Earlier this morning, Katherine Archuleta was sworn-in as the 10^th Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Federal government’s personnel chief, and the first Hispanic to lead the Federal agency.  Acting Director Elaine Kaplan officiated the private ceremony, and Director Archuleta was joined by her husband Edmundo Gonzales. 

Archuleta began her four-year term by greeting OPM employees in the lobby of the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, where OPM is headquartered. 

“I am deeply honored to serve as the 10^th Director of the Office of Personnel Management and excited to get to work serving the American people,” Archuleta said.  “OPM touches so many lives and has such a significant impact on government service. I look forward to getting to know the many dedicated, hard-working men and women, who serve the public every day.”

As Director of OPM, Archuleta leads the government’s efforts to recruit, retain and honor a world-class workforce through an agency of more than 5,000 employees.  OPM has responsibility for setting government-wide policies on personnel issues such as pay and leave, labor relations, and workforce planning.  OPM also administers the insurance and retirement benefits programs for the 1.9 million Federal employees and more than 2 million Federal annuitants and their families.  OPM also provides critical human resources services to other agencies, conducts more than 2 million background investigations annually, audits agency personnel practices, and oversees the Combined Federal Campaign charitable donation drive. 

Archuleta will spend the rest of the day and week holding meetings with senior staff and receiving briefings on the broad range of policy and administrative issues, among other activities. 

Trained as an educator, Archuleta brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sector to her leadership at OPM.  Prior to joining OPM, she was the National Political Director for the President’s reelection campaign, where she traveled around the country listening to the many issues facing Americans. 

She spent 2 years as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Labor under the leadership of former-Secretary Hilda Solis, and prior to her service in the Obama Administration; she was a senior advisor to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on policy and initiatives. 

Among her many leadership experiences, Archuleta served as the Executive Director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, worked as the director of professional services for a Denver law firm, and cofounded the Center for Regional and Neighborhood Action. 

During her tenure in the Clinton Administration, she served as a senior advisor to Secretary Federico Pena at the Department of Energy, and as his Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Transportation. 

Archuleta started her career as a teacher in the Denver Public Schools System, and holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from the Metropolitan State University in Denver and a M.Ed. from the University of Northern Colorado. 

“As an educator, a public administrator, and a community leader, I know the value of bringing together talented people with diverse ideas and perspectives to improve any organization, and the Federal government is no exception,” Archuleta said.  “The complex and important work of government requires a diverse and inclusive workforce that is representative of the many important perspectives, talents, and backgrounds of our great Nation.  I am committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce to serve the American people.”

She is married to Edmundo Gonzales, and is the proud mother of Graciela, a teacher at the same Denver public school where she began her career.

To learn more about Katherine Archuleta, you may visit her Director’s blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr page.