U.S. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he was appointing Julia Pierson as the next director of the Secret Service, making her the first woman to serve in the role. "I am pleased to announce that I will appoint Julia A. Pierson to be the next Director of the United States Secret Service," Obama said in a statement. "Over her 30 years of experience with the Secret Service, Julia has consistently exemplified the spirit and dedication the men and women of the service demonstrate every day." Pierson will succeed Mark Sullivan, who announced his retirement last month.