The NCUA has named Joy Miller director of the agency's newOffice of Continuity and Security Management. Miller starts in hernew capacity on Dec. 16.

Miller comes to the NCUA from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Serviceswhere she currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary forsecurity.

The NCUA created the Office of Continuity and SecurityManagement by reallocating existing resources to one central officewith the goal of improving the agency's security and continuity activities.

“The office will also enhance the effective use of sensitiveinformation among the agency's staff,” the NCUA said in a pressrelease on Wednesday.

The office begins operating on Jan. 6, 2014 and will beresponsible for national continuity programs, emergency managementand physical security, intelligence and information securityand personnel security.

Miller has experience with security matters after serving assenior advisor for global health security at the NationalIntelligence Council and senior intelligence officer at the DefenseIntelligence Agency, and a senior public health officer in the U.S.Air Force.

The NCUA said Miller is succeeding James L. “Tab” Patrick, Jr.,who is retiring as director of the Division of Strategic andContinuity Planning after spending more than 13 years with theagency and 45 years in government service.

Miller holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho, amaster's from the University of California, Davis, and a doctoratein veterinary medicine from Washington State University.