Fossil Fuel Power Plant Training

Instructors

GP offers a strong group of qualified and experienced power plant training instructors. Click on the names below to learn more about our staff.

Performance Knowledge Series Instructors

Jeffery B. Bitner

Manager - Performance Engineering Services, Houston Office
Jeff has over 23 years of experience in fossil power plant performance engineering projects. He is responsible for carrying out performance tests and analyses of power plant equipment, providing engineering services for plant betterment projects, troubleshooting plant operational problems, developing and implementing operator training and qualification programs, and instructing plant personnel in thermal performance improvement.

Richard R. DesJardins, PE

Director - Performance Engineering Services
Rich has over 20 years of experience in fossil power plant performance engineering, operations, and training projects. As Director, he has been responsible for numerous projects related to plant heat rate and capacity improvement. As a principal developer of GP's EtaPRO™ and GPCALCS™ he has developed software for testing, monitoring, and modeling of all types of power plant equipment and systems. Rich has presented several papers on power plant performance and has regularly instructed heat rate improvement seminars. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.

David C. McLaughlin, PE

Principal Engineer - Performance Engineering Services
Dave has more than 27 years of experience in engineering, operations, and maintenance projects for fossil power and process industry plants. He is responsible for conducting performance tests and analyses of power plant equipment, providing root cause analysis of equipment failures and operating problems, and developing effective solutions. Dave is an experienced instructor in power plant performance and heat rate improvement. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Joseph R. Nasal, PE

Vice President - Energy Services
Joe has more than 34 years of experience in fossil power plant operations, performance testing/analysis, and engineering. As Vice President of Energy Services at General Physics, he is responsible for a multitude of performance improvement products and services related to heat rate improvement and workforce development. Mr. Nasal has presented numerous papers on heat rate improvement, co-authored two texts on power plant performance, and has instructed all levels of power plant personnel in the United States and abroad. He is a registered Professional Engineer.

Dr. Jeff Parmar

International Operations Director
Dr. Parmar has over 25 years' experience in power plant performance assessment with the former Central Electricity Generating Board and its successor companies PowerGen PLC and National Power. He is an accomplished Performance Engineer with proven success meeting customer needs throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Dr. Parmar is a certified European Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineering, and a Chartered Engineer. As International Operations Director, Dr. Parmar is responsible for servicing GP's growing list of European and Middle Eastern customers. He is a member of the ASME PTC 47 and ISO 2314 committees and has published numerous technical papers on the performance of gas turbines and combined cycles.

Operations Knowledge Series Instructors

Harold "Skip" Carr

Staff Training Specialist, Workforce Development
Skip has over 25 years of power plant operations and training experience. His current role as a GP Training Specialist includes the presentation and development of various training and plant operational programs. As a Plant Equipment Operator, he was directly responsible for maintaining all plant equipment in a safe and reliable condition. This included the fuel, water, and steam systems; the steam turbine; and associated electrical components, including emergency responses. As an Operations Training Instructor, he was responsible for developing, delivering, and maintaining plant systems training programs and OJT. As an Outage Supervisor, he was responsible for coordinating and supervising all aspects of nuclear plant systems modifications. Skip had an active role in all phases of the plant start-up and testing for Three Mile Island Unit 1 and Three Mile Island Unit 2.

Gregory Hitz

Principal Specialist, Workforce Development
Greg has over 30 years of power plant operations and training experience. He is active in the presentation and development of various training and plant operational programs for General Physics. As a Project Manager, his responsibilities include quality assurance for the development of training and operational materials. He participates in all phases of fossil, industrial, nuclear, and management training activities, including materials preparation and on-site instruction. He was active in all phases of the plant start-up and testing for Three Mile Island Unit 1 and Three Mile Island Unit 2. As a Plant Equipment Operator, he was directly responsible for maintaining all plant equipment in a safe and reliable condition. This included the fuel, water and steam systems, as well as the steam turbine and associated electrical components. As a Control Room Operator, he was responsible for the control of all system equipment including emergency responses. As a Shift Supervisor, Greg participated in the oversight of all aspects of plant operations ensuring the safe operation of the plant, including environmental compliance.