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Richard A. Whitford

Assistant Administrator for Human Capital

Photo of Richard Whitford

Richard Whitford became the Transportation Security Administration's Assistant Administrator for Human Capital in February 2003.

As a member of TSA's executive team, Whitford ensures that TSA's human capital strategy is aligned with the President's mandates as well as with the agency's transportation security mission. He is responsible for TSA's flexible recruitment, assessment, staffing and training. He also leads the agency's human capital scorecard initiative as well as implementation of reporting systems that monitor TSA's human resources progress and performance.

Before joining TSA, Whitford served as the associate director for employment at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He directed the offices of the controller, the administrative law judges, diversity, employment policy, the personnel resources and development center, and service delivery operations and systems.

Also at OPM, he provided recruitment and applicant evaluation and referral services to federal agencies across the country as assistant director of service delivery operations and systems. He also developed products and services, like USAStaffing, to help government agencies streamline their human resources processes, and he managed the OPM division responsible for USAJOBS, the federal government's worldwide automated employment information system.

Before OPM, Whitford was director of corporate planning for the Naval Sea Systems Command. He held other positions there as well as at the Navy's human resources office with responsibilities for program policy and direction for information systems, security, and human resources at Naval shipyards. In addition, he directed the planning and resources office for the weapons and combat systems directorate.

Whitford has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

He completed undergraduate studies at Loyola College in Baltimore, and graduate studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I., and The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.