Department also awards outgoing Administrator the prestigious Schlesinger Medal, names Acting Administrator for NNSA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said farewell to outgoing National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Lt Gen Frank G. Klotz, U.S. Air Force (Ret). Secretary of Energy Rick Perry also announced that Klotz would be the fourth recipient of the James R. Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security.

“General Klotz has been an invaluable member of our team and I greatly appreciate him staying on for the first year of the Administration to help us with national security continuity,” said Secretary Perry. “Under his stewardship, NNSA has made tremendous progress on its stockpile stewardship and infrastructure modernization efforts. He is more than deserving of the Schlesinger Medal for his contributions in nuclear and energy national security issues.”

“It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve alongside the women and men who work at NNSA, our national laboratories, our production plants, and our specialized sites as we carried out our vitally important and enduring nuclear security missions,” said Administrator Klotz.

The Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security was inspired by the late James R. Schlesinger, the first Secretary of Energy, whose career and works embody a focus on the interplay of economic, security, and energy issues – in academia, in public service, and industry. First given in 2014, the medal honors one individual each year for their distinguished contributions to advancing our understanding of the threats, opportunities, and energy policy choices impacting the domestic and international energy security interests of the United States through analysis, policy, or practice.

Klotz has served as the Department of Energy’s Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) since April 2014. He was responsible for the management and operation of the NNSA, as well as policy matters across the Department of Energy and NNSA enterprise. The General’s last day will be Saturday, January 20th.  Steven C. Erhart, who currently serves as NNSA’s Director for the Office of Policy, has been designated as Acting Administrator for NNSA.

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