TSA To Testify This Week

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced leadership changes Friday, including the departure of Dave Stone. TSA officials will be busy this week as they testify in front of various house and senate committees, including a session about GA security.

“Dave Stone has just completed 18 months as the leader of the Transportation Security Administration. The position of Assistant Secretary for the TSA is one of the toughest and most demanding jobs in government. Dave has performed superbly as Assistant Secretary and under his strong and innovative leadership the organization has continuously enhanced security and improved customer service. The weight of accountability and responsibility for protecting our transportation systems from terrorist attack in the post 9/11 era is significant and Dave handled those challenging duties in outstanding fashion.  Our Nation was well served by his commitment to excellence, unquestionable integrity and character-based leadership. I and the entire DHS family wish him the very best in his next venture and thank him for his lasting contributions to our Homeland Security efforts," said Chertoff.

(Ret.) Colonel Kenneth S. Kasprisin will serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security and Acting Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He most recently served as Acting Deputy Administrator for TSA. Before that, he served as Federal Security Director for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Kasprisin has held several additional positions at TSA over the past several years including North Central Area Director, Acting Assistant Administrator for Aviation Operations, Acting Chief Operating Officer and Co-Chair for the Assistant Secretary's Federal Security Director's Advisory Council.

He served in the U.S. military for more than 26 years and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point. He also earned a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Tom Blank will serve as Acting Deputy Administrator of TSA. He currently serves as Associate Administrator and Chief Support Systems Officer at TSA, where he supervises more than 900 employees and oversees several important TSA operations including administration, technology, training and human resource functions.

Blank previously served as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Transportation Security Policy, where he was involved in key policy making decisions relating to securing our nation's aviation system. Blank served earlier in his career as Communications Director for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Blank earned his bachelor's degree with a double major in English and Speech Communications from Wake Forest University.

Several Homeland Security Officials will be testifying this week in front of House and Senate Committees.

Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar and ICE Acting Director of Detention and Removal Operations Wesley Lee will testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security and Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship on "The Southern Border in Crisis: Resources and Strategies to Improve National Security" on Tuesday at 1430 EDT.

On Wednesday at 1400 EDT, US Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas Collins will testify before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity on "The Homeland Security Missions of the Post-9/11 Coast Guard"

Secretary Michael Chertoff will testify before the House Government Reform Committee on the Department of Homeland Security's mission Thursday at 1000 EDT.

Also on Thursday, at 1100 EDT, TSA Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Fleming will testify before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on general aviation security operations.

FMI: www.tsa.gov