Preston Gillespie is senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for Duke Energy. He is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the nation’s largest regulated nuclear generating fleet.
Gillespie has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear energy field. Before assuming his current position in December 2017, he served as nuclear chief operating officer, leading nuclear operations for all six of Duke Energy’s nuclear plants.
Gillespie joined Duke Power in 1986 as an assistant engineer at Oconee Nuclear Station and served in a variety of functions in engineering and operations, including reactor engineer, systems engineer, shift technical advisor, operations shift manager and shift operations manager. In 2004, he was named nuclear engineering manager, where he led the site’s nuclear and electrical engineering activities. In 2007, Gillespie was named the Catawba Nuclear Station’s operations manager. He returned to Oconee Nuclear Station in 2008 as plant manager and was named the site’s vice president in 2010. In this role, he directed station and facilities management, operations, maintenance, chemistry and radiation protection, engineering, nuclear and industrial safety, and business operations.
A native of Charleston, S.C., Gillespie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University. He is a registered professional engineer in South Carolina and a graduate of Wharton’s Advanced Management Program. He held a senior reactor operator license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for Oconee Nuclear Station. Gillespie is a past recipient of the company’s Robinson Award, which recognized employees for their outstanding contributions to the company’s operations. He has also served on the board of trustees for the Oconee Medical Center Foundation.
Gillespie and his wife, Donna, have a son.