FBI Director Announces Retirement of Gary Bald, Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch

Washington D.C. – FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III today announced that Gary M. Bald, the Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch (EAD-NSB), will retire from the Bureau on June 2, 2006.

EAD Bald began his Bureau career in 1977 in the Laboratory Division, and served in Albany, Philadelphia, Newark, Atlanta, the Office of Professional Responsibility, Inspection Division, and the Criminal Investigative Division. He also led Organized Crime/Corruption investigation relating to James "Whitey" Bulger in Boston. He was Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office from September 2002 until November 2003. In that assignment he oversaw the FBI’s efforts in the Washington-area sniper investigation in the fall of 2002. He served as the Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division and then the Executive Assistant Director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence during 2004-2005, before being selected to head the FBI's National Security Branch (NSB).

Director Mueller said, “Throughout his career, Gary has shown tremendous leadership, vision, and grace under pressure. He has helped to shape the Bureau in important ways, from a national strategy for combating narcotics, to building inter-agency partnerships, to enhancing our capabilities to prevent terrorist attacks, to his most recent efforts to build the NSB and define the FBI’s role in intelligence. I am pleased with the progress we have made under his leadership.

“We will move quickly to fill the important position of EAD-NSB, and we will continue along the path Gary and his team have established. I have great confidence in our direction.”

EAD Bald said, “The decision to leave the Bureau after almost 29 years was a difficult one, but weighing our progress on implementation of the NSB as well as family considerations, I decided that now is a good time for the transition.

“Of all I have seen and done in the FBI, I am most proud of the decisions I have made in choosing managers and leaders. We have an excellent leadership team in the NSB. I have worked very closely with Associate EAD Phil Mudd, Assistant Directors Willie Hulon, Timothy Bereznay, and Wayne Murphy, and Section Chief Shawn Henry to develop a clear vision for the NSB and the FBI’s future role in intelligence. I have complete confidence that our vision for the FBI's intelligence program will be fully realized under their continuing leadership.”