Elizabeth MullerBoard Chair and Co-Founder
Jonathon AngellBoard Member
Renée HornbakerBoard Member
Ralph L. HunterBoard Member
Christa SteeleBoard Member
Leslie TepperLead Independent Director
Rod BaltzerChief Executive Officer
Elizabeth Muller
Board Chair and Co-Founder
Jonathon Angell
Board Member
Silicon Valley business advisor with over 20 years’ experience, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. He has executed company strategies leading to increased market share, brand dominance, return on investment, and high valuations for equity holders. Angell has worked with companies such as Hitachi, Toyota, General Motors, Phillips, Merrill Lynch, and Ubisoft.
Renée Hornbaker
Board Member
Ms. Hornbaker brings more than four decades of corporate leadership experience to Deep Isolation. In her roles as C-suite leader and CFO for both public and private companies, Renee has proven to be a strategic business leader with extensive experience delivering growth, business transformation, and profit improvement. Ms. Hornbaker is a CPA, Audit Committee Financial Expert, and Director Certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). During her career, Ms. Hornbaker served as CFO at Stream Energy, Shared Technologies, and Flowserve Corporation, where she also served as Vice President of Business Development and Information Technologies. Ms. Hornbaker began her career with the audit practice of Deloitte.
Ralph L. Hunter
Board Member
Ralph Hunter is a nuclear industry executive with more than 35 years of experience in U.S. and international nuclear power generation and development. He leads RC Nuclear Consultants, LLC, advising investors, technology companies, and developers on financing, siting, licensing, and operations in the evolving nuclear sector. Previously, Ralph served as President and Chairman of Constellation Generation Development, where he directed global nuclear development activities and helped build Constellation’s international clean energy business. He also led Orion Nuclear Energy Corporation, focused on advanced and small modular reactor projects, and served on the board of Rolls Royce SMR Limited. Ralph has also held senior leadership roles at Exelon, Burns and Roe Group, and Westinghouse Electric Company. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida and is a certified Project Management Professional.
Christa Steele
Board Member
Christa Steele is a strategic and operationally focused leader with extensive experience as a CEO, executive, and board member for both public and private companies. As a governance and financial expert, she brings a CERT in Cyber Security Oversight and is a NACD Board Leadership Fellow. Her proven ability to drive significant business improvements through long-term vision and pragmatic execution is complemented by a broad perspective gained from diverse industry experience, from late-stage startups to growth-stage ventures and established corporations. Christa’s strong track record of operational leadership includes two CEO tenures. As Interim CEO and Board Director for BALCO HOLDINGS, INC. (2020-2022), she led the successful division and dissolution of the holding company and its assets. Previously, she served as President, CEO, and Board Director of MECHANICS BANK (2013-2015), where she provided crucial oversight for all financial, regulatory, operational, legal, and risk matters. She has been honored as a 2023 NACD Director 100 and is a two-time recipient of the “Most Influential Woman in Bay Area Business” award.
Leslie Tepper
Lead Independent Director
A General Partner and Co-Founder of The Artemis Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage companies founded and led by women, Tepper has significant experience in helping private companies obtain funding and scale. She has served on the board and/or advisory board of several early and growth stage companies and is a frequent speaker for the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), where she also serves on the Board, on private and public company governance. Her prior legal experience includes serving as General Counsel of Fisher HealthCare and in-house counsel for Waste Management.
Rod Baltzer
Chief Executive Officer
Former President and CEO of Waste Control Specialists LLC, a leading provider of services for low-level radioactive waste, mixed low-level radioactive waste, and hazardous waste. At WCS he was responsible for all aspects of the business including the NRC license application for the consolidated interim storage of used nuclear fuel. Baltzer maintained relationships with local community leaders and managed local, state and federal engagement with stakeholders. Baltzer is an expert in the low-level radioactive waste industry, generators, and national storage and disposal capabilities. Baltzer successfully facilitated the 2018 sale of WCS to J.F. Lehman & Company.