Past General Session Presentations (2011-2024)
Click HERE for the 2025 General Session presentations.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Monday, May 13, 2024
- Reaching New Heights
José Hernández, Astronaut, President and CEO
Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC
Narrative | Slides
- An Introduction to the U.S. CSB
Adam Henson, Recommendations Specialist
U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Narrative | Slides
- Introduction to ASME Code Rules on Electrochemical Cell Stacks for Electrolysis
Kang Xu, Ph.D., Engineering Fellow and Pressure Vessel Consultant
Linde Inc.
Narrative | Slides
- Beyond the Headlines: A Path to Practical Fusion Power
David Rasmussen, Ph.D., Senior Advisor
US ITER
Narrative | Slides
- Lessons Learned from the Ultimate Catastrophic Event
Victor Casada, Principle Engineer, Assistant Vice President, Machinery Breakdown
Zurich
Narrative | Slides
- Fission Vission: A Look at What's Next For Nuclear
Hilary Lane, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
Nuclear Energy Institute
Narrative | Slides
- Pressure Testing: Fact and Fiction
Mark Lower, Ph.D., Program Manager
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Narrative | Slides
Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday, May 15, 2023
- Keynote Address
Mark Schulman, Professional drummer and motivational speaker
Narrative
- Alternate Boiler Fuels and Their Uses
Marty Toth, Founder
Energy Conversion & Safety (ECS) Consulting
Narrative | Slides
- What If?
Ken Barkdoll, Risk Engineering Consultant | Machinery Breakdown
Zurich Resilience Solutions
Narrative | Slides
- What's New in Weld Metal Additive Manufacturing
Teresa Melfi, Technical Fellow
The Lincoln Electric Company
Narrative | Slides | Videos
- Introduction to the NB-380-1 Workbook
Tom Clark, Chief Boiler Inspector
State of Oregon, Building Codes Division
Vincent Scarcella, Director for the Eastern Territory
CNA Insurance
Narrative | Slides
- The GUS Principle
Mark Mooney, Director of Software and Services, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Lonnie Standridge, Director of Development, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative (not yet available) | Slides
- The Partnerships Between NBBI, ASME, and PVMA
Thomas Vandini, Consultant
Quality Steel Corporation (QSC)
Narrative | Slides
New Orleans, Louisiana
Monday, May 2, 2022
- Remote Technology and Digital Logs
Patrick Jennings, Legislative Affairs Director
The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Agency
Narrative | Slides
- Life Sciences and Quick Acting Closures in NBIC Part 2, Inspection
Vincent Scarcella, Risk Control Director - Eastern Territory
CNA Insurance
Narrative | Slides
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Its Impact and Influence on Pressure Safety
Mark Lower, Program Manager
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Narrative | Slides
- Introducing JRS - The National Board Jurisdictional Reporting System
Mark Mooney, Director of Operations - Software and Services, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Jacques Couvillon, Director of Product Management, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
Scottsdale, Arizona
Monday, May 10, 2021
- The Jurisdictional Liaison: Connecting NBBI Members to Key Resources, Initiatives, and Opportunities
Greg Goossens, Director of Jurisdictional Affairs
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
- Additive Manufacturing: Code Implications of Making Components from Weld Metal
Teresa Melfi, Technical Fellow
The Lincoln Electric Company
Narrative | Slides | Videos
- Jurisdictional Programs and the Insurance Industry: A Unique and Valuable Partnership
Ken Stoller, Senior Director, Workers' Compensation & Amicus Counsel
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)
Phillip Cole, Manager of Jurisdictional Services
FM Global
Narrative
- Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers: Revolutionizing Heat Transfer with Reliability and Efficiency
Stacey Marks, P.E., Quality Engineer
Alfa Laval
Narrative | Slides
- Celebrating NBBI Milestones: The NBIC and PRD Test Lab
Gary Scribner, Assistant Executive Director-Technical
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Joseph Ball, Director, Pressure Relief Department
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides (Scribner) | Slides (Ball)
- JRS Presents
Mark Mooney, Director of Operations, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Jacques Couvillon, Director of Product Management, JRS
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
Salt Lake City, Utah
Monday, May 6, 2019
- One Code, One Inspector, One Stamp, One Hundred Years: The History of the National Board
Paul Brennan, Retired Director of Public Affairs
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
- Timeless and Fearless: Durable Lessons in Engineering Leadership
James R. Chiles, Technology Author
Narrative | Slides
- The Test of Time: How Manufacturers & Key Contributors Helped Standardize an Industry
Patricia A. Becker, Pressure Vessel Engineering Design
The Babcock & Wilcox Company
Narrative | Slides
- Celebrating Railroad History, Preserving the Future for All
John E. Rimmasch, CEO
Wasatch Railroad Contractors
Narrative | Slides
- The National Board and ASME: 100 Years of a Shared Mission and Vision
Jon Labrador, Managing Director, Conformity Assessment
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Narrative | Slides
- Complacency Can Kill
Dan Hegyi, Regional Manager
Zurich North America
Narrative | Slides
Dallas, Texas
Monday, May 7, 2018
- ASME Conformity Assessment: A Closer Look
Jon Labrador, Managing Director, Conformity Assessment
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Narrative | Slides
- NuScale Power: A Nuclear Manufacturing Paradigm Shift
Scott Bailey, Vice President, Supply Chain
NuScale Power
Narrative | Slides
- Carbon Monoxide Mortality
Vincent Scarcella, Equipment Breakdown Risk Control Director
CNA Insurance
Narrative | Slides
- Pressure Test Safety Awareness
Anne R. Ehrmann, CSP, Director of Global Safety
The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Narrative | Slides
- Pressure Relief Device Investigation Testing – Lessons Learned
Joseph F. Ball, P.E., Director, Pressure Relief Department
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
- Communication as a Key to Safety
Christopher B. Cantrell, Director of Safety and Chief Boiler Inspector
State of Nebraska
Narrative | Slides
Anchorage, Alaska
Monday, May 8, 2017
- Opening Remarks
Martin Buser, Four-Time Iditarod Champion
Narrative
- Keynote Address
John Foley, Former Blue Angels Lead Pilot and Motivational Speaker
Narrative
- Historic Introduction of Plate Heat Exchanger Rules into ASME and National Board Codes
Michael Pischke, Director, Quality Assurance
GE Power Services
Narrative | Slides
- National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) Tools for Historical Boilers
Joel Amato, Minnesota Chief Boiler Inspector and Chair of NBIC Subgroup Historical Boilers
State of Minnesota
Narrative | Slides
- Rules for Commissioned Inspectors
Vincent Scarcella, Zone Director
CNA Risk Control
Narrative | Slides
- A Century as a Jurisdiction
Donald Cook, California Principal Safety Engineer and Chair of NBIC Main Committee
State of California
Narrative | Slides
- A Triad Relationship to Making a Hobby Safer
Jon Wolf, Senior Risk Engineering Consultant
The Zurich Services Corporation
Narrative | Slides
- Safer by Design: Building Intrinsic Safety into High-Pressure Steam Boiler Plants
Michael Gerhart, Sales Manager, National Corporate Accounts
Miura America Co., Ltd.
Narrative | Slides
Orlando, Florida
Monday, May 9, 2016
- Opening Remarks
Jack Hanna
Narrative
- Statistical and Loss–Based Training
Vance Murphy, Risk Consultant
Zurich North America Insurance
Narrative | Slides
- The National Board Inspection Code
Gary Scribner, Manager of Technical Services
National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
- ABMA — Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Scott Lynch, President & CEO
American Boiler Manufacturers Association
Narrative | Slides
- Overpressure Protection — Recent Improvements and Current Influences
Denis DeMichael, Chairman, ASME Subcommittee on Safety Valve Requirements
Senior Consultant, The Chemours Company
Narrative | Slides
- What's Under Your Hood?
Mark Masters, P.E., Director Code Services Latin America
HSB Global Standards
Narrative | Slides
- Telltale Signs of Risky Behavior
James R. Chiles, Author
Inviting Disaster, The God Machine
Narrative | Slides
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Monday, April 27, 2015
- Opening Remarks
James Caan
Narrative
- ASME's Impact on Global Safety
Bernard Hrubala
Global Business Development Manager, TUV Rheinland AIA Services, LLC
ASME Governor
Narrative | Slides
- What Happened to the Sultana?
Patrick Jennings, Principal Engineer - Boilers
The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Narrative | Slides
- Carbon Monoxide: The High Cost and Effects of Complacency
Carey M. Bilyeu, NB-A, Senior Risk Engineering Specialist & Portfolio Engineer
Zurich North America Insurance, Machinery Breakdown Division
Narrative | Slides
- Hoover Dam - Maintaining a Giant
Nathaniel Gee, P.E., Project Manager, Dam Safety & Examination of Existing Structures
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Narrative | Slides
- Managing Safety in Spaceflight: Recognizing Narrow Margins
James F. Reilly, II, Ph.D., Former Astronaut
VP of Research and Development, Photo Stencil Corporation
Narrative | Slides
- Making ASME Codes & Standards Smaller: Small Modular Reactors & Their Needs for Future ASME Codes
A. Thomas Roberts, Engineering Consultant/Project Manager
MPR Associates Inc.
Narrative | Slides
Bellevue, Washington
Monday, May 12, 2014
- Opening Remarks
Bob Newhart
Narrative
- 100 Years of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Madiha Kotb, P.E.
Professional Engineer, Province of Quebec
President of ASME
Narrative | Slides
- Biofuels—How Impacting the Greenhouse Effect Impacts Power Boilers
Douglas E. Smiley, Senior Risk Engineering Consultant–Machinery Breakdown
Zurich Services Corporation
Narrative | Slides
- How a Bad Day Turned into a Good Day
Nick Morris
Safety and Motivational Speaker
Narrative | Slides
- Secrets of the Code
James R. Chiles, Author
Inviting Disaster, The God Machine
Narrative | Slides
- Overview of Thermal Fluid Heaters
Melissa Wadkinson, P.E., Chief Engineer
The Fulton Companies
Narrative | Slides
- Relief Device Capacity Comparison from the Inspector's View
Earl Harlow, P.E.
Sabic Innovative Plastics
Narrative | Slides
Miami, Florida
Monday, May 13, 2013
- Opening Remarks
Hines Ward
Narrative
- Safety — An Integral Part of the Energy Grand Challenge
Kenneth R. Balkey, PE, Consulting Engineer
Westinghouse Electric Company
Senior Vice President, ASME Standards and Certification
Narrative | Slides
- Manual Weld Examination Using Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)
Ron Kent, ASNT Level III
KB Inspection Services
Narrative | Slides
- BLOWBACK: Between the Lines
Paul Brennan, Director of Public Affairs
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Narrative | Slides
- Inspection Quality: One AIA's Perspective
Fred Bull, President and Chief Executive Officer
HSB Global Standards
Narrative | Slides
- Recent Catastrophic Failures of Boiler Components
— Where Do We Go from Here?
George W. Galanes, P.E., Consulting Metallurgical Engineer
Diamond Technical Services, Inc.
Narrative | Slides
- Anatomy of a Catastrophic Boiler Accident
David Peterson, Machinery and Equipment Specialist
The Cincinnati Insurance Company
Narrative | Slides
- BIOGAS: The Hidden Costs of Going Green
Robert "Buddy" Dobbins, Technical Director - Machinery Breakdown
Zurich Services Corporation
Narrative | Slides
Nashville, Tennessee
Monday, May 14, 2012
- Opening Remarks
Astronaut Gene Cernan
Narrative
- Potential Detrimental Consequences of Excessive PWHT on Pressure Vessel Steel Properties
Carl Spaeder, PhD, Consultant
Narrative | Slides
- The Day a Generation Died
R. Miles Toler, Museum Director
London Museum
Narrative | Slides
- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Update
Kenneth R. Balkey, PE, Consulting Engineer
Westhinghouse Electric Company
Senior Vice President, ASME Council on Standards and Certification
Narrative | Slides
- Solar Boilers: Evolving Issues with an Evolving Technology
Don Cook, Principal Safety Engineer
State of California
Tim Zoltowski, Regional Risk Engineering Manager
Zurich North American Insurance
Narrative | Slides (Cook) | Slides (Zoltowski)
- Establishment of a Federal Inspection Agency at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
John P. Swezy, Jr, Mechanical Engineer
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Narrative | Slides
- Applicability of National Board Testing Data to Reliability for Industry
Joseph F. Ball, PE, Director
The National Board of Boiler & Pressure Vessel Inspectors, Pressure Relief Department
Narrative | Slides
Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday, May 9, 2011
- ASME: International Update
Joe Brzuszkiewicz, Project Engineering Administrator
Narrative | Slides
- Cold Iron & Cool Heads - Hard-Won Lessons from the Machine Frontier for the Next Generation
James R. Chiles, Author
Inviting Disaster, The God Machine
Narrative | Slides
- Industrial Boilers after Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
Robert D. Bessette, President
Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO)
Narrative | Slides
- The Authorized Inspector - Manufacturer Relationship in a Mass Production Shop
Mike Pischke, BS MetE, MS MatS
Quality Manager, Quality Assurance - Alfa Laval
Vice President, PVMA
Narrative | Slides
- The Code and Common Arc - Assuring Integrity While Bringing Efficiencies to American Industry
Jim Pillow, Operating Committee Chairman
Common Arc Corporation
Narrative | Slides
- Jurisdictional Inspection Integrity and Ethics
Michael Zdinak, Assistant Vice President
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
Narrative | Slides