Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on the Resignation of the Chief of Staff

Release Date: November 22, 2006

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: (202) 282-8010

Today is John Wood's last day as my Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security. John has ably served at my side since my earliest days at the department. He is a trusted friend and colleague, on whom I have counted on for wise counsel on the most critical issues that we face and for his leadership in managing the day-to-day business of the department.

John is a very talented attorney and leader who has served the President since the beginning of the Administration, including at the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and twice at the Department of Justice. John began his service in the Administration in 2001 at the Department of Justice as Deputy Associate Attorney General and Counsel to the Associate Attorney General, where he helped oversee the department's five civil litigating divisions. John also served at the White House as Deputy General Counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, where he worked on the Administration's major legislative, regulatory, management, and appropriations initiatives. John then returned to the Department of Justice to serve as Counselor to the Attorney General, where he advised the Attorney General on a broad range of issues. Since joining the Department of Homeland Security in February 2005, he has helped integrate the department's components and has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the department in ways that will help make the American people safer for years to come.

I am grateful for John's service and dedication to the American people, and thank him for his lasting contributions to our security, both during his time at the Department of Homeland Security and in his previous tenures at the Department of Justice. I will miss John personally and professionally, and wish him well in his future endeavors. I look forward to continuing our friendship.

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This page was last modified on November 22, 2006