiatives.  Prioritize conflicting or time sensitive tasks using superior interpersonal skills and professionalism.  Achieve high performance while building a consolidated team and working accident free.

Serve as the focal point for budget, scheduling, scoping, and personnel for all assigned projects.

Chair meetings to develop, maintain, and update scope schedules.

Responsible for reporting on the status of all projects under my control.  Coordinate with outage management and production management to schedule work and phase in activities.

Commissioned 4 wind parks for DTE Energy.  Qualified to climb 100 meter GE towers and rescue climb.  Climbed over 50 wind turbine towers.

Taught classes at USUG simulator group and ABB Automation and Power World.  Outstanding public speaker and taught Coal and Nuclear power plant operation as well as renewable technology to Monroe County adults and students.

5/06 – 7/08         Superintendent Maintenance, Instrumentation and Controls (I&C)

Manage a department of 43 employees and report to the Maintenance Manager. Responsible for day-to-day maintenance activities of I&C technicians, I&C First Line Supervisors, and Cal Lab technicians. Ensure the Plan of the Day is followed and the plant is maintained is the highest state of availability. Responsible for the department’s training and qualifications. Conduct strategic planning for long term projects and refueling outages. Work closely with all on-site personnel to ensure safe operation, timely maintenance, and restoration of plant systems. Conduct root cause analysis to improve equipment and human performance throughout the plant. Intimately involved in I&C modernization projects and engineering improvements to improve plant reliability and reduce maintenance costs. Very familiar with digital electronics and personal computer networks, the plant’s DCS, Fermi’s Process computer, and PI server. Manage a $6M departmental budget. Coordinator for the Operations Support Center (OSC) in the Emergency Response Organization. 

6/98 – 5/06         Shift Engineer and Control Room Supervisor 

(Senior Reactor Operator)

Manage the safe operation of a 1,100 MW nuclear power plant.  Manage and direct plant operations while performing Control Room Supervisor duties.  

Intimately familiar with engineering theories and principles for power plant design and operation.  Hold a Senior Reactor Operators license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate the nuclear power plant.

Ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the reactor, site personnel, and health & safety of the public. Direct personnel during plant operation, abnormal, and emergency situations to ensure reactor safety.  Manage events concerning reactor kinetics, thermal dynamics, and core thermal hydraulics when performing Shift Technical Advisor duties.  Train and mentor personnel in the Operations Department and various site organizations.  Supervise and control all maintenance work activities outside of the control room, including supervising all maintenance organizations.  

Interface exceptionally well with upper management and plant personnel.  Represent the Operations Department during plant modification meetings and plant emergent issues.  Responsible for creating and implementing the Plan of the Day. Determine when equipment is released to the maintenance department and have ultimate signature authority when items are accepted and placed back in service.

Very knowledgeable of federal, state, and local laws, regulations and procedures as related to nuclear power.  Worked with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on many activities while at Enrico Fermi 2.

Kevin W. Dahm

2/92 - 6/98

1/00 – 10/23       Engineer, Process Control and Projects

System Engineer for Enrico Fermi 2 main turbine generator and auxiliary equipment.  Preside over meetings concerning plant problems, design changes, and scheduling.  Responsible for creating many design projects throughout the site.  Create bid specifications and supervise the purchasing of equipment and services.  Very knowledgeable of process control instrumentation, its repair, or redesign.  Very skilled in team building and getting the job done on time and under budget.  Schedule and supervise maintenance personnel while performing on-line maintenance.  Supervise and supply work direction to 100 plant and contractor personnel during plant outages and large design changes.  Highly knowledgeable with personal computers, spreadsheets, and AutoCAD.

I am DTE’s Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Enrico Fermi 2 nuclear power station on the turbine and generator controls system.  In 2021, while working as the SME, I taught a 2-week class on turbine controls, turbine protection, and turbine supervisory.  During plant outages, I work as the engineering manager to assist the craft in getting work complete and train personnel as required.  Scheduled to teach another 2-week turbine controls class in August 2023.

I have written over 100 of EDPs, TSRs, I&C calibration, and engineering procedures.  Very familiar with writing PEs and SEs for design changes.  

Have attended numerous factory acceptance tests for electrical equipment and DCS/PLC systems.

In 1996, Project Engineer for the $80 million low pressure turbine replacement project.  Supervised the installation and start up testing of the system.

In 1994, Lead Process and Control Project Engineer responsible for the electrical and instrumentation changes for a $50 million plant modification.  

4/91 - 2/92         Systems Engineering - Plant Process Computer Division

Duties included programming a new $15 million Simulator Computer.  Develop FORTRAN and C++ algorithms.  Tune and debug software problems so the simulator would perform within design specifications.

Kevin W. Dahm

7/85 - 4/91         System Engineer, Instrument and Controls (I&C) Department

Responsible for the Feedwater, Feedwater heater, Recirculation, and Turbine Control systems.  Supervise and provide technical support to the I&C technicians and Operations personnel.  Troubleshoot/repair instrumentation and process control loops.  Highly knowledgeable of pneumatic, hydraulic, and electronic control systems.  Wrote and technically reviewed many surveillance procedures.  Responsible for installing, calibrating, and the startup of instrumentation and controls systems.  Implemented many I&C design packages, provided technical support, and updated programs associated with these changes.

                           UNITED STATES NAVY

6/79 – 6/85

10/95 – 7/10       United States Naval Reservist and Active Duty  (ETC(SW) / E7)

Retired from the US Navy Active Duty and Naval Reserves after 20 years of faithful service.   Supervisor of 20 personnel.  Responsible for training, qualifying, and coordinating their duty assignments.  Coordinate and supervise the shipyard maintenance and modifications activities on submarines and ships.  Work directly for the Project Manager to schedule and work a submarine overhaul.  Commissioned the USS Antrim (FFG-20) and spent 4 years on the ship in the combat systems.

                           MONROE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MCCC)

1/24 - Present

9/13 – 6/18         Adjunct College Professor

Taught Electrical Engineering Technology and Nuclear Engineering Technology courses, including Motor and Generator courses.  Directly responsible for MCCC submitting and receiving accreditation for our Nuclear Engineering program.  

Set up mock interviews with DTE Energy management and my college students; 18 students were hired by DTE because of these interviews and their education.

Licenses, Certifications, Skills, and Affiliations

SRO License from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Chairman – American Nuclear Society, Michigan and Ohio Chapters

Adjunct Professor at Monroe County Community College (MCCC)

MCCC - Technology Advisory Board Member

Oakland University - Industrial Engineering Advisory Board Member

Qualified to climb and commission 100 meter Wind Turbines

Solidworks Associate: 3D/Parametric modeling

Vice President – Humane Society of Monroe County

AutoCAD and Microstation proficient