J. Stephen Tidwell Named Executive Assistant Director

J. Stephen Tidwell has been named Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. Director Robert S. Mueller, III, appointed him to this position to replace Michael A. Mason, who is who is retiring. Most recently, Mr. Tidwell served as Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office.

Mr. Tidwell entered on duty with the FBI in June 1983, and served in the Dallas, Mobile, and Baltimore Field Offices, where he investigated narcotics, violent crime, and gang matters. He also served as a team member on the Mobile and Baltimore Field Office SWAT teams. In Baltimore, he was an Assistant SWAT Team Leader and served as the SWAT Coordinator.
In March 2002, Mr. Tidwell was appointed Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Field Office. Mr. Tidwell served as the FBI's On-Scene Commander during the D.C. sniper investigation in October 2002. In May 2003, he was appointed Deputy Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters.

Mr. Tidwell was appointed Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group in November 2003. He served as the FBI's On-Scene Commander for personnel deployed to support the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. In August 2005, Mr. Tidwell was designated Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. He is a recipient of the 2005 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive.

Mr. Tidwell was born in Big Spring, Texas, and graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, in 1974. He is a 2005 National Defense University Pinnacle Course Fellow. Prior to entering the FBI, he served as a police officer with the Richardson, Texas, Police Department for eight years, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He is married to Paula N. Tidwell and is the father of Josh and Meghan.