Leadership & Excellence
Christopher Hanson is a senior executive in the civilian and national security nuclear arena with 30 years’ experience in government and the private sector. He is the Founder and Principal of White Flint Partners, an advisory firm serving clients in the nuclear and fusion energy sectors, from government agencies to technology start-ups to established companies. He is also a Non-Resident Scholar in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a senior advisor at Teneo.
Most recently, Hanson served as Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) where he modernized the agency’s processes and regulations in anticipation of a major resurgence of nuclear power in the U.S. and around the world.
Under Hanson’s leadership the NRC prepared for a new era of advanced nuclear reactor deployment by issuing three construction permits for non-light reactors, the first in over 50 years; by drafting safety regulations to simplify licensing pathways; by streamlining environmental reviews; by right-sizing security and emergency planning requirements; and by revising siting guidelines.
The agency also made significant strides in licensing new technologies for the current operating fleet, including digital instrumentation and control and fuels with enhanced safety and economic advantages. On the international front, Hanson greatly expanded the NRC’s assistance to established and embarking nuclear nations through bilateral and multilateral engagement, especially Poland, Ghana, Singapore, and the Phillippines.
Prior to joining the NRC, Hanson held positions in the U.S. Senate and at the Department of Energy (DOE) where he spearheaded major initiatives, including establishment of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program for Gen IV nuclear reactors; development and demonstration of new nuclear fuel types with enhanced safety and economic performance; increased investment in Inertial Confinement Fusion capabilities at the National Ignition Facility; replacement of cesium blood irradiators to reduce security risks; and revision of the nation’s strategy for spent nuclear fuel management.
In the private sector, Hanson advised government and energy sector clients at Booz Allen Hamilton, with a focus on finance and strategy. He led engagements for a major nuclear steam system supplier, an international nuclear company pursuing opportunities in spent fuel reprocessing, a UK government corporation facing privatization, a major Southeast US utility considering a new nuclear generation investment, and for DOE’s Yucca Mountain Project.
Hanson earned master's degrees from Yale Divinity School and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where he focused on ethics and natural resource economics. He earned
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.
He and his wife of 30 years, the Reverend Anne Ellestad, have three sons and reside in Maryland.
Christopher T. Hanson
Founder & Principal
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Carrie Safford is a Partner at White Flint Partners LLC, an advisory firm serving clients in the nuclear and fusion energy sectors, from government agencies to technology start-ups to established companies. She brings over 25 years of experience in the private and public sectors, including nearly 20 years at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), spanning senior leadership, legal, and technical policy roles across the full lifecycle of nuclear regulation.
Most recently, Carrie served as Secretary of the Commission, where she led strategic planning for Commission operations, directed cross-functional coordination of Commission business, and oversaw the agency’s decision-making and directive processes. She previously served as Deputy Director of the Division of Fuel Management in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, where she drove the implementation of strategic vision for nuclear fuel cycle facility and spent fuel storage and transportation licensing, and international safeguards. In that role she also liaised with the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration on emerging fuel initiatives. Her international experience includes leading a peer review of Argentina’s nuclear regulatory framework during an IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission.
Earlier in her NRC career, Carrie held multiple senior executive roles in the Office of the General Counsel, directing legal strategy in areas such as high-level waste, fuel cycle licensing, nuclear security, and advising the Commission on legislative and administrative law matters. She also led a team through the development of a major environmental impact statement and rule, including a nationwide public engagement effort.
In the private sector, Carrie represented clients on issues related to energy regulatory law, including power project development and operation, electric utility restructuring, and federal and state compliance matters.
Carrie holds a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Biology-Geology from the University of Rochester. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the New York State Bar.
Carrie M. Safford (Partner)
Fission. Fusion. Forward.
WALT DISNEY