CESER Leadership

Director

Alex Fitzsimmons is the Director of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Appointed in May 2025, he leads the Department's efforts to safeguard the nation's energy infrastructure against evolving cyber and physical threats, ensuring resilience and security across critical energy systems. 

With more than a decade of experience in energy policy and government leadership, Fitzsimmons has held several key positions within DOE. Most recently, he served as DOE’s Chief of Staff, guiding the Department through its initial 100 days under the Trump Administration. Prior to that, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), where he also served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary. In these roles, Fitzsimmons advanced initiatives related to energy efficiency, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity, including the development of EERE’s Cybersecurity Multiyear Program Plan, published in November 2020. 

Before rejoining DOE, Fitzsimmons led government affairs at Sila Nanotechnologies, a next-generation energy storage company, and served as Senior Director at ClearPath, focusing on energy storage and critical mineral supply chains. Earlier in his career, he managed policy and public affairs at the Institute for Energy Research and its advocacy arm, the American Energy Alliance. 

Fitzsimmons holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The George Washington University and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Deputy Director

Principal Deputy Director 

With more than 20 years of experience, Lili Colon has a deep understanding of how quickly the threat landscape changes and what is needed to best secure and protect the U.S. energy supply from all threats. She helps drive the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) mission to strengthen the security and resilience of U.S. energy infrastructure from cyber, physical, and natural hazard risks and disruptions by leveraging critical expertise across both public and private sectors. 

Lili guides the department and its programs towards success with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary collaboration among agency partners, industry, academia, and education. Her background in operations and cyber, physical, and communications domains is rooted in her commitment to excellence and ensures a critical eye is kept on the horizon. 

Most recently, Lili served as the Deputy Associate Director for the Integrated Operations Division within the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).  In this role, she worked to minimize the impact to our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure by establishing operational and leadership support within the Agency’s 24/7 Operation Center. Lili also served as the deputy co-chair to the COMM-ISAC and supported CISA’s operational processes in response to Emergency Support Functions #2: “Communication” and #14: “Cross-sector Business and Infrastructure” responsibilities under the National Response Framework. 

Previously, Lili served as the Chief for Strategic Planning and Resource Management for the Cybersecurity Division within CISA. Ther work was integral in managing strategy, policy coordination, integrating program planning, and performance of a $1.2B annual budget. Furthermore, she was responsible for maturing the Division’s annual operating plans and long-term strategy to achieve national cybersecurity objectives. This required Lili to establish multiple agency strategic policy development planning efforts and coordinate engagements to support the Department of Homeland Security’s broader mission to increase resilience in our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure and reduce exposure to cyber risks.  

Throughout her career, Lili has honed her expertise through various Information Technology/Cybersecurity Positions in the government and private sectors relating to the Certification and Accreditation Process, Cybersecurity Curriculum Manager, Information Assurance, Cyber Strategic Planning, and Security Policy Development.  

Her role at CESER clarifies the Office’s vison for how our Nation can secure its energy infrastructure now and in the future. 

Deputy Director of Threat Analysis and Incident Response

Steven M. McAndrews serves as the Deputy Director for Threat Analysis and Incident Response, within the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). At CESER, he strengthens the security and resilience of the U.S. energy sector by analyzing the threat landscape and ensuring decisive action during incident response.

Prior to this role, McAndrews served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Information Management and Chief Information Officer (DCIO) at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). At NNSA, McAndrews was responsible for managing all operational, technical, and administrative aspects of NNSA’s Cybersecurity and Information Management Program. He also oversaw the integration and coordination of cybersecurity and information technology support services throughout the NNSA Nuclear Security Enterprise in support of national security goals, Department of Energy (DOE)/NNSA strategies, and the continuity of operations for critical NNSA information technology assets. 

McAndrews has 16 years of experience as an IT professional with the Federal government. Prior to his current role, he served as the Director for Federal Cybersecurity at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Executive Office of the President, Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer. While there, he led numerous government-wide technology improvements and process and policy initiatives, including the rollout and response to Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. McAndrews helped to create and integrate the Office of the National Cyber Director with the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, and overhauled Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) reporting and metrics.

McAndrews is a military veteran and began his career in the U.S. Army. He worked as an IT/Cyber Policy Lead at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Information Security Officer, where he managed the Vulnerability Disclosure Program and established an agency-wide security operations center assessment program. McAndrews served as the Cybersecurity Services Branch Chief at the U.S. Census Bureau, and Chief Systems Engineer at the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command.

He is a recipient of the 2025 NVTC Cyber50 Award, the 2025 Department of War CIO Award, 2025 AFFIRM Vanguard Award, 2024 NNSA Administrator Achievement Award, 2023 AFCEA Disrupter of the Year Award, 2022 GovExec FCW Federal 100 Award, 2020 NextGen Award for Government Service, numerous DHS Achievement Awards, and an OMB Special Achievement Award. McAndrews holds a Master’s of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Millersville University.