Fully 1 of 6 Not Government Pensioners; Still no Women 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta just announced the selection of federal security directors (FSDs) for 24 airports that will also assume responsibility for an additional 40 airports.

"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

Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, CA: Fred Lau has served more than 30 years with the San Francisco police department where his last assignment was as the chief of police. Prior to that he was the chief inspector in the Criminal Investigators Bureau.  Lau holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Policing from San Francisco State University.  Lau will also assume FSD responsibilities at the Stockton, CA, Metropolitan Airport.

Durango/LaPlata County Airport, CO: Richard Fought served as a senior instructor for the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy.  He previously served as the police chief in Waurika, OK.  His career includes law enforcement service with assignments with the Texas Narcotics Control program.  A veteran, Fought completed a tour of combat duty with the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. He will also assume FSD responsibilities at airports in Alamosa, CO, Cortez, CO, and Farmington, NM.

Grand Junction-Walker Field Airport, CO: Rene Dhenin last served as a supervisory special agent with the TSA’s security field office in Denver where he oversaw security operations for airports in Colorado and Wyoming.  Prior to that he served in many capacities with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Europe and the United States.  Dhenin attended El Camino College and holds a degree in administration of justice. He will also assume FSD responsibilities at the Gunnison County Airport, the Montrose County Airport, and the Telluride Regional Airport, all in Colorado.

Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers, FL: Douglas Perkins has worked for the FAA for more than 19 years, most recently as the manager of the Mission and Requirements Analysis Division.  Perkins holds a master’s degree in management and business from Webster’s University, St. Louis, MO and a bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL.  He is also a graduate of the Defense Language Institute.  Perkins has been a licensed pilot for the past 29 years.  He will also assume FSD responsibilities for the Naples, FL, Municipal Airport.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, FL: Frank Capello served over 23 years with the FAA, most recently as the federal security manager at the Miami International Airport.  He served six years with the active-duty Navy and more than 18 years in the Naval reserve supporting the National Security Agency.  He holds a master’s degree in public administration. He will also assume FSD responsibilities at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Clearwater, FL.

Tallahassee Regional Airport, FL: Quinten Johnson has 28 years of transportation safety and security experience, most recently serving as the director of the FAA’s Office of Security Policy and Planning.  He has also held positions with the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. Johnson holds a master’s degree from the Ohio State University and graduated from the National Defense University. He will also assume FSD responsibilities at airports in Dothan, AL; Albany, GA; and Valdosta, GA.

West Palm Beach International Airport, FL: Timothy Brooks recently retired from the United States Marine Corps. His last assignment was as the commanding officer of the Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group in Camp Pendleton, CA.  During his distinguished military career he attended the Pakistan National Defence College, and served as the telecommunications advisor at the Kuwait Joint Headquarters in Kuwait City, Kuwait.  Brooks holds a Master of Arts degree from the Naval War College and a Master of Science in management from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. 

Bloomington-Normal Airport, IL: David Chovancek recently served as a senior security consultant for government force protection projects.  He served over 14 years in military intelligence for the U.S. Army, including counterintelligence and counter-terrorism operations.  He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of Central Texas.   Chovancek will also assume FSD responsibilities at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport in Savoy, IL.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, KY: Terry Burgess last worked for Continental Airlines where he served as the principal security inspector and as the primary liaison to the federal government for aviation security.  He served with the FAA  for many years and was responsible for reviewing foreign security procedures at airports in Europe to ensure compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.   

Bluegrass Airport, Lexington, KY: Lanny Miller recently worked in the TSA’s Security Liaison Division.  Prior to joining the TSA team, Miller worked for the United States Postal Service (USPS) where he recently retired after 28 years of service.  Since 1991, he supervised all criminal investigations conducted by postal inspectors in the Eastern Kentucky Federal Judicial District.  Other positions he held with the USPS include fraud specialist, resident agent in charge, and as a member of the financial audit team.

New Orleans International Airport, LA:  Robert Besal recently retired from the United States Navy and most recently served as commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force. Other assignments in his naval career include deputy commander of the Joint Task Force, Southwest Asia where he oversaw daily air operations over southern Iraq in support of the UN Security Council and Operation Southern Watch. Besal holds a Bachelor of Aviation Management from Auburn University.

Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, MI: Ellis Brumbaugh is a retired detective with more than 15 years experience with the Ingram County, MI, sheriff’s department.  A former colonel in the Army National Guard, Brumbaugh retired after 31 years active and reserve service.  He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Northwood University, Midland, MI.  Brumbaugh will also assume FSD responsibilities at airports in Alpena, Sault Ste. Marie, Manistee and Pellston, Michigan.

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, MO: William Switzer served as a technical director in the Systems Engineering Group of the Anteon International Corporation.  Prior to working for Anteon, he was the director of the TRW Systems and Information Technology Group in Washington, DC.  A former pilot with the Navy’s flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, Switzer has over 5400 flight hours in tactical jets and 1150 carrier arrested landings.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management from the West Virginia Institute of Technology.

Eppley Airfield, Omaha, NE: Michael Kudlacz is a former major general in the U.S. Air Force. His last assignment was in the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as the director, On-Site Inspection.  In that capacity he oversaw inspections related to mutual confidence in arms control treaty compliance.  Rated as a command pilot, Kudlacz has more than 3,200 flying hours and 220 combat hours. He holds a master’s degree in sociology from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.  Additionally he will assume FSD responsibilities at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, IA; and the Karl Stefan Memorial Airport in Norfolk, NE.

Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Vincent Amoresano is the former chief of police for the Paterson, NJ, Police Department where he served for over 27 years.  Most recently he served as a consultant to the Department of Justice International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Amoresano holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Norwich University in Vermont and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Safety Administration from William Patterson University of New Jersey. Additionally he will assume FSD responsibilities at the Salisbury/Wicomico County Regional Airport in Salisbury, MD, and the Trenton-Mercer Airport in Trenton, NJ.

James M. Cox Dayton International Airport, OH: Jerome Witt has more than 29 years of law enforcement experience including serving as an International Police Monitor for the U.S. State Department in Yugoslavia.  Prior to that he served for 22 years with the Fairborne, Ohio Police Department before his retirement.  He also served as the chief of police for a developmental center for mentally retarded persons, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and administration.

Rogue Valley International –Medford Airport, OR: William Hice has worked in aviation security for 11 years, most recently as the supervisory special agent for 15 airports throughout Montana and Washington.  Prior to that he served as an interim federal security representative in Montana and Oregon. Hice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology from Southern Oregon State College and will assume FSD responsibilities at the Klamath Falls Airport.

Philadelphia International Airport, PA: James Golden has worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years, and most recently served as director of the Trenton, NJ, Police Department.  With his police department team, he helped create the security and terrorist threat investigative unit following the attacks on New York and the anthrax mailings in the Trenton area. Golden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Philadelphia University.

T.F. Green State Airport, Providence, RI:  Joseph Salter has served in a number of airport and transportation security and emergency operations positions.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in behavioral sciences from the New York Institute of Technology and will also assume FSD responsibilities at airports in Hyannis, Provincetown, Vineyard Haven and Nantucket, MA.

Greenville-Spartensburg Airport, SC:  Mike Tarman most recently served as a bureau administrator for the Arizona Department of Corrections. A retired Army colonel, Tarman spent the majority of his 27-year career with the Military Police Corps.  He holds a Masters of Public Administration from Shippensburg University and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Tarman is also a graduate of the Army War College.  He will also assume FSD responsibilities at the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, NC.

McGhee Tyson Airport, Alcoa, TN: Charles Brockman has worked for the FAA for more than 16 years, most recently as the manager of the Nashville, TN, Security Field Office responsible for operational support and oversight of civil aviation security for 17 airports in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Northern Alabama.  Prior to that he worked for 16 years as a state trooper and patrol officer in Pensacola, FL.  Brockman retired from the United States Air Force Reserve with 26 years service and will assume FSD responsibilities at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, and the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville, TN.

Burlington International Airport, VT: George Harkness is a former commander with 22 years in the United States Navy.  His last assignment was at the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC.  Most recently, Harkness worked in law enforcement with the Dublin, Ohio, Police Department. He holds a masters degree in defense economics from the U.S. Naval War College and a Bachelor of Science in education from the Ohio State University. Harkness will also assume FSD responsibilities at the Lebanon, NH Municipal Airport, the Clinton County Airport in Plattsburgh, NY, and the Rutland State Airport, VT.

Roanoke Regional Airport, VA: Robert Schnekel most recently served in the Department of the Treasury as a senior advisor for terrorism and violent crime.  A former special agent with the United States Army, Schnekel served in Laos during the Vietnam War.   He holds a Master of Arts degree in international transactions from George Mason University, VA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University.   Schnekel will also assume FSD responsibilities for airports in Bluefield, Lewisburg, and Raleigh, West Virginia.

Spokane International Airport, WA: David Kuper currently works for the FAA as a security program manager.  His background includes 20 years experience in law enforcement and security.  Kuper worked on the design of security systems for Denver International Airport and is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security.  He will also assume FSD responsibilities for airports in Lewiston, ID; Moses Lake, WA; East Wenatchee, WA; and Pullman, WA.

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. This announcement brings the total number of FSDs announced to 71. 358 positions remain unfilled, even at starting salaries that range from $55,000 up to $150,000. The TSA has not returned our calls requesting a breakout of which positions pay less than the $105,000 starting salary for "executive FSDs."

FMI: www.tsa.dot.gov