Donald J. Devine - Director
March 23, 1981 - March 25, 1985
Donald J. Devine is the Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management and President Reagan's chief advisor on Federal civil service personnel matters.
Dr. Devine has been described as "the most visible personnel director in recent history," and "the best-known head of the Federal civil service since Theodore Roosevelt." As President Reagan's "top bureaucrat," he is responsible for recruiting, training and developing the Federal work force. He is also charged with administering civil service pay and benefits programs, including life and health insurance and the civil service retirement system.
Dr. Devine has combined a distinguished academic career with active public service. In 1980, he was Deputy Director for Political Planning and Analysis and a regional director for the Reagan-Bush Committee. He held related responsibilities during the 1976 Reagan campaign. Before joining the Reagan Administration in March 1981, he was an associate professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, specializing in American politics, public administration, democratic theory and public opinion.
Dr. Devine holds a Ph.D. in political science from Syracuse University and is the author of numerous articles and professional papers. He has written several books on politics, including The Political Culture of the United States, The Attentive Public, Does Freedom Work? and, most recently, Reagan Electionomics.
Long involved in state and national politics, as well as local community affairs, Dr. Devine lives in Wheaton, Maryland, with his wife, Ann and their four children.