San Diego's Alan Bersin, who quit his post as Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection just before his so-called recess appointment ran out at the end of the year, has been given a new job in the Obama Administration.

At a changing of the guard ceremony in Washington Friday during which ex-Border Patrol chief David Aguilar was sworn in as Bersin's CBP successor, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano revealed the new position.

"Today, I’m pleased to announce that President Obama has appointed Commissioner Bersin to serve a new role within DHS – that of Assistant Secretary of International Affairs.

"DHS could not succeed in its mission without strong international partnerships and engagement," according to Napolitano's address, posted online by Homeland Security.

"We have personnel working in more than 75 countries, including many of your CBP colleagues.

"Our international responsibilities extend to the full range of threats we face, including countering: Terrorism and organized violent crime; Narcotics smuggling and human trafficking;
 Proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons; and Emerging threats from cyberspace."

"In his new position, Assistant Secretary Bersin will oversee the department’s international engagement, leading the strategic development and execution of DHS international plans and policies and forging new partnerships with foreign governments and international organizations."

"As the Department’s chief diplomatic officer, these are responsibilities that I know Assistant Secretary Bersin will assume with the same level of dedication that defined his tenure at CBP as well as his long career in public service, which included roles as California’s Secretary of Education, Superintendent of Public Education in San Diego, and as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California."

In addition to the jobs listed by Napolitano, Bersin also served as board member of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.