DHS' chief human capital officer resigns

Marta Brito Perez, chief human capital officer at the Homeland Security Department, will leave her post early next month, DHS announced today. Perez’s resignation will take effect Jan. 6, said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, who added that her knowledge and experience in managing personnel systems “has helped to make the department a model in human capital service for the federal government.” Pérez, a strong proponent of pay-for-performance systems, was appointed chief human capital officer at DHS in September 2006, after four years as project director for human capital performance at the Office of Personnel Management. In that role, she led the development and implementation of policies and programs to promote the strategic management of the human capital initiative in the President’s Management Agenda. “Marta set plans in motion that will ensure the department hires and retains a talented and diverse workforce,” Chertoff said in a statement. “She led the way to create a departmentwide culture of performance and established high-quality learning and development programs. Under Marta’s direction, we implemented a departmentwide integrated leadership system. Although Marta will be leaving soon, she leaves in place a strong transition plan and team that will carry the department through 2009 — and beyond.”