Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is stepping down from her position in the Obama Administration to work for another presidency - this time, it's hers.
Napolitano will replace Mark Yudof as President of the University of California in August this year, presiding over the 10 campuses and 234,464 students that comprise the UC system.
Who is Janet Napolitano, and what makes her equipped to run the largest public school system in the most populated state of America? Here are five things you might not have known about Janet, until now.
1. She's a woman of firsts.
Napolitano - who worked as Attorney General of Arizona from 1999 to 2002, then Governor of Arizona from 2003-2009 - was the first female to win a re-election in the state. She was also the first woman to serve in the office of Arizona's Attorney General. Now, she'll be the first female president in University of California history. Some contend that Napolitano has a chance at being the first female president of the United States.
2. President Obama's given her the stamp of approval.
Shortly after Napolitano announced she was moving from the White House to the University House, President Obama praised her for "outstanding work" and friendship.
"Janet's portfolio has included some of the toughest challenges facing our country," he said, according to the New York Times. "She's worked around the clock to respond to natural disasters, from the Joplin tornado to Hurricane Sandy, helping Americans recover and rebuild."
3. She isn't a stranger to scandal.
In 2009, a Department of Homeland Security report assessing potential threats called "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," went public. The analysis suggested President Obama's election as the first black president could lead right-wing extremist groups to recruit on topics like gun control, illegal immigration and abortion. She later had to apologize for offending any of these groups.
That same year, she went on NBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer and said that a Nigerian man listed as a terrorist who was allowed to board a plane, but was stopped with explosives in his underpants was an example of "the system" working. But President Obama stated there was "systemic" failure on this subject, to which Napolitano replied that she merely meant the system worked to stop a potential bombing from happening. After that, she was essentially booted from being the public face of other terrorism episodes.
4. She's got immigration on the brain.
Napolitano's crowning glory while serving the Department of Homeland Security was her self-ascribed "more fair and focused" augmentation of American immigration legislation. According to USA Today, Napolitano worked to improve air travel safety and kept an eye on cybersecurity. Some are criticizing the UC President-to-be for leaving her post in the Obama Administration during a key turning point in immigration lawmaking, but a close friend who preferred to remain anonymous told the New York Times that she would not have left the Department of Homeland Security if she thought the overhaul of the immigration system couldn't happen without her.
5. She loves sports.
Napolitano is a huge basketball fan, and plays tennis and softball on a regular basis. She also takes part in outdoor activities - whitewater rafting and hiking are two of her favorite hobbies.
