Mencer was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 16, 2003 to head the Office for Domestic Preparedness, the federal government's lead agency responsible for preparing the nation against terrorism. Subsequent to Mencer's confirmation, the Office for Domestic Preparedness was merged with the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Mencer was tapped to oversee the newly created OSLGCP.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve President Bush and to work with Secretary Ridge. Our nation is more secure today because of them. I now look forward to returning home to my family in Colorado," said Mencer.
Following a 20-year career in counterintelligence and counterterrorism at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mencer served Colorado as the Director of Public Safety for 3 years prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security.
"Throughout her career in public service, and most recently at the Department of Homeland Security, Sue Mencer has made invaluable contributions to our nation's security," said Secretary Tom Ridge, who has also announced his departure from the DHS. "Sue's leadership has enabled us to streamline the grant application process and to refine the matrix which allocates funding to the urban areas at greatest risk. She has also built bridges across the first responder groups to ensure better protection of our communities. I am grateful for Sue's service to the Department of Homeland Security and to our country."