Thomas “Clay” Messer is a member of the Senior Executive Service and serves as the Deputy Director for National Security Programs within the Department of Energy’s Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS). In this role, he provides senior executive leadership for DOE’s unified safeguards and security program, overseeing the Offices of Classification and Security and Threat Management, which include Security Policy, National Industrial Security Operations, and Technical Security Program Operations. Mr. Messer leads Department-wide efforts to address emerging national security challenges and to strengthen the integration of risk-informed, technology-enabled security solutions across the DOE complex.
Before joining EHSS, Mr. Messer served as Director of the Office of Safeguards and Security Assessments within the Office of Enterprise Assessments. His earlier career includes key leadership roles at the NNSA Pantex Plant and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as well as honorable service in the U.S. Marine Corps, including participation in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Mr. Messer holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He is a qualified Senior Technical Safety Manager and technically qualified in all DOE safeguards and security topical areas. He has completed advanced executive training through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Harvard Kennedy School, and DOE’s Nuclear and Safeguards and Security Executive Leadership programs.