W. Ralph Basham

career agent heads the 137-year-old Secret Service, the nation's oldest investigative law enforcement agency, which is now part of the Homeland Security Department. Basham spent four years at other agencies before returning to the Secret Service as director in January 2003.

Although best known for protecting the president and other national leaders, and for coordinating security at major events such as the Super Bowl and Olympics, the Secret Service also has roles in combating counterfeiting, cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism, identity theft, and other financial crimes. The service's investigations of some money-related crimes might have been cut back in May 2003 after Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge signed an agreement with Attorney General John Ashcroft giving the FBI the lead role in financial investigations related to terrorism. Basham complained to Ridge about the agreement, but both he and Ridge later said that it would not limit Secret Service investigations.

A 60-year-old native of Owensboro, Ky., Basham joined the Secret Service in 1970 as a special agent in the Washington field office. He worked in several Washington-based divisions as well as in the Cleveland and Louisville, Ky., field offices. He was special agent in charge of the Cleveland and Washington field offices, and he headed Al Gore's Vice Presidential Protective Division. Later, Basham became the service's assistant director for administration.

At the beginning of 1998, Basham left the Secret Service to take charge of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which is now part of DHS. The center provides training for nearly all federal law enforcement officers.

During Basham's year as chief of staff for the Transportation Security Administration in 2002, his responsibilities included hiring federal security directors for the nation's 429 airports. Over his 33-year federal career, he has been recognized with two Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Service. He is a graduate of Southeastern University in Washington, D.C.