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Today's Featured Biography

 
Walter Wylie

Anne, my wife, and I are enjoying retirement. In the mornings, Anne and a neighbor walk our English Springer Spaniels--Hope and Joy. Anne enjoys water aerobics, going to the gym, and working in the yard. I enjoy playing golf, going to the gym, and working in the yard. In the spring and summer, we enjoy going to the beach--Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island. In the fall, we like going to the mountains and attending Panther Football games. Anne retired from Carolina Urology Partners (CUP). I retired from Duke Energy.

In the summer of 1967, I had the honor of playing in the North Carolina East-West All-Star High School Football Game. There were three players from Charlotte selected--Larry Hefner (North Mechlenburg, Clemson, Green Bay Packers), Steve Wilson (Garinger, Wake Forest), and me (East Mecklenburg). John Swofford (UNC, ACC Commissioner) was our quarterback. We all were on the First Team. Playing in the NC All-Star Game was a dream come true.

Prior to working for Duke Energy, I attended NC State University. After meeting with the coaches, getting a locker and a uniform, I made a difficult decision to give up football to study engineering. At state, I studied Chemical Engineering. In 1969, I enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves. I worked at American Cyanamid and WYCO Chemical Company (a Wylie family company). At UNC Charlotte, I received a BS in Electrical Engineering. While at Duke, I did graduate work in Nuclear Engineering at NC State. I became a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition, I became a certified Lead Nuclear Auditor (recognized internationally). My employment at Duke was educational and fulfilling. During the construction of Catawba Nuclear Station, Duke's Board of Directors decided to have a startup team. I was selected to the startup team. I was given the responsibility as the Startup Engineer for the Reactor Coolant System. The Reactor Coolant System is the most important system of a nuclear station. It consists of the Reactor, Reactor Coolant Pumps and Motors, Steam Generators, and Pressurizer. Being a member of the Catawba Startup Team was rewarding. My next job at Duke was a Senior Engineer in Nuclear Maintenace Instrumentation and Electrical (I&E) Section. I represented Duke on an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Working Group as a Senior Member. The IEEE Working Group wrote Electrical Standards for the Nuclear Industry. The IEEE Working Group Conferences and Meetings were held in very nice places in the US and Canada. Anne was able to go with me to the different locations. My last position at Duke was a Lead Nuclear Auditor. I would lead inspections and audits at nuclear stations. There were only a few employees at Duke with both a Lead Nuclear Auditor Certification and a PE License. A Lead Nuclear Auditor Certification takes 18 months to obtain. I would put together a team of engineers and we would inspect systems, designs, and audit organizations. I would write the reports and give presentations. A report was considered a nuclear record. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would use the reports for their inspections.

In 2016, Duke offered a retirement package. I was going to retire that year anyway. So, it felt like I won the lottery. Duke is very good to their employees. I feel fortunate to have worked for such a great company. After retirement, I received numerous offers. This went on for several years. The offers were very generous, but retirement is too good.

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