DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to Head UC System

 

The Washington Post reports that Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will step down to become president of the University of California system. Napolitano, a former governor of Arizona who joined the Obama administration in 2009, will run the nation’s largest public university system.  She will be the first woman to run the 10-campus university system, according to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported her appointment this morning. Napolitano will replace current President Mark Yudof, who has been in the position since 2008 and announced he was stepping down earlier this year.

Here is Napolitano's statement:

“For more than four years I have had the privilege of serving President Obama and his Administration as the Secretary of Homeland Security. The opportunity to work with the dedicated men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who serve on the frontlines of our nation’s efforts to protect our communities and families from harm, has been the highlight of my professional career. We have worked together to minimize threats of all kinds to the American public. The Department has improved the safety of travelers; implemented smart steps that make our immigration system more fair and focused while deploying record resources to protect our nation’s borders; worked with states to build resiliency and make our nation’s emergency and disaster response capabilities more robust; and partnered with the private sector to improve our cybersecurity. After four plus years of focusing on these challenges, I will be nominated as the next President of the University of California to play a role in educating our nation’s next generation of leaders. I thank President Obama for the chance to serve our nation during this important chapter in our history, and I know the Department of Homeland Security will continue to perform its important duties with the honor and focus that the American public expects.”

KJ