Former Energy Sec Ernest Moniz to Join Nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative in June

Ernest Moniz, former secretary of the Energy Department, will serve as co-chairman and CEO of the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative beginning June 1.

The organization said Friday Moniz will co-chair the board of directors alongside incumbents and NTI founders Sam Nunn and Ted Turner.

“Ernie comes to us with sterling credentials, deep expertise and enormous credibility in the nuclear and other [weapons of mass destruction] security fields,” said Nunn, who is also the current CEO.

“[He] played a pivotal role in the successful conclusion of the Iran agreement.”

Moniz, who was energy secretary under the administration of Barack Obama, currently works as a part-time physics professor and special adviser to the president at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has held other positions such as department head for physics, director of the Bates Linear Accelerator Center and founding director of the MIT Energy Initiative.

He has also served as associate director for science at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, undersecretary of energy during the administration of Bill Clinton and special negotiator for the disposition of Russian nuclear materials at DOE.

Moniz said he will draw on his background in both government and academia to support NTI’s mission to reduce nuclear, biological and cyber risks around the world.