DIRECTOR
ROBERT MUELLER ANNOUNCES DEPUTY DIRECTOR BRUCE GEBHARDT
WILL BE RETIRING EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2004
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - Director Robert S. Mueller, III, announced
today that Deputy Director Bruce J. Gebhardt will
retire from the FBI effective October 1, 2004. Mr.
Gebhardt entered on duty as a Special Agent on July
7, 1974. He has served as Deputy Director for the
past two years and has been a key player in the
FBI’s transformation in the wake of the September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Director
Mueller stated: “Over the past thirty years,
Bruce has earned the respect and admiration of his
FBI colleagues and that of the entire law enforcement
community. He has overseen the FBI’s reorganization
into a counterterrorism and intelligence-focused
agency; and he has made lasting contributions to
the FBI and to our national security. As a result
of his leadership, the FBI is now more fully prepared
to fight terrorism both at home and abroad. His
years of dedicated service to our country are deeply
appreciated.”
In the course of his career Mr. Gebhardt has served
in FBI Field Offices in Denver, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Newark, and Phoenix, and at FBI Headquarters
in Washington, D.C. He began his career investigating
organized crime and drugs. Mr. Gebhardt is the recipient
of the FBI Medal of Valor as a result of action
taken during an airplane hijacking event in Denver,
Colorado, in 1976.
Mr. Gebhardt’s leadership and dedication quickly
moved him into supervisory roles, and in 1995 he
became Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Phoenix
Division. In 1998, Mr. Gebhardt was appointed SAC
of the San Francisco Division, where, over the next
four years, he oversaw a multitude of operational
successes in organized crime, counterintelligence,
counterterrorism, cyber crimes, and white collar
crimes.
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks, Mr. Gebhardt led the FBI through its greatest
period of change. In May of 2002, he became the
Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations,
and in August of 2002 he was appointed by Director
Mueller to serve as Deputy Director, a role he has
filled with distinction for the past two years.
He has been responsible for restructuring the agency
to support our counterterrorism efforts. As a result
of his leadership, the FBI is now more fully prepared
to fight terrorism both at home and abroad.
Mr. Gebhardt was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and
is a graduate of Western Illinois University. He
received his M.A. in Criminology from Sam Houston
University in Huntsville, Texas. Mr. Gebhardt is
married and has two adult sons. He has accepted
a position in private industry that will commence
after his retirement.
