CESER Leadership

Nick Andersen

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Prior to joining the Department of Energy, Nick Andersen served in the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the Federal Cybersecurity Lead and Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to the Federal Chief Information Officer, where he led the OMB Cyber Team and was responsible for government-wide cybersecurity policy development and compliance of shared federal security services.

Andersen previously served as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Vermont, where he was appointed to lead State efforts pertaining to the security and protection of data, security compliance activities, risk reduction, security operations, and threat intelligence.

Prior to this, Andersen was a senior executive and senior intelligence officer serving as the Chief Information Officer for Navy Intelligence and was the Head of the Office of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Systems and Technologies at the U.S. Coast Guard.  He has served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, managing intelligence mission systems in Iraq, Europe, and Africa; and has led cybersecurity and technology programs worldwide with several leading and emerging companies.

Andersen holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Management and a Master of Science in Information Security and Assurance. He has received awards from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and Intelligence Community.

Kate Marks

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration

Kate Marks oversees CESER’s efforts to secure critical energy infrastructure against manmade or physical hazards, reduce the impact of disruptive events, and respond to and facilitate recovery from energy disruptions. Marks began her federal service in 2014 as part of the DOE’s Energy Policy and Systems Analysis office, analyzing state and local government energy policy and managing stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining DOE, Marks served as Managing Director at the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) in Arlington, Virginia, and as Director of the Energy Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver.

Marks holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University and a Master of Resource Law Studies in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law. She has authored numerous publications and testified before state legislatures on energy and climate policy issues.