Kirstjen Nielsen is an American attorney and national security expert, born on May 14, 1972, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is the eldest of three siblings. Her parents, Phyllis Michele Nielsen and James McHenry Nielsen, both served as physicians in the United States Army. The family later relocated to Clearwater, Florida, where Nielsen spent most of her childhood.
Nielsen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999. In addition to her legal and foreign affairs studies, Nielsen studied Japanese at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.
Nielsen began her career in public service during the George W. Bush administration, serving as a Special Assistant to the President. She held the role of Director for Prevention, Preparedness, and Response at the White House Homeland Security Council, where she focused on critical infrastructure protection and emergency management policy.
After leaving the Bush administration in 2008, Nielsen founded Sunesis Consulting, a homeland security and preparedness consulting firm. The company was awarded a $450,000 government contract for services related to risk management and policy development.
Nielsen returned to government service in early 2017, serving as Chief of Staff to then-Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly. Following Kelly's appointment as White House Chief of Staff, Nielsen succeeded him as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security. She was confirmed by the Senate and officially assumed the role in December 2017.
Nielsen served as Secretary of Homeland Security until April 2019. During her tenure, she oversaw immigration enforcement and border security initiatives, and her time in the role was marked by significant public scrutiny and media attention regarding family separation policies at the U.S.–Mexico border.
| Birth Date: | 14 May, 1972 |
| Age: | 47 yrs |
| Occupations: | Official |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Clearwater |
| Education: | Georgetown University University of Virginia School of Law |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American government official and national security expert |
