I am pleased to announce my appointment of Chad Sweet as the Department of Homeland Security's Chief of Staff. During the past year, I have worked closely with Chad as my special assistant and deputy chief of staff.
In that time, Chad has represented the department in coordinating interagency planning and policy on many of our highest priority issues, including the deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops to the southwest border in Operation Jump Start. Chad has also helped to improve information flow processes within the department and with the White House and Congress, strengthened the department's ability to track performance, and re-engineered the process for daily operational and intelligence briefings for me and the deputy secretary.
Chad graduated with honors from Columbia University and will bring to my staff more than twelve years of private sector experience with Fortune 500 companies and understanding of the intelligence community from his service at the CIA. I will count on his extensive knowledge and strong professionalism in running the day-to-day business of the department and I look forward to his continued contributions to the security of our homeland.
Chad replaces John Wood, who resigned on November 22, 2006.
