Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the United States. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announces Richard Amburgey as the agency's first Chief Security Officer (CSO).

Amburgey will serve as the Chief Security Officer leading, advising and coordinating security operations, protecting the life and property of the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., a 1.2 million square feet multi-tenant facility that houses more than 2,200 occupants. He will be responsible for creating a security program from the ground up, to include multi-functional programs with a national impact.

Amburgey joins BLS from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he served as the Chief of Regional Security Operations in Chicago, IL, since May 2012. In that role, he provided comprehensive security services in coordination with the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) standards, which covers six states in the midwest.  He developed effective physical security countermeasures that protect FEMA employees, facilities and assets so that FEMA personnel can carry out their daily operational mission.

Amburgey is a senior professional valued for delivering programs, managing resources, and leading people of multi-functional security programs with national impact. Recognized for possessing the ability to resolve complex problems, he is renowned for identifying substandard security programs quickly, bringing them into strict compliance.

Amburgey holds a master's degree in criminology from Valparaiso University and will serve as the chair of the Facility Security Committee at BLS headquarters.