At a press conference on Tuesday, Barack Obama announced the members of his national security team, including the announcement of the widely expected appointment of his Homeland Security Secretary – the President-elect has picked Janet Napolitano, governor of Arizona, for the assignment.

Obama said he is confident that Napolitano will be a competent Homeland Security Secretary, adding that she knows firsthand the need to have a partner in Washington that works well with state and local governments. Obama added that she will be a leader “who can reform a sprawling Department while safeguarding our homeland.”

Before serving as governor of Arizona, Napolitano, 51, served as US Attorney for Arizona and as Arizona’s first female attorney general. Her experience as governor of a border state should stand her in good stead as she leads the Department of Homeland Security with the dual mission of preventing terrorism and mitigating the impact of natural disasters.

Napolitano was also the vice-chairwoman of the National Governors’ Association (NGA) in 2006 when it instituted the Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council as a forum to bring together the 55 advisors appointed by the governors of each state and territory to share common concerns and develop strategies for managing homeland security threats.

In accepting the nomination, Napolitano said she is humbled by the invitation, and proud to accept it. She added: “It will be my job and the job of this team to hold ourselves and our agencies accountable, to coordinate fully across the spectrum of government agencies and to ensure that we work hand in hand with state and local governments to share information, secure our borders, and keep our country safe.”