John Conger

Senior Advisor

Former Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment, U.S. Department of Defense

John Conger is the Director Emeritus of the Center for Climate and Security, President of Conger Strategies and Solutions, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Association of Defense Communities.

His experience with the Center for Climate and Security and his previous tenure overseeing climate efforts at the Department of Defense during the Obama Administration have made him one of the nation’s leading climate security experts.

He was confirmed by the Senate in 2015 to serve as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), serving until January 2017. As DoD’s Deputy Comptroller, he helped to lead and manage DoD’s financial enterprise, to include development, defense and execution of the DoD budget, conducting DoD’s nascent audit efforts, and development of defense reforms and savings initiatives. For his contributions he was awarded the DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Previously, John oversaw energy, installations and environmental policy throughout DoD, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment, and as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment from 2009 to 2015. In these roles, Mr. Conger oversaw a diverse portfolio that included hundreds of military installations and the DoD’s trillion-dollar real property footprint, Base Realignment and Closure, environmental cleanup, energy resilience, and, of course, climate change.

Prior to his appointment in DoD, John served on the staff of Representative Chet Edwards, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, where he served as Legislative Director and principal advisor on defense, veterans, and foreign policy issues. He also served as staff for the House Army Caucus, which Edwards co-chaired. For his work in support of military service members, retirees, and their families, John received the Military Order of the Purple Heart Special Recognition Award, the Military Coalition Freedom Award, and the Military Officers Association of America Col. Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award.

In his previous tenure on Capitol Hill, he served as Professional Staff for the House International Relations Committee and as defense staff for Representatives Jane Harman and Sam Gejdenson. Previously, John was employed in the private sector as an aerospace engineer and defense analyst.

He holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from the George Washington University.