128-0816 r w bc-DOT-Security-directors DOT Secretary Mineta Names 20 New Federal Security Directors

8/16/2002

From: S. Greg Warren or David Steigman of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, 202-385-1255 or 202-385-1529 Web site: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced the selection of 20 federal security directors (FSDs) who will assume responsibility for 48 airports. This announcement brings the total number of FSDs announced to 137.

"These FSDs will be our personal representatives, responsible for ensuring the safety of our skies and fulfilling the Transportation Department's role in the war on terrorism." Secretary Mineta said. "These experienced professionals will be on the front lines in the war on terrorism and are integral in furthering the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) commitment to first-class security and first-class customer service."

The position of federal security director was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, signed by President Bush on Nov. 19, 2001. Secretary Mineta said the new FSDs will fill a crucial gap in aviation security by providing, for the first time, a clear line of authority for security at our nation's airports.

Montgomery Regional Airport, AL: Ernest Sheard recently served as a regional airport security program manager at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Southern Regional Headquarters in Atlanta, GA. He was responsible for airport security matters for more than 36 commercial aviation airports located in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. During his career with the FAA, he also served as lead civil aviation security specialist at Miami International Airport and as a civil aviation security specialist in the FAA Civil Aviation Security Office in Atlanta. Prior to joining the FAA, Sheard worked for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA. Sheard will also assume FSD responsibilities at airports in Columbus and Macon, GA.

Fairbanks International Airport, AK: Margaret "Maggie" Rhodes recently served with the TSA special actions and litigation support staff attached to the chief staff officer for aviation operations. She has almost 20 years of experience as a civil aviation security specialist, physical security specialist, information systems security manager and a security policy writer. Rhodes was the chief author of the FAA's national policy on information systems security, the first woman special agent in the Anchorage Civil Aviation Security Field Office and the first woman civil aviation security specialist sent to the Russian Far East. She served nearly 10 years in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Rhodes will also have FSD responsibilities for airports at Bethel, Dillingham, Deadhorse, Nome and Kotzebue, AK.

Juneau International Airport, Juneau, AK: David Mitchell has more than 16 years experience in the aviation industry in both civilian and military capacities. He most recently was manager of advanced training technology at the Flight Safety Boeing's training center in Seattle, where he researched the training needs of the air transport industry and provided aviation training and assistance to a team developing web-based training systems and desktop simulation products for pilots, flight attendants and maintenance personnel. Prior to that job he served in aviation operations and training billets with the U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; and a master's of aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL. Mitchell will also have FSD responsibilities for airports at Sitka, Yakutat, Gustavas, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Wiley Post/Will Rogers and Petersburg AK.

Tucson International Airport, AZ: John Sides is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with nearly 30 years active service. His final duty assignment was as vice commander of the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, overseeing the collection and dissemination of all-source air and space intelligence for the Air Force, joint military commands and the national intelligence community. Previous to that assignment, he served as detachment commander, missile combat crew commander and squadron commander. He was an on-scene commander for the recovery of an A-10 aircraft that crashed near Eagle, CO in 1997 and earlier served on the Titan II Review Group, whose recommendations were essential to maintaining the Titan II missile in a safe and operable condition. Sides holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration from the The Citadel, Charleston, SC and a Master of Science degree in counseling and psychology from George Peabody College.

Fresno Yosemite International Airport, CA: Robert Benson worked for US Airways for more than 20 years in various management positions. He has experience in operational management, manpower planning and air carrier security. He served in the U.S. Air Force and is board president of a nonprofit agency supporting adoption of foreign orphaned children in the United States. He will also assume FSD responsibilities for Visalia Regional Airport, Meadows Field Bakersfield and Indian Wells Valley Airports, CA.

Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO: Dennis Portlance worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 33 years, with the last 18 years being spent in Civil Aviation Security. His most recent job was deputy division manager for civil aviation security in the Central Region. During his 18 years in Civil Aviation Security, he also served as a computer security specialist, federal air marshal and a division manager. He assisted in the development of the facility inspection reporting system, and the Driving Under the Influence/Driving While Intoxicated program. Portlance is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Portlance will also assume FSD responsibilities for the Pueblo Memorial Airport, CO.

Kona International Airport, HI: James S. Correa served more than 27 years as a detective, lieutenant, captain, major, deputy chief and chief of the Hawaii County Police Department, where he was responsible for all law enforcement on the island of Hawaii. He was a lecturer and instructor in the administration of justice program at Hawaii Community College. He is an executive member of several statewide law enforcement councils and committees and several professional organizations. Correa attended the University of Hawaii and graduated from the FBI National Academy. He will also assume FSD responsibilities for Hilo Airport, HI.

Chicago Midway Airport, IL: Jeanne B. Clark retired from the Chicago Police Department as deputy superintendent of the Bureau of Special Services, after more than 25 years of service. In this post, she supervised the Education and Training, Auditing and Control and Research and Development Divisions and the Management and Labor Affairs Section. Prior to that, she was deputy chief for the Patrol Division, supervising more than 10,500 police officers and civilians. Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and German from St. Xavier University and a Master of Arts in teaching English as a second language from the University of Illinois.

Evansville Regional Airport, IN: Jason Brainard most recently was president of a crisis management consulting firm, advising different organizations on threat assessment, pre-crisis planning, violence prevention and post-incident response. He facilitated and distributed more than 3,000 crisis management plans to police departments, businesses and schools throughout the United States. He was a district director of the Illinois State Crime Commission and has served in three different police departments. He attended Greenville College and Illinois Central College East.

Monroe Regional Airport, LA: Robert Tucker served as a special agent with the FBI for more than 30 years. For the past 16 years he served as supervisor of the Violent Crimes Squad in the New Orleans office, where he supervised the investigation of all aviation-related crimes and other federal criminal violations. He also served a crisis management coordinator for the FBI in Louisiana and as a sector supervisor for crisis management at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, UT. Prior to his duty in Louisiana, Tucker was assigned to the New York, NY and Newark, NJ field offices and FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Southeastern University, Washington, D.C. He will also assume FSD responsibilities for Alexandria Airport, LA.

Springfield/Branson Regional Airport, MO: Clement Spencer served 29 years with the Marshfield, WI police department, as a patrolman, detective, lieutenant, deputy chief and chief of police for seven years, prior to his retirement in 1998. He most recently worked as the manager for the Williamsburg office of the Virginia Employment Commission. He holds a private pilots license and is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. He has also been chairman of the Wisconsin Police Executive Group and Central Wisconsin Professional Chief of Police Association. Spencer holds a bachelor's degree in police science from Mid-State Technical College, Marshfield, WI, and took professional courses at the University of Wisconsin. Spencer has also attended the FBI National Academy. He also will assume FSD responsibilities for Joplin and Cape Girardeau Airports and Forney Army Airfield, MO.

Albuquerque International/Sunport Airport, NM: Michael P. Dewey has more than 14 years experience in aviation security, most recently serving as the manager for the FAA's Dallas/Fort Worth field office. He was a federal air marshal during the late 1980s. Prior to his aviation work, Dewey was a nuclear weapons anti-terrorist security specialist for the Department of Energy (DoE) in Albuquerque, NM. During his duty with DoE, he served in the executive protection detail for the secretary of energy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in police science and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology.

Albany International Airport, NY: Paul Varville has more than 30 years experience in federal law enforcement, including duty in various managerial positions. His most recent assignment was as special agent in charge of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, Western Judicial District of Texas. During his career he managed undercover and electronic surveillance programs in the North Atlantic region and led national review teams ensuring compliance with programs objectives and guidelines. Varville holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Salem College in Massachusetts and a Master of Business Administration in management and finance from Syracuse University in New York.

Portland International Airport, OR: Robert E. Jackson has more than 26 years of experience as a U.S. Air Force security officer with extensive experience at Air Force bases throughout the world. His most recent duty was as deputy for antiterrorism and critical infrastructure protection at the U.S. Pacific Command. He developed the command antiterrorism program for the entire Pacific region and provided threat warnings for U.S. ships and aircraft operating throughout the Pacific region. Jackson has a Bachelor of Science in police science and administration from Washington State University and a Master of Arts in management from Troy State University. He graduated from the FBI National Academy. He will also assume FSD responsibility for Roberts Field Airport, OR.

Charleston International Airport, SC: Debra S. Engel was a senior attorney for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Rockville, MD, where she was the principal advisor on security matters since 1999. Prior to that time she was a civilian attorney with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in both the Charleston, SC and Baltimore, MD offices. In that capacity, she spent three months in Kuwait as part of the reconstruction effort after Operation Desert Storm. She also participated in the recovery efforts for hurricanes Hugo and Fran. Engler holds a bachelor's degree from Newcomb College of Tulane University and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. She will also assume FSD responsibility for Myrtle Beach International Airport, SC.

Memphis International Airport, TN: Wiley Thompson was a special agent with the FBI for 25 years and served as assistant director for more than a year before retiring in 2000, where he redesigned the inspection and audit process and conducted inspections of programs throughout the world. Prior to serving as assistant director, he was special agent in charge in St. Louis, MO, where he developed a joint operations center and special agent in charge in Anchorage, AK. He also was a special agent in Baltimore, MD; Washington, D.C.; St. Louis, MO; Chicago, IL; Cheyenne, WY; and Denver, CO. Following his FBI career he was vice president at Guardsmark, Inc., an international security services firm. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Lincoln University of Missouri and has graduated from courses for senior government officials at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Corpus Christi International Airport, TX: Roberto J. Fernandez was a U.S. Customs Service special agent for 24 years, including three years as special agent in charge, Caribbean Operations in San Juan, PR. Prior to this position, he served as customs representative/attachi in the Office of Foreign Operations, in the headquarters of the Customs Service. He was also a congressional fellow with the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. He served overseas at the U.S. embassies in Paris; Rome; Mexico City; Montevideo, Uruguay and several nations in Central America. Prior to serving with the Customs Service he was a detective with the Metro-Dade Sheriff's Department, Miami, FL. Fernandez holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Florida International University and graduated from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He also will assume FSD responsibilities for Victoria and Laredo International Airports.

El Paso International Airport, TX: Dennis Clark served 21 years as a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in domestic and international posts, including Mexico, Venezuela and Peru. Following his retirement from the DEA, he became director of international security for Verizon Communications where he oversaw asset protection and information security and investigations. Prior to serving with the DEA Clark served for four years in the U.S. Army in intelligence positions in the United States and Vietnam. He speaks fluent Spanish. Clark graduated from the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute and the FBI National Academy.

Lubbock International Airport, TX: James Holden was regional manager of security for American Airlines with responsibility for more than 38 international security coordinators and 1,400 security agents based throughout the Caribbean region and Latin America. He has also been a ground security coordinator, international security coordinator and environmental coordinator with American Airlines. He attended the University of Texas and graduated from Tarrant County Junior College with an associate's degree in work center management.

Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX: Edward L. Karabinus has more than 30 years service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. During his military career he was operations director for 12 facilities, including the airport, harbor and warehouses at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. He also had major assignments at the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany and at Templehof Central Airport, Berlin. Karabinus holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida University and a master's degree from the University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He will also assume FSD responsibilities for Lawton Municipal Airport, OK

FSDs serve under the direction of the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, and oversee federal security operations at the nation's airports. The starting salary for executive-level FSDs is $105,000, and that for non-executive-level FSDs is $55,000.

FSDs will be directly responsible for a full range of airport security, enforcement and oversight, including: -- The efficient implementation, performance and enhancement of security and screening standards for airport employees; -- Airport security risk assessments; -- Supervision of federal law enforcement activity within the purview of the TSA; and -- Organizing and implementing the Federal Security Crisis Management Response Plan for each airport.