Tammy Dickinson has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Dickinson was nominated by President Obama in July 2012 and confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on Jan. 1, 2013.

She took the oath of office late Monday from U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips, a former U.S. Attorney.

Dave Ketchmark, who has been Acting US Attorney since the nomination, is expected to stay in the office in some capacity. Ketchmark was the First Assistant US Attorney under Dickinson’s predecessor Beth Phillips, then served as Acting US Attorney when Phillips left.

“I’m honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri,” said Dickinson. “I would like to thank President Obama, Congress, and especially Senators McCaskill and Blunt for their support.

“As a career state prosecutor, I look forward to working with my colleagues and law enforcement partners at the federal level,” Dickinson said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has earned the respect of our community and a reputation for pursuing justice and enforcing the law without prejudice. I will strive to uphold that proud tradition.”

As U.S. Attorney, Dickinson is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Western District of Missouri, which includes Kansas City, St. Joseph, Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield. She oversees a staff of 127 employees, including 64 attorneys and 63 non-attorney support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

Dickinson, a Kansas City, Mo., native, has been a trial attorney her entire legal career. She has been the Chief Trial Assistant for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office since 2002 after working as an assistant prosecutor in that office beginning in 1998.

Dickinson received her J.D. in 1998 from the University of Missouri Law School and her B.A. in 1989 from Webster University. She is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.