President Joe Biden’s nominee to become assistant Navy secretary for energy, installations and energy told lawmakers Wednesday she sees the “urgency and the dynamic nature” of the job.

“We face threats – both natural and manmade – a competitive energy market, and a changing climate that impacts installations and stresses operational readiness,” Meredith Berger told the Senate Armed Services Committee in prepared remarks. “It is imperative that we are cognizant operators in this ecosystem. We must focus on our resilience.”

Berger is a former deputy chief of staff for the Navy and worked for the state of Florida during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

“[The oil spill] disaster caused us to think hard about the environmental, economic, national security and safety implications of our energy choices.”

At the hearing, the committee also heard from other nominees, including Shawn Skelly, nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for readiness, Gina Ortiz Jones, nominated for under secretary of the Air Force, and Caroline Krass, nominated to become DOD general counsel.

Marine Corps photo of Berger by Cpl. Samantha K. Draughon