Utilities Service Alliance member Fermi 2 welcomed two new members to its leadership team in recent weeks: Vito Kaminskas to serve as Site Vice President; and Mike Philippon as Director of Production, or plant manager.

Kaminskas brings more than 40 years of extensive nuclear experience in operations, maintenance and engineering; he was most recently the Site Vice President at First Energy’s Perry Station. He reports to Joe Plona, Fermi 2’s Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer.

Prior to his time at Perry, Kaminskas served as director of engineering at Davis-Besse and director of site operations. In addition, he held the position of director of maintenance at FENOC’s Beaver Valley nuclear plant and director of nuclear fleet operations support at FENOC’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio.

Kaminskas holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Florida Institute of Technology and held a Nuclear Regulatory Commission senior reactor operator license at Turkey Point Nuclear Plant.

For Philippon, his new role at Fermi 2 is a homecoming of sorts.

He started his nuclear career at the plant, first as an I&C technician and then in positions of increasing responsibility, including I&C engineer, Operations Shift Manager, Operations Manager and Director of Performance Improvement.

After leaving Fermi 2 in 2007, Philippon served as Operations Manager at Entergy’s Vermont Yankee. He’s also served as Operations Manager for Constellation Energy and as the Plant General Manager for Nine Mile Point Units 1 and 2.

Philippon earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from University of Toledo and held his Senior Reactor Operator License at Fermi 2. He also served as a Reactor Operator on the USS James Madison in the 1980s.

Philippon will transition into his new position as plant manager in the next few weeks.

Mike Philippon, Fermi 2’s new Director of Production (plant manager) and Vito Kaminskas, Fermi 2’s new Site Vice President.