Paul Courtney has been named the new chief procurement officer at the Department of Homeland Security.
Courtney, who had served as deputy chief procurement officer since June 2019, had taken over the duties as acting CPO after Soraya Correa retired at the end of July.
Before joining DHS, Courtney led contracting activity as a section chief at the Justice Department from 2013 to 2019.
In a message today to industry association leaders, Courtney said he has “enjoyed getting to know you and your association members over the course of my tenure as Deputy Chief Procurement Officer.”
“I look forward to our continued partnership and dialogues on important matters in my role as Chief Procurement Officer,” he said. “Soraya’s leadership will be missed, and I am grateful to her for the Department’s strong commitment to transparent and open communications with our industry partners. As CPO, I will ensure that the Department remains open and transparent in our communications with you.”
“Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any matters you wish to discuss. Additionally, please know that Nina Ferraro, Acting Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, and Jaclyn Rubino, Executive Director of Strategic Programs Division, serve as other representatives on my behalf to discuss matters of importance with you and your members.”
Correa, who steadily led Department of Homeland Security contracting through the uncertain telework transition from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, worked collaboratively with many sectors including the nonprofit sector and HSToday’s owners, the Government Technology & Services Coalition. With her leadership, DHS embarked on numerous new initiatives to educate and enhance the procurement staff at the department including Reverse Industry Days, the Acquisition Innovations in Motion (AIiM) framework, and a general openness to share the goals and vision of the department with industry.
