United States Secretary of Homeland Security - wikipedia United States Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States Seal of the Department of Homeland Security Flag of the Secretary of Homeland Security Incumbent Kirstjen Nielsen since December 6, 2017 United States Department of Homeland Security Style Madam Secretary Member of Cabinet Reports to The President Seat Washington, D.C. Appointer The President with Senate advice and consent Term length No fixed term Constituting instrument 6 U.S.C. § 112 Formation January 24, 2003 ( 15 years ago ) ( 2003 - 01 - 24 ) First holder Tom Ridge Succession Eighteenth Deputy Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Salary Executive Schedule, level 1 Website www.dhs.gov The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the U.S. and the safety of U.S. citizens. The secretary is a member of the President 's Cabinet. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The new department consisted primarily of components transferred from other cabinet departments because of their role in homeland security, such as the Coast Guard, the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( which includes the Border Patrol ), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( which includes Homeland Security Investigations ), the Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ). It did not, however, include the FBI or the CIA. On January 20, 2009, the Senate confirmed Barack Obama 's appointment of Janet Napolitano to be the third Secretary of Homeland Security, effective January 21, 2009. Napolitano resigned effective August 2013 to head the University of California. On October 17, President Obama announced his intention to nominate former General Counsel of the Department of Defense Jeh Johnson, and on December 16, the US Senate confirmed the nomination. The current Secretary of Homeland Security is Kirstjen Nielsen following the appointment of the then - incumbent secretary, John F. Kelly, to the post of White House Chief of Staff by President Donald Trump. It was announced on October 12, 2017, that Kirstjen Nielsen was nominated as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by President Donald Trump. She was confirmed by the Senate on December 5, 2017. Contents 1 Inclusion in the presidential line of succession 2 List of Secretaries of Homeland Security 3 Living former Secretaries of Homeland Security 4 Order of succession 5 Administration - cited potential nominees 5.1 Bernard Kerik 5.2 Raymond Kelly 6 References 7 External links Inclusion in the presidential line of succession Traditionally, the order of the presidential line of succession is determined ( after the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate ) by the order of the creation of the cabinet positions, and the list as mandated under 3 U.S.C. § 19 follows this tradition. On March 7th, 2006, 43rd President George W. Bush signed H.R. 3199 as Pub. L. 109 -- 177, which renewed the still controversial Patriot Act of 2001 and amended the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 to include the newly created Presidential Cabinet position of Secretary of Homeland Security in the line of succession after the previously authorized Secretary of Veterans Affairs ( § 503 ) ( which are listed and designated in the order that their departments were created ). In the 109th Congress, legislation was introduced to place the Secretary of Homeland Security into the line of succession after the Attorney General but that bill expired at the end of the 109th Congress and was not re-introduced. List of Secretaries of Homeland Security Prior to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, there existed an Assistant to the President for the Office of Homeland Security, which was created following the September 11 attacks in 2001. Parties Republican ( 2 ) Democratic ( 2 ) Independent ( 2 ) Status Denotes Acting Homeland Security Secretary No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took office Left office President Tom Ridge Pennsylvania January 24, 2003 February 1, 2005 George W. Bush -- James Loy Pennsylvania February 1, 2005 February 15, 2005 Michael Chertoff New Jersey February 15, 2005 January 21, 2009 Janet Napolitano Arizona January 21, 2009 September 6, 2013 Barack Obama -- Rand Beers District of Columbia September 6, 2013 December 16, 2013 Jeh Johnson New Jersey December 23, 2013 January 20, 2017 5 John F. Kelly Massachusetts January 20, 2017 July 31, 2017 Donald Trump -- Elaine Duke Ohio July 31, 2017 December 6, 2017 6 Kirstjen Nielsen Florida December 6, 2017 Incumbent James Loy served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from February 1, 2005, to February 15, 2005. Rand Beers served as acting secretary in his capacity as confirmed Undersecretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs and Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security ; Beers was the highest ranking Senate - approved presidential appointee at the Department of Homeland Security from September 6, 2013, to December 23, 2013. Elaine Duke served as acting secretary in her capacity as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from July 31, 2017, to December 6, 2017. Living former Secretaries of Homeland Security See also : List of living former members of the United States Cabinet As of June 2018, there are 5 living former Secretaries of Homeland Security, and 3 living former Acting Secretaries of Homeland Security the oldest being James Loy ( served February 1, 2005 -- February 15, 2005, born 1942 ) Name Term Date of birth ( and age ) James Loy February 1, 2005 -- February 15, 2005 ( 1942 - 08 - 10 ) August 10, 1942 ( age 75 ) Rand Beers September 6, 2013 -- December 16, 2013 ( 1942 - 11 - 30 ) November 30, 1942 ( age 75 ) Tom Ridge January 24, 2003 -- February 1, 2005 ( 1945 - 08 - 26 ) August 26, 1945 ( age 72 ) Michael Chertoff February 15, 2005 -- January 21, 2009 ( 1953 - 11 - 28 ) November 28, 1953 ( age 64 ) Janet Napolitano January 21, 2009 -- September 6, 2013 ( 1957 - 11 - 29 ) November 29, 1957 ( age 60 ) Jeh Johnson December 23, 2013 -- January 20, 2017 ( 1957 - 09 - 11 ) September 11, 1957 ( age 60 ) John F. Kelly January 20, 2017 -- July 31, 2017 ( 1950 - 05 - 11 ) May 11, 1950 ( age 68 ) Elaine Duke July 31, 2017 -- December 6, 2017 ( 1958 - 06 - 26 ) June 26, 1958 ( age 59 ) Order of succession The order of succession for the Secretary of Homeland Security is as follows : Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management Under Secretary, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Chief Financial Officer Regional Administrator, Region V, Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator, Region VI, Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator, Region VII, Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator, Region I, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administration - cited potential nominees Bernard Kerik George W. Bush nominated Bernard Kerik for the position in 2004. However a week later, Kerik withdrew his nomination, explaining that he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny. Raymond Kelly By July 2013, Raymond Kelly had served as Commissioner of the New York City Police Department ( NYPD ) for nearly 12 straight years. Within days of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano 's announcement that she was resigning, Kelly was soon cited as an obvious potential successor by New York Senator Charles Schumer and others. During a July 16, 2013, interview, President Obama referred generally to the `` bunch of strong candidates '' for nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security, but singled out Kelly as `` one of the best there is '' and `` very well qualified for the job ''. Later in July 2013, the online internet news website / magazine Huffington Post detailed `` a growing campaign to quash the potential nomination of New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security '' amid claims of `` divisive, harmful, and ineffective policing that promotes stereotypes and profiling ''. Days after that article, Kelly penned a statistics - heavy Wall Street Journal opinion article defending the NYPD 's programs, stating `` the average number of stops we conduct is less than one per officer per week '' and that this and other practices have led to `` 7,383 lives saved -- and... they are largely the lives of young men of color. '' Kelly was also featured because of his NYPD retirement and unusually long tenure there in a long segment on the CBS News program Sunday Morning in December 2013, especially raising the question of the controversial `` stop and frisk '' policy in New York City and the long decline and drop of various types of crimes committed. References Jump up ^ `` 3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President ; officers eligible to act ''. LII / Legal Information Institute. Jump up ^ Homeland Security Act, Pub. L. 107 -- 296 Jump up ^ Murray, Shailagh ; Kane, Paul ( January 21, 2009 ). `` Obama Picks Confirmed, But Clinton Is on Hold ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Chertoff : Inauguration security forces ' ready ' - CNN.com Jump up ^ `` Senate confirms new homeland security secretary ''. bostonherald.com. Jump up ^ Byrnes, Jesse ( July 28, 2017 ). `` Meet the woman set to lead Homeland Security ''. TheHill. Retrieved August 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Senate confirms Kirstjen Nielsen to head Homeland Security ''. CBS News. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order 13442 : Amending the Order of Succession in the Department of Homeland Security '' ( PDF ). Retrieved January 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Bernstein, Nina. `` Mystery Woman in Kerik Case : Nanny ''. The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Names already popping as possible Janet Napolitano replacements '', by Kevin Robillard and Scott Wong, Politico, July 12, 2013, retrieved July 13, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Obama would consider Ray Kelly to replace Janet Napolitano '', by Jennifer Epstein, Politico, July 16, 2013, retrieved July 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Muslims Oppose Raymond Kelly Bid For Homeland Security Secretary '', by Omar Sacirbey, Huffington Post, August 1, 2013, retrieved August 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ray Kelly : The NYPD : Guilty of Saving 7,383 Lives '', by Ray Kelly, Opinion : The Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2013, retrieved August 4, 2013. External links Official website Current U.S. order of precedence ( ceremonial ) Preceded by Robert Wilkie as Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Order of Precedence of the United States as Secretary of Homeland Security Succeeded by John F. Kelly as White House Chief of Staff Current U.S. presidential line of succession Preceded by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie Acting 18th in line Last United States Secretaries of Homeland Security Ridge Chertoff Napolitano Johnson Kelly Nielsen Agencies under the United States Department of Homeland Security Headquarters : Nebraska Avenue Complex Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security Claire Grady, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary United States Coast Guard Immigration and Customs Enforcement Citizenship and Immigration Services Customs and Border Protection Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Law Enforcement Training Center United States Secret Service Office of Operations Coordination Transportation Security Administration Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Office of Immigration Statistics Homeland Security Advisory Council National Protection and Programs National Protection and Programs Directorate Federal Protective Service Office of Cybersecurity and Communications Office of Infrastructure Protection Office of Biometric Identity Management Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis Science and Technology Science and Technology Directorate Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Explosives Division Chemical and Biological Defense Division Border and Maritime Security Division Human Factors and Behavioral Sciences Division Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division Cyber Security Division ( National Cybersecurity Center ) Intelligence and Analysis Office of Intelligence and Analysis Management Management Directorate Law enforcement in the United States Terrorism in the United States United States Armed Forces Book Portal MC AF CG MC AF CG Navbox MC AF CG Leadership Commander - in - chief : President of the United States Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense Secretary of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Joint Chiefs of Staff : Chairman Vice Chairman United States Congress : Committees on Armed Services : Senate House Active duty four - star officers United States military seniority National Security Act of 1947 Goldwater -- Nichols Act Organization Service departments Department of Defense ( Secretary ) : Army ( Secretary ) Navy ( Secretary ) Air Force ( Secretary ) Department of Homeland Security ( Secretary ) : Coast Guard Branches Army ( Chief of Staff ) Marine Corps ( Commandant ) Navy ( Chief of Naval Operations ) Air Force ( Chief of Staff ) Coast Guard ( Commandant ) Reserve components Reserves : A MC N AF CG National Guard : A AF Civilian auxiliaries Military Auxiliary Radio System Merchant Marine Civil Air Patrol Coast Guard Auxiliary Unified Combatant Command Northern Central European Indo - Pacific Southern Africa Cyber Special Operations Strategic Transportation Structure United States Code Title 10 Title 14 Title 32 Title 50 The Pentagon Installations Units : A MC N AF CG Logistics Media Unit mottoes Operations and history Current deployments Conflicts Wars Timeline History : A MC N AF CG Colonial World War II Civil affairs Officers ' clubs African Americans Asian Americans Buddhist Americans Jewish Americans Muslim Americans Pakistani Americans Sikh Americans Historiography : Army Center of Military History MC History Division Naval History and Heritage Command Air Force Historical Research Agency American official war artists : Army Art Program AF Art Program Personnel Training MEPS ASVAB Recruit training : A MC N AF CG Officer candidate school : A MC N AF Warrant : A MC Service academies : A ( prep ) N ( prep ) AF ( prep ) CG Merchant Marine ROTC A : ECP MC / N AF Medical Other education Uniforms Uniforms : A MC N AF CG Awards & decorations : Inter-service A MC / N AF CG Foreign International Devices Badges : Identification A MC N AF CG Ranks Enlisted : A MC N AF CG Warrant officers Officer : A MC N AF CG Other Oath : Enlistment Office Creeds & Codes : Code of Conduct NCO A MC N AF CG Service numbers : A MC N AF CG Military Occupational Specialty / Rating / Air Force Specialty Code Pay Uniform Code of Military Justice Judge Advocate General 's Corps Military Health System / TRICARE Separation Veterans Affairs Conscription Chiefs of Chaplains : A MC N AF CG Equipment MC : vehicles weapons other AF CG Land Individual weapons Crew - served weapons Vehicles ( active ) Sea All watercraft Ships : A N ( active ) AF CG MSC Weapons : N CG Reactors Air Aircraft World War I active Aircraft designation Missiles Helicopter arms Other Nuclear football Electronics ( designations ) Flags : A MC N AF CG Ensign Jack Guidons Food WMDs : Nuclear Biological Chemical Legend A = Army MC = Marine Corps N = Navy AF = Air Force CG = Coast Guard Leaders of the United States federal executive departments Current Agriculture Commerce Defense Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Justice Labor State Transportation Treasury Veterans Affairs Past Commerce and Labor Health, Education, and Welfare Navy Post Office War Presidential line of succession in the United States of America Vice President ( Mike Pence ) Speaker of the House of Representatives ( Paul Ryan ) President pro tempore of the Senate ( Orrin Hatch ) Secretary of State ( Mike Pompeo ) Secretary of the Treasury ( Steven Mnuchin ) Secretary of Defense ( Jim Mattis ) Attorney General ( Jeff Sessions ) Secretary of the Interior ( Ryan Zinke ) Secretary of Agriculture ( Sonny Perdue ) Secretary of Commerce ( Wilbur Ross ) Secretary of Labor ( Alex Acosta ) Secretary of Health and Human Services ( Alex Azar ) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development ( Ben Carson ) Secretary of Transportation ( Elaine Chao ) Secretary of Energy ( Rick Perry ) Secretary of Education ( Betsy DeVos ) Secretary of Veterans Affairs ( Peter O'Rourke ) Secretary of Homeland Security ( Kirstjen Nielsen ) Jump up ^ Although Elaine Chao is the current Secretary of Transportation, she is not a natural - born citizen ( acquired U.S. citizenship by naturalization ) and thus ineligible for the presidency. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Secretary_of_Homeland_Security&oldid=846464032 '' Categories : Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States Ministers of Internal Affairs by country Cabinet of the United States United States Secretaries of Homeland Security Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from October 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Español Esperanto فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Русский Simple English Slovenščina ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 18 June 2018, at 22 : 59 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who was the first head of the department of homeland security
Answer: Tom Ridge