Rita Sampson

Rita M. Sampson was named Director of the SEC's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity in February 2022. She is an advocate for workplace equality who has served more than 30 years in the government sector. Ms. Sampson has pioneered strategic initiatives to attract, retain, and advance talent across the federal government, including federal law enforcement and national intelligence agencies.

Ms. Sampson is the principal advisor to the Chair of the SEC on civil rights compliance and equal employment opportunity. She leads the agency’s EEO program, conducts complex and sensitive investigations, performs organizational assessments, delivers training, and adjudicates complaints. As an organizational change agent, Ms. Sampson forms strategic partnerships and leverages expertise in data analytics, social science, organizational psychology, and conflict management to promote policies and practices that yield more equitable workplace outcomes.

Ms. Sampson began her legal career as a civil trial attorney in the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She later joined the Department of Justice, serving in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) as agency counsel. She gained extensive experience in constitutional law, civil litigation, government ethics, and employment law. She also litigated cases before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Merit Systems Protection Board. Ms. Sampson was promoted to EOUSA’s Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and led a centralized program covering 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. She later served 12 years as a Senior National Intelligence Service Officer in the United States Intelligence Community, including as the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of EEO. Ms. Sampson joined the Office of Personnel Management as a member of the Senior Executive Service and served as the government’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. In this role, she collaborated across the DEIA Initiative with the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and the EEOC to develop and publish the Government-wide Strategic Plan to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce.

Ms. Sampson is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and earned her B.A. in Government. She earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Federal Judicial Districts of Virginia, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Sampson is a recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.