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Deputy Assistant Director Futures Identity

Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM)

William Graves is the Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Biometric Identity Management for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). OBIM is the lead entity at DHS for biometric identity management services across the entire Federal Government. Mr. Graves is responsible for setting the strategic direction and growth objectives related to technology development, biometrics and identity services. He also oversees interagency, international, academia and industry special projects and the integration of these technologies within existing DHS systems. Mr. Graves has over 20 years of federal service with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense and was awarded the FCW Fed100 in 2018 for his exceptionalism and leadership in Biometrics. Previously Mr. Graves served as the Chief Engineer for Department of Defense Project Management Biometrics where he established the Science and Technology (S&T) program and fully aligned this program with the National Military Strategy, Army Operating Concepts, Intelligence Functional Concept, and U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence’s 30-year Strategic Plan. Mr. Graves was responsible for multiple Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF), and internally funded projects. Mr. Graves was also the DoD Chair of the Interagency Forum on Biometrics and Identity (IFBId) and facilitated a strong, coordinated effort across the Federal Government to identify and resolve important S&T policy issues related to IT systems/technologies as well as research, testing, standards, education, training, privacy, and outreach campaigns. He also established the Biometric Interoperability Standards Conformance Office (BISCO) to find, assess, test, and evaluate identity related technologies to meet current and future requirements and accelerate the transition of S&T projects into operationalized programs of record. Additionally, he served as the U.S. representative to the NATO Biometric Standards working group and facilitated the creation of the biometric transmission standard (NATO STNAG 4715). As the Chair of the NATO Architecture Sub-Working Group, he created technical solutions and policies for biometric systems interoperability and cross-organization standardization. Prior to PM DoD Biometrics, Mr. Graves served as the Chief Biometric Engineer at the DHS US-VISIT Program where he was responsible for biometric standards development, technical assistance to foreign countries, and technical innovation. In this role, he served as chair of the INCITS M1.6 Task Group on Cross Jurisdictional and Societal Issues, represented the United States at the ISO/IEC SC37 Biometrics meetings, and represented US-VISIT’s interests as an active member of the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) Subcommittee on Biometrics and Identity Management. He also created the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Biometric Domain and managed it under US-VISIT stewardship. Mr. Graves is also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University teaching Policy, Law, Ethics, and Privacy of Identity Analysis. Mr. Graves served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne division during the Gulf War. He received a B.A. in Economics from George Mason University and a Master’s degree in Information Technology from American InterContinental University. He received a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, and a CIO Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, he is a DAWIA Certified Level III Program Manager, and a Certified Biometrics Security Engineer (CBSE).