Michael A. Mason Named Executive Assistant Director

Washington D.C.—Director Robert S. Mueller, III is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael A. Mason to be Executive Assistant Director (EAD) for Criminal Investigations. In this position, Mr. Mason will oversee criminal and cyber investigations, coordination with law enforcement, international operations, and crisis response. Mr. Mason has served as Acting EAD for Administration since January.

Director Mueller said, "Mike has the knowledge and experience with both criminal investigations and administrative matters to ensure that the criminal programs receive strategic guidance and support. Under his leadership, I have no doubt that the FBI will maintain its unparalleled level of excellence in criminal investigations."

Mr. Mason joined the FBI in January 1985 and was initially assigned to the Hartford Resident Agency, New Haven Division, where he worked on narcotics investigations (frequently as an undercover agent), fugitives, and bank robberies, and served on the SWAT Team as a sniper/observer. He was later assigned to the Washington Field Office, where he served on a White Collar Crime/Public Corruption Squad.

He came to FBI Headquarters in 1990 as a member of the Director's security detail, and subsequently served as a supervisor in the Personnel Resources Unit and then as an Assistant Inspector in the Inspection Division. Beginning in 1994, he served as supervisor of the Syracuse Resident Agency, Albany Division, and was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Division in 1998.

Mr. Mason served as Section Chief, Applicant Processing Section, and was responsible for, among other things, overseeing the background investigations conducted on all FBI employees and Presidential appointees. He served as the Special Assistant to the Director from December 2001 to April 2002, and was the Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento Division from 2002 until his appointment as the Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office in September 2003.

Mr. Mason was born in Chicago, Illinois. He has a degree in accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and achieved the rank of Captain U. S. Marine Corps prior to his discharge in December 1984. He is married and has two sons.