Kimberly Walton
Special Counselor
Kimberly Walton is special counselor to the administrator and to the deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Her office manages the timely sharing, coordination and protection of information related to transportation security, ensuring that employees and the traveling public are treated in a fair and lawful manner, consistent with federal laws and regulations protecting privacy, affording redress and information sharing, and prohibiting discrimination and reprisal. Walton also ensures that quality information is provided to TSA's stakeholders, the public and members of Congress.
She oversees several TSA offices, including the Executive Secretariat, Civil Rights and Liberties, the Ombudsman, Privacy, Freedom of Information Act, Sensitive Security Information, Audit Liaison, and Transportation Security Redress.
Prior to this appointment, Walton was TSA's deputy special counselor. Previously, she was the ombudsman for TSA, providing problem resolution services to employees and serving as the central point of contact for all inquiries and complaints from the traveling public.
Before joining TSA in January 2003, Walton served as the deputy chief administrative officer for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this position, she provided resource management support to the under secretary of Commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO. Additionally, Walton was a key member of the chief financial officer/chief administrative officer's immediate policy planning group and participated in formulation and review of policy and planning determinations affecting USPTO. She was also responsible for providing administrative oversight to, and coordinating the activities of, the Human Resources, Administrative Services, Security and Civil Rights offices.
Before joining the USPTO, Walton was director of civil rights for the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this position she advised the secretary of Commerce, deputy secretary and other department senior staff on all equal employment opportunity, diversity and civil rights matters. She also chaired the department's diversity council. Before joining Commerce, Walton was an attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
She has received a TSA Silver Medal Award, a U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award and two Commerce Bronze Medal Awards. She recently participated in the National and International Security Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Walton holds a law degree from the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. She studied psychology at the University of Tennessee and organizational psychology at Columbia University.
