Washington native Mark Wallace credits UDC for opening doors through an internship at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, which laid the foundation for a 24-year career in museum security and law enforcement. This experience culminated in his new role as Director of the Office of Protection Services (OPS), overseeing all Smithsonian properties.
Wallace is responsible for the security functions supporting the Smithsonian’s 21 museums, including two new museums in development—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—as well as the National Zoological Park, education centers, research facilities and multiple cultural centers and libraries. He has oversight of more than 850 employees specializing in security operations, physical security, personnel security and business operations, including financial resources, procurement, maintenance and capital programs, health and safety.
Wallace earned a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice, an associate degree in law enforcement from UDC, and a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National War College.
“I chose this field mainly because of all of the injustices I saw in the community and my own experiences being a Black male,” Wallace said. “I am most grateful for UDC, the internship and connections I made as a student, which spearheaded my career.”
He credits UDC professors Dr. Sylvia I. B. Hill and Dr. Angelyn Spaulding Flowers for helping him land an internship in the same office with then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., and in the Office of Law Enforcement Coordination, where he helped to set up training for law enforcement in the Washington metropolitan area. The training included interrogation, shooting and interviewing to ensure officers were adequately prepared before bringing cases to the Attorney General’s office.
“I appreciate UDC because of that internship,” Wallace said. “Every opportunity that I had linked back to that one position. The manager in that office became my mentor and helped guide my career and is still my mentor today. I would not have been there if my professors hadn’t encouraged me.”
His lengthy career includes work at the National Gallery of Art from 2013 to 2021, where he was the chief of the Office of Protection Services, managing a diverse workforce of more than 300 people. While at the National Gallery of Art, he managed technology upgrades to maintain a high-security level and enhance incident-reaction time and provided surveillance and behavior analytics.
He also worked as director of the Emergency Operations Center for the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2013. He was responsible for the safety and security of the Pentagon Reservation and the Department of the Interior’s Information Sharing and Analysis Division. There, he worked as a watch commander, interim director of the Victim Assistance Program, intelligence coordinator and acting assistant director.
Wallace also served in the Department of Justice from 1994 to 2004 in several roles, including law enforcement coordinator and anti-terrorism officer in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He currently serves as the National Conference on Cultural Property Protection Board chairperson.
Wallace’s expertise and leadership will assist in cultivating the next OPS strategic plan and continue to provide world-class safety and security for staff, visitors and the invaluable Smithsonian collections.
“It’s both amazing and a huge responsibility,” he said. “I am proud and grateful for all of the experiences that led up to this opportunity.”