Jason LeConte Nelson has joined the Department of Homeland Security as its new Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, bringing decades of federal workforce leadership experience to a department responsible for supporting more than 256,000 employees nationwide.
Nelson arrives at DHS following nearly three years as Associate Administrator of Human Capital and Chief Human Capital Officer at the Transportation Security Administration. At TSA, he led workforce policy and operations for an agency with a large frontline workforce, balancing recruitment, training, and retention needs across a demanding national security mission.
Before joining TSA, Nelson spent more than six years at the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, where he served as Chief of Staffing Shared Services and Chief of Headquarters Human Resources Operations.
Earlier in his career, Nelson held senior human capital and learning leadership roles across the federal government, including nearly nine years as Chief of Human Resources and Chief Learning Officer for the U.S. government. His background also includes private-sector experience in training and organizational development, as well as early roles as a professional trainer.
Nelson holds a master’s degree in adult education from North Carolina State University and completed doctoral studies in adult learning and organizational leadership development at Teachers College, Columbia University.
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