FBI official to head Bishop’s Office for Child Protection

Kathleen L. McChesney, number three official in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been named executive director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Office for Child and Youth Protection. Ms. McChesney’s appointment, effective December 1, 2002, was announced in Washington, November 7, by Monsignor William P. Fay, USCCB General Secretary.

"Kathleen McChesney brings extraordinary background and dedication to this vital position," Monsignor Fay said. "We look forward to her leadership in addressing the problem of child and youth sexual abuse so that there can be no question about the protection of children and young people in our Church. I look forward to welcoming her as a full member of the senior staff of the USCCB."

Attorney Robert S. Bennett, chairman of the search committee of the national Review Board, cited her proven administrative talent and ability to work in a national organization with a vast outreach.

"After a far reaching and extensive search, the National Review Board was pleased to recommend to the Bishops’ Conference this outstanding public official. Kathleen McChesney’s career path shows her to have unusually fine talent for inspiring people to work together. She created the FBI’s Office of Law Enforcement Coordination to establish more productive relationships between the FBI and the nation’s 18,000 police agencies, and the National Intel Share project to promote information sharing among the nation’s 680,000 law enforcement officers. She managed the FBI’s international operations in 44 foreign countries and spearheaded the FBI’s efforts to add 11 additional offices through interactions with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Congress. These abilities bode well for her work with the Bishops and the National Review Board in seeing to it that there is full and meaningful compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," Bennett said.

The work of Ms. McChesney will be assisted and monitored by the National Review Board. According to the Charter, the tasks of the office are to assist individual diocese/eparchies in the implementation of safe environment programs, assist provinces and regions in the development of appropriate mechanisms to audit adherence to policies and produce an annual public report on the progress made in implementing the standards in the Charter.