Tandy, Karen

Karen Patrice Tandy (1953-) served as administrator of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 2003 to 2007. She was the first woman to hold this position. During her tenure, her priorities included reducing the trafficking of illegal drugs into the United States and the use of those drugs nationwide, particularly by youth. Domestic and international operations launched during her leadership aimed to further the DEA's mission to enforce U.S. federal drug laws and to support efforts to reduce the sale of controlled substances domestically and internationally. Tandy retired as administrator of the DEA in 2007.

Tandy began her career working for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 1979 as an assistant U.S. attorney where she tried cases involving illegal drugs and violent crimes in ...