Jane Holl Lute announced today that she would be stepping down in May as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She made the announcement in an email to DHS staff.

“For more than four years, I have seen first-hand your quiet professionalism, selfless dedication to duty, and unrelenting commitment to the safety, security, and resilience of this country,” Lute wrote, in a copy of the email obtained by Federal News Radio. “Your daily example of public service has been deeply inspiring to me.”

Lute was confirmed by the Senate on April 3, 2009, as the undersecretary at DHS. She had previously served as the assistant secretary-general for peacebuilding support at the United Nations, as well as the assistant secretary-general for mission support at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Lute was “integral in the day-to-day operation and management” of DHS.

Napolitano also praised Lute’s management of the department’s cybersecurity initiatives.

Lute “spearheaded the department’s efforts to enhance cybersecurity to secure unclassified networks for federal civilian departments and agencies, and protect our nation’s critical infrastructure,” Napolitano said.

Lute is married to Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in May 2007 as the assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan. He was then asked by President Barack Obama to be the special assistant and senior coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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