For Immediate Release
October 29, 2004

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

GARY M. BALD NAMED EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

Washington D.C. - Director Robert S. Mueller, III, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary M. Bald as Executive Assistant Director (EAD) for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence. Mr. Bald currently serves as Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division and previously served as the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office.

Director Mueller said, “Gary Bald has led our counterterrorism efforts through two periods of heightened threat. He has moved forward our reengineering efforts to improve our ability to prevent terrorist attacks. And under his leadership, our counterterrorism efforts have become more proactive, intelligence driven, and integrated with our partners than ever before. I look forward to working with Gary as he continues the important work of our top two priority programs.”

Mr. Bald brings a wide range of operational and management experience to the EAD position. He began his career with the FBI in October 1977 in the Laboratory Division. In 1981, he was transferred to the Albany Division where he handled violent crime and drug matters. In 1984 he received a transfer to the Philadelphia Division, where he investigated corruption and drug matters. In 1989, he was transferred to the Office of Professional Responsibility at FBI Headquarters where he was responsible for conducting and directing investigations of internal misconduct. In 1991, he was transferred to the Newark Division, where he had supervisory responsibility for organized crime and drug matters.

In 1995, Mr. Bald was transferred to the Inspection Division at Headquarters where he was responsible for evaluating the operational and administrative effectiveness of FBI field, Headquarters, and Legal Attaché operations. In 1996, he was selected to be the Chief of the Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit, Criminal Investigative Division, where he managed the FBI's role in Drug Task Forces and coordinated the FBI's review and development of investigative policies.

In late 1996, Mr. Bald was selected to be an Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division. In this capacity he was responsible for overseeing the FBI's organized crime and drug investigations throughout the state of Georgia, and all FBI investigative matters conducted in the northern region of Georgia.

In January 1999, Mr. Bald was detailed to the Criminal Division at Headquarters, and later to the Inspection Division, where he led the investigation of a high-profile Organized Crime/Corruption matter in the Boston Division relating to the James "Whitey" Bulgar case. In September 2002, Mr. Bald was named Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Division, where he had responsibility for all FBI activities in the states of Maryland and Delaware. In that assignment he oversaw the FBI’s efforts in the Washington-area sniper investigation in the fall of 2002.

In November 2003, Mr. Bald was selected by Director Mueller to be the Deputy Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Operations, Counterterrorism Division, a position with national program management responsibility for all international and domestic terrorism investigations, including those involving weapons of mass destruction. He was named Acting Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division in December 2003 and formally assumed the position of Assistant Director in March 2004.

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