Employee Spotlight: Nathan O'Connor
Every day for more than 40 years, Southern Nuclear employees have been improving the lives of our neighbors in Alabama and Georgia. Meet one of our folks who’s dedicated to providing you with clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy.
Nathan O’Connor, shift support supervisor in training, Plant Hatch
How long have you been with the company: Six years.
What are your current job responsibilities? I am a member of the Initial License Training class to obtain a senior reactor operating license.
What do you love about your job? I love learning new skills. The harder that skill is to master, the better. Learning the ins and outs of Plant Hatch meets that bill in a huge way. What I really love is “saving the day” in the simulator when the stakes cannot be higher. To be able to see annunciators light up, take a step back, diagnose the cause of the issue, and execute a quick and controlled recovery – it’s very fulfilling.
Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia
First job (not your first job at SNC): Picking and then selling produce from the family farm on a street corner in McRae, Georgia. I made $10/day and thought I was rich.
Favorite food: Rib eye, rare.
What is your favorite movie and why? Rocky. A few reasons – hard work, grit, determination, triumph over pain, using challenges as opportunities, making weakness a strength, no excuses, extreme ownership. America.
If given the chance, who would you want to be for a day? Jocko Willink, a retired Navy SEAL commander who owns a management consulting firm specializing in teaching his leadership philosophy of “extreme ownership” to mid-size to large companies. Jocko has a warrior’s mindset, a fire that is unquenchable in pursuit of completing the mission – whatever that might be.
What are your hobbies? I’ve been training at CrossFit Crazy Strong since September 2016, and it has changed my life. I didn’t know what good nutrition was and had never consistently worked out in my life prior to walking in that gym. Now, I am a vocal advocate for health and fitness. I recently earned my CrossFit L1 Trainer certificate so I can now coach part-time. I encourage anyone of any fitness level or age who wants a positive change in their life to stop by your local CrossFit affiliate and see what it’s all about. You’ll be glad you did.
What interests you about nuclear energy? Providing an immense amount of clean, safe, reliable, carbon-free energy is a truly noble mission. As a shift support supervisor in training, I am learning how to be at the heart of that mission day in and day out.
