Mary Harmon Eliason was always interested in law enforcement even as a young girl. She would watch crime shows growing up and dreamed about having a job that offered the “element of surprise.” She first learned about ATF during her time in the private industry after meeting agents working the Atlanta Olympic Park bombing. From there, she went on to be an investigative assistant and her career with ATF has continued to blossom.

Mary Harmon loves that every workday is different and each day has its own set of challenges. Being an area supervisor plays to her strengths of being organized and her understanding of and dedication to the mission. She believes her greatest reward is working with people and having the opportunity to mentor others as they continue in their careers. That way, the agency will continue to be in great hands once her time comes to leave.

Career Path

Mary Harmon Eliason discusses her ATF career path from an investigative analyst to an industry operations investigator to an area supervisor, including the challenges of coming from private industry — not having previous law enforcement experience and having to learn the “federal law enforcement way.”

Becoming a Public Information Officer

Mary Harmon Eliason discusses becoming a public information officer while still serving as an area supervisor.