(Washington, D.C.) – Mark Sullivan was sworn in as the 22nd Director of the United States Secret Service on May 31, 2006 in an Oval Office ceremony. Mr. Sullivan succeeds W. Ralph
Basham who was confirmed last week as Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and was sworn in on May 30.
Mr. Sullivan, whose career with the Secret Service spans 23 years, was selected as Deputy Director of the agency on January 27, 2006. On January 31, President George W. Bush
announced his intention to name Mr. Sullivan as Director.
Prior to serving as Deputy Director, Mr. Sullivan was the Assistant Director for the Office of Protective Operations where he oversaw all protective activities for the agency, encompassing 12 divisions and 2,300 employees.
“The Secret Service is an agency that has been defined and driven by our unique dual missions of protection and investigations, which takes not only a highly skilled and diverse workforce, but a commitment to meeting challenges and adapting to change,” Director Sullivan said in a message to employees. “There's no doubt that today's security environment presents distinct challenges for our agency and reminds us that the strength of our future is directly tied to the expertise we have acquired and demonstrated throughout our past.”
A native of Arlington, Massachusetts, Mr. Sullivan began his Secret Service career in 1983. Mr. Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New
Hampshire. He is married to the former Laurie Bell and has three children.