NRC Announces Brooke Poole Clark as Next Commission Secretary

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 22-003 January 11, 2022
CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs, 301-415-8200

NRC Announces Brooke Poole Clark as Next Commission Secretary

The NRC today announced the selection of Brooke Poole Clark as the new Secretary to the Commission, effective Spring 2022. Clark will replace Annette Vietti-Cook, who is retiring after nearly 40 years of service at the NRC.

In her new position, Clark will provide executive management services to support the Commission and implement Commission decisions. The Office of the Secretary serves a critical role at the agency and is responsible for scheduling Commission meetings, managing the Commission's decision-making process, codifying Commission decisions in memoranda, processing and controlling Commission correspondence, and maintaining the Commission's historical records collection, among other tasks.

“Brooke is remarkably talented and highly disciplined, with impeccable organizational management, and a demonstrated skill earning the public’s trust,” said NRC Chairman Christopher T. Hanson. “She embodies a deep commitment to our institution and to the integrity of Commission governance, which will prove critical in overseeing the Office of the Secretary’s important responsibilities.”

Hanson also praised the outgoing Vietti-Cook.

“Annette has been a cornerstone of our agency, with a central role in our assurances of openness and transparency. She is vastly knowledgeable in Commission policy, processes, and procedures,” Hanson said. “Her steadfast commitment to carrying out the mission of the agency over her many years of public service is highly commendable. It has been a pleasure and an honor working with her.”

Clark joined the NRC in 1998 through the Honor Law Graduate program. She had a break in service from 2001 to 2004, when she worked as an associate attorney with the law firm of Winston & Strawn, LLC, before rejoining the NRC’s Office of General Counsel. Since then, her responsibilities included positions in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, and the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer. She also served as legal counsel to former Chairman Nils Diaz and Chairman Dale Klein, and later served as head of the Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication. Most recently, Clark served as Deputy General Counsel for Licensing, Hearings, and Enforcement, and was a member of the agency’s COVID-19 task force, which has been guiding the agency through the pandemic.

Clark is a graduate of the NRC’s Leadership Potential and Senior Executive Service Candidate Development programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School.

22-003.pdf