Chief Operating Officer Pete Norgeot to retire May 1
Kimberly Cook-Nelson succeeds Norgeot and John Dinelli named chief nuclear officer
Entergy’s board of directors today announced the retirement of Pete Norgeot, executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective May 1.
“Pete’s contributions over the last four decades have powered not just the business and communities we serve, but also the careers and lives of those who have had the privilege to work alongside him,” said Drew Marsh, Entergy’s Chair and CEO. “His leadership, vision and unwavering dedication have left a lasting impact on our business and our industry, and his commitment to teamwork and collaboration with his peers will ensure a smooth transition for operations to a seasoned professional who can ensure continued operational excellence.”
Norgeot’s career has spanned nearly four decades leading company operations, power generation, commercial management and large-scale development teams in highly regulated industries. Since joining Entergy in 2014, he has driven innovation and excellence by leading teams working to identify long-term growth opportunities, business strategies for the company and innovative customer solutions.
Kimberly Cook-Nelson, 53, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer, will replace Norgeot, 60, as chief operating officer, and John Dinelli, 55, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Entergy’s nuclear operations will be promoted to executive vice president and chief nuclear officer. In this role, Dinelli will serve as a member of the office of the chief executive reporting directly to Chair and CEO Drew Marsh.
Since 2022, Cook-Nelson has had responsibility for the safe, secure and reliable operations of Entergy’s four nuclear power plants and five reactors located in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. As a member of the company’s office of the chief executive, she has also engaged in building and strengthening relationships with external stakeholders. She began her career at Entergy in 1996 as a design engineer at the Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station. She moved into plant leadership in 2001 and has held numerous leadership positions of increasing responsibility over her career.
She completed a rotational assignment at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations in 2016, where she qualified and functioned as an organizational effectiveness team leader and a corporate evaluator. She has also served as vice president of Entergy’s system planning and operations organization, providing commercial support for Entergy’s long-term resource planning.
“Kimberly has proven to be a great leader throughout her career, in both nuclear and non-nuclear roles. She has strong communications, engineering and project management skills, a laser focus on continuous improvement and a deep understanding of our business and industry, which will serve her well in the chief operating officer role,” said Marsh.
Cook-Nelson holds an MBA, a master’s degree in engineering management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Orleans. She is also an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. She was a licensed professional engineer and earned her senior reactor operator license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for Waterford 3.
Succeeding Cook-Nelson as chief nuclear officer is John Dinelli. Like Cook-Nelson, Dinelli has had a long career at Entergy, starting in 1991 at the Indian Point Energy Center, where he joined the company as an engineering intern. This was followed by an operations shift technical advisor role with the New York Power Authority. Dinelli then completed a loaned assignment with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations as an organizational effectiveness lead evaluator. After completing his tenure at INPO, he worked as the site vice president for Waterford 3 and was named site vice president for ANO in 2019.
Since 2021, Dinelli has served as chief operating officer for Entergy’s nuclear business, with overall responsibility for the ANO, Grand Gulf, River Bend and Waterford 3 nuclear facilities. Prior to his current role, he served as vice president, nuclear independent oversight for the fleet. Dinelli holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Manhattan College and earned his senior reactor operator’s license in 1996.
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs!
