WILLIAM B. SIMPKINS, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR

Mr. Simpkins entered law enforcement in 1973 as a police officer with the City of Newton, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he served in the United States Army for two years. He became a DEA Special Agent in 1974 and served as a criminal investigator in Boston, Massachusetts, and Marathon and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Simpkins was promoted in 1986 to Resident Agent in Charge of the West Palm Beach Resident Office.

After that assignment, he was transferred to DEA Headquarters where he has held a variety of senior management and executive policy-making positions. These include Unit Chief in the Planning & Inspection Division, Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator for Planning & Inspection, Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator for Intelligence, Associate Deputy Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief Inspector in DEA's Office of Professional Responsibility, and Acting Chief Inspector.

In January 1999, Mr. Simpkins was named the Assistant Administrator of the Operational Support Division, where he oversees the agency's information technology, investigative technology, forensic sciences, and administrative management programs. He is responsible for the management of the largest of DEA's six Headquarters divisions and directs the agency-wide activities of more than 800 employees and contractors, while planning and overseeing an annual budget of approximately $320 million. Mr. Simpkins serves as DEA's Chief Information Officer and during 1999 was responsible for the information security, physical security and personnel security functions within the agency. Mr. Simpkins has been a member of DEA's Career Board since 1999, a member of the Senior Executive Service since 1995 and from February to November 2001 served as DEA's Acting Deputy Administrator. Mr. Simpkins served as Acting Administrator of DEA in July 2001 and again from May 2003 through July 2003.

Mr. Simpkins received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Boston College in 1969. He also earned an Associate of Science degree in law enforcement from Northeastern University in 1972. He was Chairman of DEA's Strategic Management Executive Council and is a board member of DEA's Survivor's Benefit Fund, Justice Wireless Communications Board, Justice Automated Booking System and the Public Safety Wireless Network Executive Committee. He is also an Advisory Committee member of the Global Criminal Justice Information Sharing Initiative and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Mr. Simpkins has been honored with numerous achievement awards, including the Presidential Rank Award and the Department of Justice Award for Year 2000 Activities.