WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the appointment of Patricia “Patty” S. Collins to serve as the 27th Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). Ms. Collins brings decades of senior federal service to the role, including a 24-year career in the U.S. Army. Additionally, Patty is the first woman to serve as Director in the Bureau’s 162-year history.
“Patty’s service to our country reflects mission-focused leadership and a strong commitment to public service,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “We look forward to Patty leading the talented people of the BEP.”
The BEP prints billions of dollars through excellence in manufacturing and innovation each year for delivery to the Federal Reserve System, and the agency also advises other federal agencies on document security matters. Its robust research and development efforts focus on counterfeit deterrent technologies and production process efficiencies. The BEP develops overt and covert security features for U.S. currency that keep the number of counterfeits in circulation low.
“It’s an honor to be joining the Bureau of Engraving and Printing,” said Director Collins. “In my prior role at GPO I enjoyed a positive relationship with BEP and knew it was a high quality organization with a talented workforce. It’s an incredibly exciting time to join the Bureau with the construction of our new manufacturing facility in DC and introducing our new family of trusted and secure bank notes.”
Patty joins the BEP from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) where she served as Deputy Director, the agency’s second highest ranking position, and Chief Operating Officer where she led GPO’s operations, including Plant Operations for Security and Intelligent Documents and Official Journals of Government and Customer Services. These business units are responsible for GPO’s most important products, including the U.S. passport, Congressional Record, Federal Register, White House print materials, secure federal credentials, and other congressional and executive branch products and services.
Prior to joining the GPO in May 2020, she was a Principal consultant at the McChrystal Group where she focused on leadership development and guiding clients through complex challenges in the public and private business sectors.
She retired as a Colonel, following a 24-year-career in the U.S. Army, spending seven of those years within the Joint Special Operations Command. During her military career, she deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. A pioneer in her field, she was one of a small number of women to serve in Special Operations and was the first woman in the Department of Defense to complete the Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Course.
In 2006, following her return from Iraq to Fort Liberty, North Carolina, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle to work. The severity of the injury resulted in an amputation of her leg below the knee. Upon rehabilitation, she served in the military for nine more years, including a deployment to Afghanistan and battalion command. She retired from active duty in 2015.
In 2016 she represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the sport of triathlon. A native of Hackettstown, New Jersey, Patty holds a Master of Science from The Eisenhower School, National Defense University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.
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