William Ostendorff

Following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1976, the Honorable Bill Ostendorff entered Rickover’s Nuclear Navy, serving on sixsubmarines. He commanded USS NORFOLK (SSN714) and Submarine Squadron Six and served as Dean of the School of Mathematics and Science at the US Naval Academy. Following retirement in 2002, he served as counsel and staff director for the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Ostendorff has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate on three occasions. He served as Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in the Bush administration (2007-2009)and as a Commissioner at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2010-2016) in the Obama administration. From 2016-2021, he was privileged to serve as the Class of 1960 Distinguished Visiting Professor in National Security at the Naval Academy. Mr. Ostendorff earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the United States Naval Academy and law degrees from the University of Texas and Georgetown University.

Bill currently serves on several corporate boards and volunteers in the local community. He and his wife Chris have three adult children and five grandchildren and love living in Annapolis.