Leadership That Moves an Industry Forward

The Native Nuclear Leadership Team

Native Nuclear doesn't wait for solutions. We create them. That belief shapes everything we do, including how we built our board of directors.

Our mission is to connect Native voices to the nuclear industry, and as a Native-led and Native-serving 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we work as a bridge between educational institutions, Native communities, and the nuclear energy sector. That bridge is only as strong as the people who hold it up. Each member of our board was chosen with purpose, for a specific kind of experience and expertise our mission depends on. Together, they bring the leadership it takes to open doors for Native peoples to lead in the nuclear sector, now and for generations to come.

These are the leaders guiding that work forward.

Scott Lathrop, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

At the head of it all is Scott Lathrop (yak titʸu titʸu yak tiɫhini Tribe), Native Nuclear's Founder and Chief Executive Officer and a leading expert on tribal engagement in nuclear development. His connection to this work runs deep. After inspecting construction of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) in the 1980s on one of his tribe’s ancestral village sites, Scott saw firsthand the details of nuclear development and the long-term economic and environmental benefits it brought to the surrounding region. Today, he serves as a member of the DCPP engagement panel and lectures across the country on the importance of Native voices in energy development decisions.

Scott founded Native Nuclear on a conviction that has only grown more urgent: the communities most affected by energy decisions deserve a seat at the table, and the nuclear industry is stronger when Native voices help shape it. He leads the organization with that purpose at the center, setting the vision and assembling the team to carry it forward. Everyone who follows in this story was brought together to advance the mission he built Native Nuclear to pursue.

Edward Kee, President

To help tribal nations evaluate opportunities clearly, we needed someone who understands the economics of nuclear energy at the deepest level. Edward Kee (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is the Founder, CEO, and Principal Consultant at Nuclear Economics Consulting Group, and he is among the most recognized authorities in the field. He advises companies and governments on nuclear power and fuel-cycle economics, and he gives expert testimony in U.S. and international litigation, regulatory, and arbitration cases. He has taught and briefed audiences ranging from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to corporate boards on how the nuclear and electricity industries work.

Edward leads our board as President because honest guidance begins with a clear understanding of cost, risk, and long-term value. That clarity is what allows Native Nuclear to be a trustworthy connector, helping tribal nations weigh decisions on their own terms.

Dwight Dixon, Vice President

A board that speaks for the nuclear workforce should include someone who has been part of it. Dwight Dixon (Navajo Nation) brings more than fifteen years of hands-on project leadership, with a career that spans the full range of plant work, from combination pipe welder and weld inspector to field engineer, project planner and advisor, and project manager. He has led maintenance and major modification projects at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and Palisades Nuclear Plant, and as CEO of Roan PRJ Services LLC, he builds repeatable systems for federal contracting and technical oversight.

Dwight grounds our work in the reality of how nuclear gets built and maintained. He advances Native representation in the skilled and technical roles that keep these plants running, making sure tribal voices help build the industry.

Kodee Goseyun, Secretary

Our work is realized through community, and Kodee Goseyun (San Carlos Apache Tribe) keeps that principle at the center of everything our board does. As an Economic Development Specialist for the San Carlos Apache Tribe and an advocate for environmental stewardship and climate justice, she works closely with tribal governments, federal and state agencies, and community stakeholders to advance sustainable development, infrastructure planning, and resource protection.

Kodee champions community-led approaches to energy, keeping tribal voices, sovereignty, and informed consent at the heart of decisions about emerging technologies. Her leadership reflects our belief that the communities closest to these decisions should be the ones leading them.

JJ Goldsbury, Treasurer

Opening doors takes resources, and JJ Goldsbury brings a proven ability to align them. As Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at First American Nuclear Co., he has more than fifteen years of experience as a founder and advisor, building and scaling ventures across energy, infrastructure, finance, and real estate. His strength is building relationships, the patient work of connecting people and resources so teams can grow both their vision and their ability to deliver.

As Treasurer, JJ helps Native Nuclear scale its impact through scholarships, mentorships, tribal outreach, and workshops. By aligning resources and leading fundraising, he makes sure our work can grow steadily and sustainably, turning purpose into lasting opportunity.

Doug Sandridge, Director

Moving an industry forward takes coalitions that reach across it, and Doug Sandridge brings a gift for building them. He has spent his entire career in oil and gas exploration and development and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Fulcrum Energy Capital Funds. A dedicated energy educator, he has taught at several universities and serves as an adjunct instructor in the Energy Management Program at the University of Oklahoma. In 2023, he founded Oil & Gas Executives for Nuclear Energy to promote nuclear advocacy around the world.

Doug helps Native Nuclear build broad support for nuclear energy across industries. His credibility connecting traditional energy with nuclear advocacy, along with his commitment to education, strengthens our work of making nuclear knowledge accessible and bringing more voices into the conversation.

Kati Austgen, Director

As Director of Public Engagement and New Nuclear at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Kati Austgen leads the Advanced Nuclear Forum and the Advancing Collaboration, Community Engagement and Public Trust (ACCEPT) Working Group. Her background pairs engagement with technical depth: she was previously a licensing engineer at Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center, and she holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University and the University of Missouri, respectively.

Kati's expertise speaks directly to our role as a bridge. Building trust between the nuclear sector and the communities it affects is patient, relational work, and her experience leading that effort sharpens how our board approaches engagement, and how we make sure it is done with respect.

Jessika Hernandez, Director

Opening doors for Native peoples to lead in the nuclear sector takes strong workforce programs and strong federal partnerships, and Jessika Hernandez (Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation) brings both. A workforce development expert and nuclear energy professional, she has served in federal grant management with the U.S. Department of Energy, leading research and development efforts focused on workforce development strategies and stronger nuclear energy training programs.

For Native Nuclear, Jessika leads engagement with the federal government and builds long-term strategies to connect Native voices to the industry. Her focus on workforce development creates real pathways into energy and science careers, with sustainable growth for future generations always in view.

The Advisors Who Strengthen the Work

Leadership doesn’t stop at the boardroom. Native Nuclear is also guided by a group of advisory members who lend specialized expertise to the areas where it matters most, helping the organization sharpen its strategy and extend its reach.

Ryan Pickering, Head of Development at Oppenheimer Energy, serves as our Advisor of Nuclear Policy. His work at the intersection of energy development and policy helps Native Nuclear navigate the complex landscape that shapes how nuclear projects move forward, keeping our strategy informed by the realities of the broader sector.

Sondra Connor, a senior marketing leader with nearly 25 years of experience, serves as our Advisor of Marketing. Telling this story well is part of the mission, and her expertise helps Native Nuclear communicate clearly and reach the communities, partners, and supporters who make the work possible.

Brooke Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of Solestiss, serves as our Advisor of Philanthropy. Her guidance strengthens the giving and partnership efforts that sustain our programs, helping turn generosity into scholarships, mentorships, and outreach that create lasting opportunity.

Jamie Becker, VP of Sustainable Energy at Self Brand Studio, serves as our Advisor of Strategy. His perspective on sustainable energy helps Native Nuclear think clearly about the road ahead, aligning long-term goals with the values that anchor the organization.

Together, these advisors extend the depth of our leadership into policy, marketing, philanthropy, and strategy, reinforcing the same principle that shapes our board: the right expertise, in the right place, moving the mission forward.

A Team Rooted in Purpose

Our board and advisors reflect a simple idea: the future of nuclear energy should be shaped by many voices, and the communities most affected by past energy decisions should be among them. Too often, infrastructure and nuclear development move forward without truly considering the tribal communities they touch. We name that history honestly, and we stay focused on a path forward built on trust.

Nuclear economics, plant operations, community-led development, resource alignment, public engagement, federal workforce policy, cross-industry coalition-building, and the policy, marketing, philanthropy, and strategy expertise of our advisors: each of these is essential to our mission, and each has a leader devoted to it. That is what an intentional team looks like.

These leaders steward an organization rooted in purpose, driven by change, and fueled by collaboration. Their leadership keeps Native Nuclear grounded in tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and sustainable energy development, and pointed toward the future we are working to help build, together.

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While we advocate for greater Native representation in nuclear energy, we do not represent, nor do we speak on behalf of, any specific tribe.

Native Nuclear is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To learn more about our team or support our work, visit nativenuclear.org.