Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Atlanta have named Jeff Steward as the agency’s resident inspector at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant in Southport.

Steward joined the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in March 2016 as a reactor engineer in the NRC’s Region III office in Lisle, Illinois, officials said in a press release.

Prior to joining the agency, he was an energy industry analyst at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Before that position, he was an NRC-licensed operator and certified license training instructor at FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.’s Perry nuclear plant in Ohio.

He began his career as a nuclear-trained submarine electrical operator in the U. S. Navy and continued to serve as a reservist in various units and assignments until 2009, retiring with 31 years of service.

Steward earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering technology from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s degree in management, leadership and organizational effectiveness from Troy University.

“Jeff Steward brings extensive knowledge and a dedication to the NRC’s safety mission to his new role at the Brunswick plant,” NRC Region II Administrator Cathy Haney said in the release.

At least two NRC resident inspectors are assigned to each U.S. commercial nuclear plant. Each serves as the "agency's eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring major work projects and interacting with plant workers and the public," officials said.

Resident inspectors can serve at one site for up to seven years. Steward joins Senior Resident Inspector Galen Smith, who assumed that position earlier this year.