Mr. Thomas Paul D’Agostino is the Undersecretary for Nuclear Security at the U.S. Department of Energy and the Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  The NNSA’s responsibilities include designing, producing, and maintaining safe, secure and reliable nuclear weapons for the U.S. military, providing safe, militarily effective naval nuclear propulsion plants, and promoting international nuclear safety and nonproliferation.  He was nominated by the President for this position on May 17, 2007, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 1, 2007, and sworn-in by the Secretary of Energy on August 30, 2007.

Most recently, Mr. D’Agostino served as the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at NNSA and directed the Stockpile Stewardship Program, which is responsible for maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.  The NNSA’s nuclear weapons complex includes three national research laboratories, the Nevada Test Site, and four production plants.

Defense Programs oversees the Stockpile Stewardship Program, which employs over 25,000 people around the country.  This approximately $5.2 billion program encompasses operations associated with manufacturing, maintaining, refurbishing, and dismantling the nuclear weapons stockpile.  Defense Programs also provides oversight and direction of the research, development, and engineering support to maintain the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile in the absence of underground testing, and assures the capability for maintaining the readiness to test and develop new warheads, if required.

In his previous assignments, Mr. D’Agostino served as the Assistant Deputy Administrator for Program Integration where he supported the Deputy Administrator and directed the formulation of the programs, plans and budget for the Stockpile Stewardship Program.  He was also previously the Deputy Director for the Nuclear Weapons Research, Development, and Simulation Program where he directed the formulation of the programs and budget for the research and development program that supports the Stockpile Stewardship Program.  From 1989 to 1996, Mr. D’Agostino worked in numerous assignments within the federal government in the startup of the department's tritium production reactors and at the Naval Sea Systems Command as a program manager for the SEAWOLF submarine propulsion system.

Mr. D’Agostino achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserves where he has served with the Navy Inspector General and with the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Submarine Warfare in developing concepts for new attack submarine propulsion systems.  He also served with the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy, and Operations (N3/5) in the Navy Command Center in the Pentagon.  In this capacity, he was the French Desk Officer for the Chief of Naval Operations responsible for all Politico-Military interactions with the French Navy and served as the Duty Captain at the Navy Command Center.

He spent over eight years on active duty in the Navy as a submarine officer to include assignments onboard the USS SKIPJACK (SSN 585) and with the Board of Inspection and Survey where he was the Main Propulsion and Nuclear Reactor Inspector.  In this position, he performed nuclear reactor and propulsion engineering inspections for over 65 submarines and nuclear-powered ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.

Mr. D'Agostino's awards include the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Stars, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Presidential Rank Meritorious Executive Award, and numerous other awards.  Mr. D’Agostino is married to Beth Ann Alemany of Manchester, CT, and has two children.

Education:
Naval War College, Newport, RI, MS National Security Studies, 1997 (Distinguished Graduate)
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, MS Business Finance, 1992
United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, BS Physical Science, 1980

Last Reviewed: 6/18/2008