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James M. Kasson was appointed Chief Inspector for the Drug Enforcement Administration in August 2007. As the head of the Inspection Division, he manages the Office of Inspections, the Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Office of Security Programs. He is responsible for ensuring the protection and integrity of DEA’s employees, facilities, information and programs. Mr. Kasson is also charged with overseeing the effective management of enforcement activities and overall DEA internal and external review and evaluation. He brings to this position over 25 years of drug law enforcement experience.

Prior to becoming the Chief Inspector, Mr. Kasson was the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Philadelphia Field Division. Before arriving in Philadelphia, Mr. Kasson was the Associate Special Agent in Charge (A/SAC) for Operations in the New York Field Division. He was promoted to this Senior Executive Service (SES) position in January 2002.

Mr. Kasson joined DEA in 1982, and was assigned to work as a Special Agent in the Panama City, Florida Office. In the spring of 1986, he was transferred to the New York Divisional Office. In 1990, he was promoted to Task Force Supervisor of the Capital District Task Force in Albany, New York. In 1992, he became a Group Supervisor in Tampa, Florida and in May of 1996, he was assigned to the Office of Professional Responsibility’s Northeast Field Office as an Inspector. In the spring of 1997, he was promoted to an Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) for the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and in 1999 he was promoted to the Associate Special Agent in Charge for Operational Support.

Mr. Kasson was selected by DEA to attend the Harvard Leadership School and a four week Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School, Duke University. He serves as a member on the DEA Career Board and is currently a permanent member of the DEA Leadership Forum.

Mr. Kasson, was born in Vestal, New York. In 1982, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University located in Boston, Massachusetts. He served as an intern for the DEA in both the Washington, DC and New York Offices for over one and a half years before becoming an agent.