Mocny named acting chief of US-VISIT program

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has named Robert Mocny acting director of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, one of the biometrically based security measures designed to track visitors to the United States.

Mocny is taking over for James Williams, who recently became the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration.

As deputy director of US-VISIT since 2003, Mocny was responsible for the daily operations of the program, a DHS statement said. His duties included managing the development and deployment of the program, which integrates and makes available vital information to appropriate federal organizations for immigration and border management purposes.

During his career, Mocny has served in several senior federal roles related to immigration policy and operations. He was special assistant to the deputy commissioner of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service until May 2001, when he was selected to be the INS deputy assistant commissioner for the Office of Inspections.