James Abell
Stephenson,VA
Summary
Seasoned, professional Personnel Security Adjudicator uniquely qualified and prepared to support national-level Federal government personnel security investigations contracts in a Senior Adjudicator role.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Lead Personnel Security Specialist (Adjudicator)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency
05.2013 - 08.2024
- Federal Compliance Branch Section Lead and Senior Personnel Security Specialist (Adjudicator) for the entry-on-duty (EOD) and adjudications teams spanning 10-plus years. Led the EOD branch front-end applicant case initiation, reciprocity, interim clearance, and closed case adjudication units performing final employment suitability and national security access eligibility determinations.
- As Lead, provided daily direction, trained, and mentored junior case initiation specialists and adjudicative personnel; assigned work, and reviewed junior specialists' casework for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness all in a highly dynamic and fast-paced environment under strict deadlines.
- Experienced and seasoned senior-level Adjudicator and Team Lead supporting a high-volume and complex investigations caseload rendering final suitability for employment and security clearance access eligibility determinations for agency applicants and employees.
- Reviewed completed issue and non-issue Defense Security and Counterintelligence (DCSA) and OPM-conducted reports of investigations; identified and analyzed potentially disqualifying issues and other concerns for resolution and applied mitigating factors where appropriate.
- Applied national-level adjudicative criteria for public trust and national security positions as outlined in 5 CFR 731, E.O. 12968, and SEAD 4 for eligibility for access to classified national security information is required.
- Prepared Letters of Interrogatories (LOI) and inquiries for issue cases requiring additional explanation and documentation before rendering the final determination. In addition, I wrote written adjudicative summaries and conditional warning letters. I drafted notices of proposed action (NOPA) and final action decision letters (FDL) in compliance with OPM guidelines where serious derogatory information developed in the investigation.
- Independently made suitability and national security clearance determinations up to and including Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).
- Recorded final determinations in the DHS proprietary system of record (Integrated Security and Management System), OPM's Personnel Investigations Processing System (PIPS), and updated OPM Clearance Verification System (CVS).
Investigative Program Specialist
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
01.2012 - 05.2013
- Served as background investigation contract focal point and subject-matter expert between the CBP Personnel Security Division (PSD) Contracting Office and seven investigative contract providers
- Provided focused management and program support to investigation providers offering solutions to complex investigation issues and developments
- Worked closely with the contract management team by monitoring performance, timeliness, and cost of completed investigations
- Assisted in the acquisition phases of various PSD contracts including statements of work, market research, and evaluation of documents
- Implemented quality assurance efforts for seven government contractor companies encompassing thousands of completed investigations with total program costs exceeding $60 million annually
- Provided insight, expertise, and direction to contract companies ensuring the timeliness, accuracy, and quality of investigative reports
- Spearheaded special projects to include law enforcement database searches, criminal history queries, verification of financial transactions, and other specialized checks necessary to implement national security programs
Investigative Case Manager (Contractor on Site)
U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
05.2008 - 01.2012
- Accomplished investigative case manager supporting the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Personnel Security and Suitability (PSS) Division
- Independently managed a caseload exceeding 100+ background investigations from case inception to final adjudication for department applicants, employees, and contractor personnel spanning the globe.
- Rated number one in 2010 quality metrics for Case Managers surpassing IRPTA timeliness requirements
- Scoped and assigned leads to investigators and regional offices worldwide; provided guidance and direction regarding work requirements in complex and sensitive cases and offered solutions.
- Compiled and organized completed investigation certifying its accuracy and thoroughness and reviewed for final adjudication for minor to moderate issue cases
- In a prior role as the Investigative Liaison Unit Lead, led a team of 5 analysts serving as the focal point for intelligence community lead investigative files requests needed to make an informed adjudicative decision.
- As Liaison Lead, established rapport and professional relationships with member agencies of the Intelligence Community (IC) where none previously existed
- Spearheaded efforts and achieved the sharing of critical information between agencies resulting in improved timeliness and reduced backlogs with IC organizations.
- Expedited case closures through meticulous documentation and timely submission of comprehensive investigative reports to appropriate parties.
Senior Contract Background Investigator
Omnisec International Investigations, CACI & MSM Security Services
08.2001 - 07.2009
- Conducted personnel security investigations supporting the Federal Intelligence Community, Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and other government agencies while having successfully investigated thousands of security clearance applicants and case leads
- Managed a high-volume caseload under strict deadlines and coordinated lead assignment with investigators nationwide
- Interviewed applicants, neighborhood, employment and character references and performed record reviews of government, medical, criminal, and civil court action
- Resolved issues of illegal drug use, alcohol-related incidents, financial matters, criminal activity and adverse employment information
- Wrote highly detailed, factual and comprehensive reports of investigation
- Selected as a field trainer and mentored junior employee investigators in all aspects of field investigation, case coordination, time management, investigative concepts, principles, techniques and report preparation
Education
College attendance (no degree) - Criminal Justice
University of Maryland-University College
College Park, MD05.1995
Skills
- National Security Adjudications
- Background Investigations
- Case Management
- Suitability Adjudications
- Quality Assurance
- Report Writing & Analysis
Military Service
- United States Air Force, United States, E-6 - TSgt, August 1982 to December 1992, honorably discharged
- Ten years of service as Security Forces Supervisor., Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge, Plans & Programs Office, Desk Sergeant, and law enforcement Patrolman.
Relevant Training
- Certificate of Completion, Personnel Security Adjudication Course (PSAC), Director National Intelligence Training Center, 10/01/23
- Certificate of Completion, Suitability Action Procedures Suitability Adjudicator Course (SAPSA), 04/01/21
- Certificate of Completion, Counterintelligence Concerns for National Security Adjudicators, DSS, 10/01/16
- Certificate of Completion, Essentials of Suitability Adjudication, OPM, 12/01/14
- Certificate of Completion, Advanced Personnel Security Adjudication, Graduate School, 09/01/14
Competencies
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
- Excellent report writing, written and communication skills
- Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment with tight and conflicting deadlines
- Strong working knowledge of the laws, rules, and regulations governing Personnel Security and Suitability.
Certification
Security Clearance: Top Secret with SCI (TS/SCI) eligibility based on a Tier 5 investigation completed in 2022.
Timeline
Lead Personnel Security Specialist (Adjudicator)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency
05.2013 - 08.2024
Investigative Program Specialist
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
01.2012 - 05.2013
Investigative Case Manager (Contractor on Site)
U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
05.2008 - 01.2012
Senior Contract Background Investigator
Omnisec International Investigations, CACI & MSM Security Services
08.2001 - 07.2009
Security Clearance: Top Secret with SCI (TS/SCI) eligibility based on a Tier 5 investigation completed in 2022.
College attendance (no degree) - Criminal Justice
University of Maryland-University College
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