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Janet Napolitano

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Janet Napolitano
NameJanet Napolitano
CaptionOfficial portrait, 2009
Office3rd United States Secretary of Homeland Security
PresidentBarack Obama
Term startJanuary 21, 2009
Term endSeptember 6, 2013
PredecessorMichael Chertoff
SuccessorJeh Johnson
Order121st
Office1Governor of Arizona
Term start1January 6, 2003
Term end1January 20, 2009
Lieutenant1Jan Brewer
Predecessor1Jane Dee Hull
Successor1Jan Brewer
Office223rd Arizona Attorney General
Term start2January 4, 1999
Term end2January 6, 2003
Governor2Jane Dee Hull
Predecessor2Grant Woods
Successor2Terry Goddard
Birth date29 November 1957
Birth placeNew York City, New York, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
EducationSanta Clara University (BA), University of Virginia School of Law (JD)

Janet Napolitano is an American politician, lawyer, and academic administrator who served as the third United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama. She previously served as the 21st Governor of Arizona, the first woman to hold that office, and as the Arizona Attorney General. Following her tenure in the Obama administration, she became the 20th president of the University of California system, overseeing its ten campuses and three national laboratories.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, she was raised in Albuquerque and Pittsburgh. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Santa Clara University, where she was a Truman Scholar. She then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor and serving as editor of the Virginia Law Review. After law school, she clerked for Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Phoenix.

Political career

Her political career began in Arizona, where she served as an attorney for the law firm Lewis and Roca. In 1993, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, becoming the first woman to hold that position. She was elected Arizona Attorney General in 1998, gaining prominence for her role in negotiating the Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry and for advocating for consumer protection laws.

Governor of Arizona

Elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, her tenure as Governor of Arizona focused on education, economic development, and border security. She signed legislation establishing the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board and championed statewide all-day kindergarten programs. During her governorship, she deployed the Arizona National Guard to the Mexico–United States border under Operation Jump Start and vetoed numerous bills on illegal immigration, including the 2005 version of what later became the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

Nominated by President Barack Obama, she was confirmed as United States Secretary of Homeland Security in 2009. She led the department through significant events, including the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the attempted Christmas Day bombing, and the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Her tenure emphasized a shift toward counterterrorism and cybersecurity, notably establishing the National Protection and Programs Directorate.

University of California presidency

In 2013, she was named the 20th president of the University of California system. Her presidency was marked by advocacy for undocumented students, the launch of the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, and navigating financial challenges following the Great Recession. She faced criticism during the University of California academic worker strike and for the handling of an audit of the UC Office of the President. She stepped down in 2020 to join the faculty at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy.

Post-government career and legacy

She currently serves as a professor at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and is a director on the board of Sempra Energy. Her legacy is defined by being a pioneering woman in high-level security and executive roles, shaping both state policy in Arizona and national security strategy during the Obama administration. She received the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law from the University of Virginia and has been a vocal advocate for higher education access and immigration reform.

Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:University of California presidents Category:United States Secretaries of Homeland Security Category:Governors of Arizona