2008 Woodie Awards
Tom Ridge Formally Resigns
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announces his resignation.
Brittany Lee
Issue date: 12/3/04 Section: News
On November 30, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced his resignation, effective February 1. Earlier Ridge had sent an e-mail of praise to the senior Homeland Security officials, stating the department was "an extraordinary organization that each day contributes to keeping America safe" and that he was proud to work with his 180,000 fellow employees who "go to work every day dedicated to making our country better and more secure."
During an afternoon news conference, Ridge expressed how difficult this decision has been for him. He told the public he was leaving for personal reasons. "I just want to step back and pay a little more attention to personal matters."
Many candidates for replacing Ridge have been mentioned, including Bernard Kerik, interim Minister of the Interior for Iraq and former New York City police commissioner; Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Allbaugh; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt, formerly governor of Utah; and White House homeland security adviser Fran Townsend. The Bush cabinet has experienced a number of resignations recently, including Attorney General John Ashcroft, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman; Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Bush has already started to fill the vacancies, with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for the State Department, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales for the Justice Department, and Carlos Guitierrez for Commerce.
Tom Ridge was sworn in as the first director of the Office of Homeland Security shortly after the September 11 attacks in October of 2001. He became the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in January 2003 , a newly formed federal bureaucracy of about 180,000 people formerly from different agencies. The creation of this new department was the first major reorganization in the government since the creation of the Department of Defense after World War II.
Ridge undertook an enormous task in presiding over the creation of such a large and critical new department. His years in office have not been free of criticism, however, aimed particularly at his famed color-coded system for the levels of terrorist threat.
During an afternoon news conference, Ridge expressed how difficult this decision has been for him. He told the public he was leaving for personal reasons. "I just want to step back and pay a little more attention to personal matters."
Many candidates for replacing Ridge have been mentioned, including Bernard Kerik, interim Minister of the Interior for Iraq and former New York City police commissioner; Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Allbaugh; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt, formerly governor of Utah; and White House homeland security adviser Fran Townsend. The Bush cabinet has experienced a number of resignations recently, including Attorney General John Ashcroft, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman; Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Bush has already started to fill the vacancies, with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for the State Department, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales for the Justice Department, and Carlos Guitierrez for Commerce.
Tom Ridge was sworn in as the first director of the Office of Homeland Security shortly after the September 11 attacks in October of 2001. He became the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in January 2003 , a newly formed federal bureaucracy of about 180,000 people formerly from different agencies. The creation of this new department was the first major reorganization in the government since the creation of the Department of Defense after World War II.
Ridge undertook an enormous task in presiding over the creation of such a large and critical new department. His years in office have not been free of criticism, however, aimed particularly at his famed color-coded system for the levels of terrorist threat.