Michael B. Ward Named Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Michael B. Ward special agent in charge (SAC) of the FBI’s Newark Division. Mr. Ward most recently served as deputy assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division’s Operations Branch II at FBI Headquarters. He is scheduled to report to Newark Division in March 2010.

Mr. Ward entered on duty as a special agent in July 1988 and served in the Dallas Division for approximately nine years, working primarily violent crime, interstate theft, and criminal enterprise investigations. In July 1997, he was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Office of Professional Responsibility at FBI Headquarters. He served in that capacity until May 1999, when he was named as an assistant inspector in the Inspection Division.

In September 2000, Mr. Ward was named white collar crime supervisor in the Tampa Division’s Orlando Resident Agency, with additional managerial responsibilities for the Lakeland Resident Agency. Two years later, he was appointed supervisory senior resident agent in Orlando and assigned accompanying responsibility for the Brevard Resident Agency.

Mr. Ward was selected as an assistant special agent in charge in the Boston Division in April 2003. While there, he served as program manager for all criminal investigative programs. In March 2005, he was named section chief of the Executive Development and Selection Program at FBI Headquarters, with oversight of the Senior Executive Service, Special Agent Mid-Level Management, Support Management Development, and Transfer Units. He also assumed the duties of acting deputy assistant director of the Operational Support Branch, Administrative Services Division in May 2005.

Director Mueller appointed Mr. Ward SAC of the Oklahoma City Division in July 2006. In that role, he had responsibility for all administrative and operational matters in Oklahoma. In August 2008, he was selected as deputy assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters, responsible for oversight of all domestic terrorism and terrorist financing investigations, as well as terrorist communication exploitation operations.

Mr. Ward is a graduate of Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration in 1985. He is a native of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina.