Colleen M. Manaher

Advisor

Former Executive Director of Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation in the Office of Field Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Colleen M. Manaher retired from CBP service at the end of 2019 where she served as the Executive Director of Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation in the Office of Field Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Manaher was responsible for the implementation of major innovation programs that transformed travel into and out of the United States. One of Ms. Manaher’s main priorities was to advance a biometric exit and entry system across the nation. Under Ms. Manaher’s forward-thinking vision and exemplary leadership, CBP developed public–private partnerships with the air travel industry and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to incorporate facial biometrics into the air travel continuum to secure and enhance the passenger experience.

Before assuming her position as Executive Director, Ms. Manaher served as the Director of the Land Border Integration Program Management Office. Building on the successful implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) in 2009, the Land Border Integration Team was responsible for optimizing inbound passenger operations and leveraging technologies such as license plate readers, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and mobile device platforms for process improvements in outbound, checkpoint, and pedestrian environments.

Ms. Manaher  served the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and CBP with distinction, and held a number of key positions since beginning her career with the former Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) over 30 years ago.

Ms. Manaher was born in Buffalo, N.Y., holds a master’s degree, and is a Level 3 Certified Program Manager.