Elaine Duke was officially sworn in on Monday as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), marking a return to the department where she last headed the management office seven years ago.
Chip Fulghum, the deputy under secretary for Management, was serving as the acting DHS deputy. Fulghum will continue to act as the under secretary for management.
DHS Secretary John Kelly last week told a Senate committee that he plans for Duke to lead a top to bottom assessment of DHS, with a particular focus on an effort begun in the Obama administration to eliminate stovepipes in the interest of a more unified approach to missions and functions. He also said that Duke would be helping in the area of cyber security.
Duke is highly respected for her years of services as a management professional within the federal government. She spent 29 years in the federal government before leaving in April 2010 and starting her own consulting firm.
In addition to previously serving as the under secretary for Management at DHS, Duke was the deputy for the management office and also the department’s chief procurement officer She has also served with the Transportation Security Administration, the Navy and the Air Force.