Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Atlanta selected Tom Stephen as a resident inspector for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens.

Stephen joins NRC Senior Resident Inspector David Dumbacher and NRC Resident Inspector Lundy Pressley.

Before being assigned to the Browns Ferry site, Stephen served since January 2012 in the resident inspector development program in the agency’s Region II office in Atlanta. Before that assignment, he served 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy. He spent five years as an enlisted nuclear-trained mechanic and 15 years as a submarine officer.

Stephen has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University and a master’s in engineering management from Old Dominion University.

“Tom Stephen has the skill and dedication to carry out the NRC mission of protecting people and the environment by helping to ensure the safety of the Browns Ferry plant,” NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCreen said.