Intelligence HR chief is stepping down

Ron Sanders, a 35-year veteran of federal human resources management who currently serves as the chief human capital officer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will leave his post at the end of January, according to his office.

No more information about his departure was available on Monday. Sanders plans to make a formal announcement during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

Sanders served as director for civilian personnel at the Defense Department from 1990 to 1998, and as the Internal Revenue Service's chief human resource officer from 1998 to 2002. Before his appointment at ODNI, he served as the associate director for strategic HR policy at the Office of Personnel Management.

While at OPM, he helped develop a pay-for-performance plan for the Senior Executive Service. As its first chief human capital officer, he led ODNI's efforts to organize thousands of officers in the intelligence community through coordinated pay and personnel systems. He also implemented joint-duty programs in the intelligence community to ensure that officers have experience working with different agencies to create knowledgeable leaders and to increase cooperation and coordination.

Sanders pushed for the implementation of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System, a pay-for-performance plan for intelligence personnel, claiming it was essential to the goal of creating a collaborative environment among intelligence agencies. The system was implemented three years ago, but in October 2009 Congress suspended its salary raise system, pending a review by Congress and the administration.