Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty is an American scientist and former government official who served as the under secretary of energy for nuclear security and administrator of the

National Nuclear Security Administration The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and e ...

. Earlier in her career, she had served in various other leadership positions in the

Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rel ...

and the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

Education

Gordon-Hagerty graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

with a Bachelor of Science in 1983 and a Master of Public Health in

health physics Health physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential radiation hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. H ...

in 1986. During her graduate studies, she worked at the

Savannah River Site The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation in the United States in the state of South Carolina, located on land in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties adjacent to the Savannah River, southeast of August ...

Career

After graduation, she worked at

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a federal research facility in Livermore, California, United States. The lab was originally established as the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore Branch in 1952 in response ...

. She then moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to join the staff of the

United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more tha ...

. She then spent six years in the Department of Energy as the director of the Office of Emergency Response and acting director of the Office of Weapons Surety. As director of the Office of Emergency Response, she had authority to activate the

Nuclear Emergency Search Team The Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), formerly known as the Nuclear Emergency Search Team, is a team of scientists, technicians, and engineers operating under the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration ...

, which led ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...

'' to compare her to a "female James Bond". In July 1998, she became director of the White House Office of Combating Terrorism under the

. She was appointed during the

Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...

and remained in the position into the Bush administration. She was closely involved in its response to the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

, and was present in the White House compound during the attacks. She then served in several positions in the private sector. From 2003 to 2005, she was executive vice president and COO of

United States Enrichment Corporation Centrus Energy Corp. (formerly USEC Inc.) is an American company that supplies nuclear fuel for use in nuclear power plants and works to develop and deploy advanced centrifuge technology to produce enriched uranium for commercial and government use ...

. She then was president of consulting firm Tier Tech International and president and CEO of consulting firm LEG. She was named to ''Fortune'' magazine's Most Powerful Women in 2004, 2005 and 2006. She also served on the board of experts for the

Federation of American Scientists The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is an American nonprofit global policy think tank with the stated intent of using science and scientific analysis to attempt to make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1946 by scientists who wo ...

. Gordon-Hagerty was appointed by President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

as under secretary of energy for nuclear security and administrator of the

, confirmed by the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

on February 15, 2018 and was sworn in on February 22, 2018. In September 2019, she was named as one of five finalists for

National security advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National sec ...

after the resignation of

John Bolton John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United Sta ...

, although the position ultimately went to Robert C. O'Brien. On November 6, 2020, she resigned from her positions, reportedly due to longstanding tensions and disagreements with Secretary of Energy

Dan Brouillette Danny Ray Brouillette ( born August 18, 1962) is an American government official and businessman who served as the United States Secretary of Energy from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as the Deputy Secretary of Energy from August 2017 to D ...

. In December 2020, it was announced that Gordon-Hagerty would be appointed to the

Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee The Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, also referred to as the Defense Policy Board (DPBAC or DPB), is a federal advisory committee to the United States Department of Defense. Their charter is available online through the office of the Dire ...

. Gordon-Hagerty has been appointed to the board of directors of Visible Assets as of March 2021.

Personal life

During a

congressional committee A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress). Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the ...

hearing, Representative

Curt Weldon Wayne Curtis Weldon (born July 22, 1947) is an American politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He was defeated in November 2006 ...

compared Gordon-Hagerty to a character in the 1997 thriller '' The Peacemaker'', a counterterrorism director portrayed by

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

. She was reportedly underwhelmed by this, quoted as jokingly saying "I have more important things to do than advise Nicole Kidman." In 2007, she married Walter Houston, the founder and CEO of Tier Tech International.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon-Hagerty, Lisa Health physicists Living people United States Department of Energy officials University of Michigan School of Public Health alumni American women physicists Year of birth missing (living people) Clinton administration personnel George W. Bush administration personnel Trump administration personnel 21st-century American women