(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan has announced the
appointment of A.T. Smith to the position of Deputy Director, effective April 8, 2012. Mr.
Smith is a 25-year veteran of the Secret Service and currently serves as the Assistant Director
of the Office of Investigations.
“A.T. has a well deserved reputation as a focused and consummate professional. From his
supervisory assignments, he has demonstrated not only the ability, but also the values, spirit
and character to effectively lead. He is well respected within the Secret Service, as well as by
all our external partners,” Director Sullivan said.
In his current position as Assistant Director of Investigations, Mr. Smith develops and
implements policy for all Secret Service criminal investigations pertaining to counterfeit
currency, financial crimes, and electronic crimes. Mr. Smith oversees multiple investigative
divisions and more than 160 domestic and international offices.
Mr. Smith’s law enforcement career began in 1978 as a communications dispatcher for the
Greenville County (SC) Sheriff’s Office, where during his eight-year tenure he achieved the
rank of Lieutenant.
Mr. Smith began his Secret Service career in 1986 as a special agent assigned to the Miami
Field Office. He has since served in numerous assignments which include: Assistant Director
– Investigations 2010-2012; Assistant Director – Human Resources and Training 2008-2010;
Deputy Assistant Director – Office of Investigations 2006-2008; Special Agent in Charge of
the New York Field Office 2003–2006; Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service training
academy; Executive Assistant to the Director; and Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of
the Presidential Protective Division.
While serving as the agent in charge in New York, Mr. Smith was appointed by the Secretary
of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the position of Principal Federal Official
for the tri-state region of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In this capacity, Mr. Smith
served as DHS’s Federal Coordinator for the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA)
60th Anniversary, the largest gathering of world leaders in history. Additionally, UNGA 60
was the largest protective mission ever undertaken by the United States Secret Service in its
146-year history. Mr. Smith also served on the Executive Board of the New York/New Jersey
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the largest such program in the United
States. This program operates under the White House’s Office of National Drug Control
Policy.
Mr. Smith has received numerous citations of merit as well as public service and law
enforcement awards. In September 2010, he received the Presidential Rank Award for
Meritorious Service. He was presented the Secretary’s Silver Medal by the Department of
Homeland Security in May 2006 for his work in the greater New York area. In 2004, he was
presented with the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Award of Excellence for his
work during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Additionally, Mr. Smith received
awards from the New York’s Finest Foundation and the American Society of Industrial
Security for his work as the Principal Federal Official and Federal Coordinator for the
Republican National Convention and the annual United Nations General Assembly in New
York City.
During his assignment to the Office of Human Resources and Training, Mr. Smith served for
two years as a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board
(FLETA). This board reviews and awards accreditation certification for numerous training
academies and academic processes within federal law enforcement.
Mr. Smith holds two master’s degrees; a Master of Science in Management from the School
of Business - Johns Hopkins University (2004); and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice
from the University of Alabama (1993). His undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science in
Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Smith has also served as an
instructor at the Greenville Technical College where he taught in the Criminal Justice
Program.
About the United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service was originally founded in 1865 for the purpose of
suppressing the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. Now an agency within the Department of
Homeland Security, the Secret Service is widely known for its protective mission in
safeguarding the nation’s highest elected officials, visiting foreign dignitaries and events of
national significance. Today, the Secret Service maintains a unique dual mission of
protection and investigations, as one of the premier law enforcement organizations charged
with investigating financial crimes.