M. Colleen Crowley is the Deputy Associate Director, Federal Investigative Services, External Affairs (EA) for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Federal Investigative Services (FIS). OPM-FIS is the government's largest provider of background investigations, supporting Federal agencies' personnel suitability and security programs.
As Deputy Associate Director, Federal Investigative Services, External Affairs, Crowley leads an organization of investigations professionals and support staff who are responsible for conducting background investigations leading to suitability and security clearance decisions for employees who work on some of the Federal government's most sensitive programs. Crowley and her professional team also are responsible for maintaining and evaluating policies pertaining to the quality and timeliness of investigations products. In addition, she oversees activities related to investigations policy, records and information access, program assessments, agency liaison and training, and outreach. EA represents OPM-FIS at national-level working groups and forums. Crowley joined OPM-FIS in March 2006, serving as the Chief of the Operational Policy Group, working with Executive Branch counterparts on Joint Security and Suitability process reforms
Crowley began her Federal career in 1980 with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) as a file clerk, providing NCIS records information to OPM, the Defense Security Service and other Federal agencies. She went on to hold a number of increasingly responsible positions at NCIS, including background investigations reviewer and records manager. In 1988 she moved to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), where she served as a personnel security specialist with functional program management responsibilities for the Nuclear Weapons Personnel Reliability Program, the Limited Access Authorization Program, and the Security Education, Training and Awareness Program. She became the chief of Personnel Security Policy for the Department of the Navy in 1992 and in this capacity represented the Department of the Navy at national-level program policy working groups and forums.
Crowley served as the Vice Chair of the Security Policy Board's Personnel Security Committee (PSC) from 1997 until the PSC was replaced by the Personnel Security Working Group in 2000.
Crowley has a bachelor's degree from George Mason University and a master's degree in Policy Management from Georgetown University. She and her husband Tom have five children and enjoy spending time with extended family in Springfield, Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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