Board of Directors

Seth Grae has served on Lightbridge's Board of Directors since the Company's formation in October 2006. He leads the organization's efforts to develop and deploy advanced nuclear fuel technology to generate more electricity while enhancing safety and proliferation resistance.

Leadership and Professional Roles

Seth holds several prominent positions in the nuclear energy sector, including Chairman of the American Nuclear Society's International Council, a member of the American Nuclear Society’s Trustees of Nuclear Leadership Council, a member of the World Economic Forum's Advanced Energy Solutions Community, a member of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Energy Institute, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium. He is a sought-after speaker at international conferences, universities, and in the media on topics related to nuclear power.

Through his leadership at Lightbridge, Seth has served in advisory roles to governments of countries developing or expanding nuclear power programs, spanning from initial feasibility studies through procurement and operations. Notably, Lightbridge developed the strategic plan for commercial nuclear power in the United Arab Emirates.

Past Service

Seth has previously served as a member of the Civil Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, a member of the Nuclear Security Working Group, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a member of the Working Group on Climate, Nuclear, and Security Affairs of the Council on Strategic Risks, a member of the Board of Directors of the Lawyers Alliance for World Security, and as Co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.

Education

Mr. Grae earned a B.A. (cum laude) from Brandeis University, an M.B.A. and L.L.M. in international law (with honors) from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from American University.

Dr. Chakraborty became a director of the Company in September 2021. Dr. Chakraborty is a globally recognized risk and behavioral scientist and an expert on risks ranging from climate change to COVID-19. She has spent the last 15 years advising government agencies on science and technology policy, specifically incorporating behavioral science in programmatic design and delivery, communication, and engagement activities. Dr. Chakraborty currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Board Member of North America for We Don’t Have Time, a Sweden-based tech start-up focused on reducing climate impact, which roles she has held since 2015. She is also the founder of Adapt to Thrive, which provides various interactive platforms for businesses, citizens and governments to gain tailored knowledge to adapt, survive and thrive on a rapidly changing planet. Since 2020, Dr. Chakraborty has also served as the Chair of the Policy Action Unit of Top Tier Impact Group, a policy institute focused on addressing the world’s most pressing issues, including those related to energy and climate. Prior to her time at Top Tier Impact Group, Dr. Chakraborty served as Associate Director of the Institute on Science for Global Policy from 2015 to 2018, where she used her experience to develop scientific consensus and deliver evidence-based policy recommendations to policymakers. From 2013 to 2014, Dr. Chakraborty was a cognitive scientist and project lead at Lootok Ltd., where she designed and implemented internal and external communication strategies informed by behavioral science in collaboration with Fortune 100 global companies, such as Mars Inc., Novartis, and PVH Corp.

Dr. Chakraborty earned a B.S. in Decision Science from Carnegie Mellon University, a Ph.D. in Behavioral Science from Kings College London, and completed post-doctorate work at Oxford University.

Dr. Chakraborty is regularly interviewed on major international news media outlets, including CNN, the BBC, Fox News, Sky News, and ABC. She was a keynote speaker at SXSW from 2019-2024 and a speaker at TEDxCalgary 2020. Dr. Chakraborty is a Forbes contributor, has written extensively in peer-reviewed journals, has contributed op-eds to publications like The Hill, and is currently working on her second book on adaptation to global risks. She directed a non-partisan science and technology policy institute and communicated its primary findings and policy recommendations to global stakeholders, ranging from the public to policymakers. She created and led a U.S. based live, weeklong virtual production for Earth Day 2020’s 50th Anniversary broadcast to 140 countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, resulting in a daily reach of more than two million. She produced and co-hosted the popular weekly radio show and podcast “Risky Behavior” and launched and hosted “The Climate and Security” Podcast and a special series on nuclear matters as a fellow for The Center for Climate and Security. In September 2021, Dr. Chakraborty co-authored a piece featured on Morning Consult titled: IPCC Report Underscores Why the United States Must Embrace Nuclear Power to Avoid a Climate Disaster.

Jesse Funches became a director of the Company in August 2021, bringing over three decades of distinguished regulatory experience in the nuclear energy sector.

Mr. Funches served as Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for ten years (1997-2007), where he was a key member of the senior management team responsible for setting the agency's strategic direction and addressing critical policy issues. Reporting directly to the Chairman, he established robust internal controls and risk management systems, achieving an unqualified assurance statement on the federal version of Sarbanes-Oxley. In this role, he liaised directly with Congress and the Office of Management and Budget on financial and regulatory matters while overseeing agency-wide budgeting, performance evaluation, and strategic planning. He collaborated closely with the agency's leadership and program managers on licensing new power reactors and nuclear fuel cycle activities.

Mr. Funches' career at the NRC spanned nearly three decades, beginning in 1978 when he served as assistant to the Chairman and Commissioner. He subsequently held director positions in several NRC offices (1981-1990) and served as Deputy Controller (1990-1997) before his promotion to Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to joining the NRC, Mr. Funches spent six years (1973-1978) as an Operations Research Analyst at the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon, where he conducted analyses and studies to inform the Secretary's decisions on defense programs and developed planning and fiscal guidance for military departments.

Following his tenure as NRC Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Funches transitioned to consulting work. From 2008 to 2017, he provided strategic advice to a foreign government on establishing and operating an effective nuclear regulatory authority. Since 2012, he has operated as an independent consultant specializing in nuclear industry regulatory costs and related issues. He also served as a senior consultant at Talisman International, LLC (2007-2008), advising the U.S. civilian nuclear industry on regulatory cost matters.

Mr. Funches holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Jackson State University, an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Illinois, and an MBA from Loyola College.

His exceptional career has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the 2004 Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award (the federal government's highest honor for excellence in financial management), three Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Senior Executives, and two NRC Distinguished Service Awards. He was also an active member of the Federal Chief Financial Officers Council, working with senior officials to improve government-wide financial management practices.

Ms. Goodman joined the Company as a director in April 2023, bringing over three decades of distinguished leadership in national security, defense, foreign policy, energy, environment, and scientific research.

As Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate & Security since November 2017, Ms. Goodman represents over 40 military and national security organizations addressing climate security risks. She also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar Institute. Ms. Goodman is widely credited with coining the term "threat multiplier" to describe climate change's impact on national security, fundamentally reshaping discourse on this critical nexus.

Ms. Goodman currently chairs the Energy and Homeland Security External Advisory Board for Sandia National Labs and the Council on Strategic Risks, which she founded. She serves on the boards of the Atlantic Council and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, where she chaired the Advisory Board for the report on Governing Solar Geoengineering and served on the Arctic Task Force. In 2024, she co-chaired the Commission on Nuclear Energy and American Leadership.

Ms. Goodman's distinguished government career includes serving as the first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security) from 1993-2001, where she was responsible for environmental, energy, safety and occupational health across the Department of Defense. She established the Department's first environmental performance metrics, led conservation programs, and oversaw the President's plan for revitalizing base closure communities, ensuring 80% of closure property became available for reuse. She also directed the Secretary's Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation program, developing innovative solutions for Russian nuclear submarine waste storage.

Prior to her Pentagon role, she served on the Senate Armed Services Committee staff, overseeing the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons complex, national laboratories, and environmental cleanup programs.

Ms. Goodman served as President and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of CNA (US Center for Naval Analyses) from 2001-2014. As founder and Executive Director of the CNA Military Advisory Board, she led the creation of landmark reports including "National Security and the Threat of Climate Change" (2007) and "Advanced Energy and US National Security" (2017). Her work inspired the documentary film "The Age of Consequences."

She has practiced law at Goodwin Procter as both a litigator and environmental attorney, and contributed her expertise at RAND and SAIC. Ms. Goodman currently serves as an independent director on corporate boards in the energy and technology sectors.

Ms. Goodman is the author of Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership and the Fight for Global Security (Island Press 2024), the story of the US military’s experience on the front lines of a changing frontier for energy and climate resilience, and "The Neutron Bomb Controversy: A Case Study in Alliance Politics" (Praeger, 1983). She has authored dozens of reports and articles on climate, energy, environmental, and national security matters. She appears regularly on major news media and is an active public speaker at corporations, universities, and research organizations. She is affiliated with the speakers’ group American Program Bureau (APB). 

Ms. Goodman holds degrees from Amherst College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School. Her numerous honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Environmental Peacebuilding Association (2024), an Honorary Doctorate from Amherst College (2018), the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award (1998 and 2001), the Gold Medal Award from the National Defense Industrial Organization (1996), and the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Change Award (2000).

Daniel Magraw Jr. has served as a director of the Company since October 23, 2006. Mr. Magraw is a leading expert on international environmental law and policy, as well as international human rights. He has served as a Senior Fellow and Professorial Lecturer at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies since 2011 and is President Emeritus of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). Mr. Magraw served as President and CEO of CIEL from 2002 to 2010.

Mr. Magraw is a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on International Law, serves as a consultant to the United Nations, and is on the Board of Trustees of the Universal Rights Group, a human rights think tank in Geneva, Switzerland. He served as Co-Chair of Human Rights Watch's Advisory Committee on Human Rights and Environment from 2017 to 2023.

From 1992 to 2001, Mr. Magraw was Director of the International Environmental Law Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, during which time he also served at the White House (2000-2001) and as Acting Assistant Administrator of the EPA's Office of International Activities. He was a member of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (TEPAC) from 2002 to 2010.

Mr. Magraw chairs the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of International Law's Task Force on Carta de Foresta and previously served as chair of the 15,000-member Section of International Law and Practice of the ABA. He was a member of the U.S. Department of State Study Group on International Business Transactions. Mr. Magraw practiced international law, constitutional law, and bankruptcy law at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC from 1978 to 1983.

Mr. Magraw graduated from Harvard University with High Honors in Economics, where he was student body president, and from the University of California, Berkeley Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the California Law Review. While working as an economist for the Peace Corps in India from 1968 to 1972, Mr. Magraw helped develop and manage the largest and most successful cooperative of its type (wholesale, retail, furniture manufacturing, and food processing) in India. He also conducted a rural mass market survey at the invitation of the Tamil Nadu state government.

Mr. Magraw is a widely published author in the field of international law and has received many awards.

Mr. Tobin became a director of the Company in September 2021. Mr. Tobin is a global finance and strategy executive with over 26 years of experience in international investment banking and public company leadership. Currently, Mr. Tobin serves as Interim CEO and the Chief Financial Officer of Camp Construction Services, a leading national provider in construction management services for multi-family and commercial clients, a position he has held since 2023. Mr. Tobin previously sat on the boards of data storage solutions provider Qualstar Corporation (2020 to 2021) and Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2015 to 2018).

Prior to his time at Camp Construction Services, Mr. Tobin served as Chief Financial Officer of National Underground Group from 2021 to 2023. Mr. Tobin served as Chief Financial Officer of global industrial printer manufacturer Printronix, from 2017 to 2021. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Tobin served as executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Nanoflex Power Corporation, a publicly listed solar technology company. Prior to that, Mr. Tobin served as Director of Research and as a Senior Research Analyst at Roth Capital Partners, where he oversaw equity research on hundreds of small-cap public companies, publishing research on publicly traded energy infrastructure companies including nuclear power, wind power, solar power, and electric transmission and distribution. Prior to that, Mr. Tobin was a Senior Systems Engineer and Project Manager at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he led teams providing systems engineering and integration services to the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Tobin began his career as an officer in the United States Air Force, overseeing advanced technology development programs and representing the U.S. as a NATO delegate. He graduated with honors from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Management and received an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.