Napolitano spoke about her own career as a woman in law enforcementâincluding her tenure as the U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona, the first female attorney general of Arizona, governor of Arizona and the first woman to serve as secretary of homeland securityâand brought to light the talent and leadership of more than 35,000 women in law-enforcement positions across the department.
During the ceremony, Napolitano paid tribute to the exemplary service of women from the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
The event included a presentation of the U.S. Secret Service Valor Award to the family of Special Agent Julie Y. Cross, the first female Secret Service agent to die in the line of duty June 4, 1980.