Dr. Vernell Sutherland was named TSA Chief Culture Officer in August 2022. She is responsible for all matters relating to culture in management, employment, and operations within TSA. The Chief Culture Officer is appointed by and reports to the TSA Administrator, and is the principal culture strategist to senior leadership. In this role, Sutherland is responsible for fostering a work environment in which every employee is included, empowered, and treated fairly.
Sutherland closely coordinates and collaborates with TSA leadership, including the Chief of Staff; the Executive Assistant Administrators for Enterprise Support, Security Operations, Operations Support, and Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service; the Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights & Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement; Chief Counsel; and external political appointees and executive leaders. Sutherland also leads agency-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives in coordination with Human Capital and CRL/OTE.
Sutherland’s experience as an advocate for civil rights spans over 30 years. She is an accomplished executive with decades of senior leadership experience in diversity and inclusion, employment law, education, human resource management, equal employment opportunity, managing and influencing change, resolving conflict and problem solving.
She began her professional career as an educator for Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, Hawaii. Sutherland noticed how the behavior...
Over the last year, beyond traditional healthcare and federal procurement matters, the government has pursued federal False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and enforcement across high-risk areas, i...