DHS brings in the travel experts

By Doug Newhouse |

The Department of Homeland Security’s ‘Loaned Executive Program’ has recruited six ‘experts’ to use their talents to promote travel and tourism facilitation.

 

The aim of the LEP is to try and benefit from executive leadership approaches from proven individuals who have been ‘loaned’ from their relative private sector fields to promote the facilitation of travel and tourism at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

 

“Under this Administration, one of our top priorities has been to expand and facilitate the trade and travel that contributes to our nation’s growing economy,” said Deputy Secretary Mayorkas.

 

“The Loaned Executive Program recruits the best talent and ideas from the private sector and brings that expertise to bear for the DHS mission. Our efforts will continue to make the United States the destination of choice for business and leisure.

 

BETTER FLOWS WILL BENEFIT RETAIL

“We are proud to welcome these outstanding individuals who have accomplished so much in the private sector to help us further improve the travel experience for the American public and visitors to our country.”

 

The six loaned executives who have begun work already have taken on the following positions to assist in the following ways:

 

• Christopher Whiteman Managing Director- Passenger Facilitation & Customer Initiatives, Delta Air Lines Senior Advisor, Customer Service. In this position, Whiteman will advise TSA and CBP on ways to improve customer service.

 

• Christopher Billings, President, Service Improvement Consultants International, Inc. and Consultant, American Airlines. Senior Advisor, Line and Crowd Management: In this position, Billings will advise TSA and CBP on issues related to the airport system flow of travellers, with a goal of streamlining processes consistent with the security mission.

 

• Lorri Fairchild, Branch Owner, AIT Worldwide Logistics. Senior Advisor, Logistics. In this position, Fairchild will advise TSA and CBP on issues related to airport systems’ flow of international travellers and ways to streamline the arrivals and connections process.

 

• Kevin Bagger, Senior Director of Strategic Research & Analytics, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; and Scott Russell, Senior Research Manager, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Senior Advisors, Metrics. In these positions, Bagger and Russell will advise CBP on the collection and analysis of data relating to the experience of international arriving passengers.

 

Nawaf Marjan, Owner, Triangle Technology Ventures, LLC. Senior Advisor, Self-Service Technology:  In this position, Marjan will advise TSA and CBP on the development and deployment of enterprise level self-service technologies.

 

 

Airport Terminal people/crowd management is top of the agenda for the Department of Homeland Security and this new initiative to bring in private sector experts has been the subject of privates sector lobbying for quite some time. (Above: Denver Airport).

 

 

PRIVATE SECTOR ‘GENEROSITY’

The Department of Homeland Security says the positions include a six-month assignment with the option for a six-month renewal. These positions do not include a government salary; instead, participants in the Loaned Executive Program still draw their regular salary and benefits from their private-sector employer.

 

As part of their efforts, the loaned executives will conduct site visits at five airports: Chicago O’Hare, John F. Kennedy International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, and Newark Liberty International.

 

TOP IMAGE: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is a big supporter of the new programme.

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