WASHINGTON — Janet Napolitano announced Friday that she was stepping down as secretary of Homeland Security. Napolitano, a former Arizona governor has been in the role for more than four years will leave in September to become president of the University of California system. According to a report in the New York Times Napolitano had her eye on becoming the next attorney general, but now is taking herself out of the Washington arena.
In a statement, Napolitano said,
“For more than four years I have had the privilege of serving President Obama and his administration as the Secretary of Homeland Security. The opportunity to work with the dedicated men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who serve on the frontlines of our nation’s efforts to protect our communities and families from harm, has been the highlight of my professional career. We have worked together to minimize threats of all kinds to the American public. The Department has improved the safety of travelers; implemented smart steps that make our immigration system more fair and focused while deploying record resources to protect our nation’s borders; worked with states to build resiliency and make our nation’s emergency and disaster response capabilities more robust; and partnered with the private sector to improve our cybersecurity. After four plus years of focusing on these challenges, I will be nominated as the next President of the University of California to play a role in educating our nation’s next generation of leaders. I thank President Obama for the chance to serve our nation during this important chapter in our history, and I know the Department of Homeland Security will continue to perform its important duties with the honor and focus that the American public expects.”
In a statement released Friday, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said,
“I’m delighted with the choice of Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to serve as the 20th President of the University of California. Her vision, leadership and commitment to public service are perfect for addressing the challenges we face and capitalizing on the opportunities that exist. She has a proven record of support for education and understands higher education as a force to change society for the better. We look forward to the opportunity to showcase UC San Diego as an exemplar of the tremendous and impactful resource that is the University of California.”
