Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced in a statement that he was promoting Elaine Duke, the department’s current chief procurement officer, to the new post of deputy undersecretary for management.

Since her boss, Undersecretary for Management Paul Schneider, is currently filling in for recently departed Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson, Duke will be acting undersecretary “leading the day-to-day operations of the Management Directorate,” Chertoff said.

As deputy undersecretary, he added, Duke “can exercise all of the authority of the undersecretary for management” and will “manage our department’s budget, appropriations, expenditure of funds, procurement, human resources, information technology systems, and facilities and property management.”

Chertoff said the moves were part of a plan to smooth the transition of the department -- which has a large number of political appointees -- into the next administration.

He called Duke “a key player to this department since its inception in 2003” and said she “brings a wealth of management knowledge and experience, with more than 25 years of federal service.”

Duke started at DHS at the Transportation Security Administration. She served as deputy to the department's chief procurement officer from October 2004 to January 2006, when she took over the top job.

“Congratulations to Elaine,” said Chertoff. “I look forward to working with her in her new and expanding role concerning the many facets of the department’s management needs. I know the success she has brought to the department so far will continue as she supports the department, Paul Schneider, and me.”