Pistole to retire from TSA

The agency head will step down on Dec. 31 to pursue a career in academia.    John Pistole, who has served as the head of the Transportation Security Administration since Jun 2010, will retire at the end of the year.
   The longest-serving TSA administrator will move to a career in academia starting in 2015. Pistole has worked in the federal government since 1983, when he joined the FBI. In May 2010, President Barack Obama nominated him to replace Acting Administrator Gale D. Rossides.
   “It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as TSA Administrator. No words can convey my deep gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the thousands of men and women committed to protecting the American public,” Pistole said in a statement. “I could not be more proud of all that our employees have accomplished together, particularly what they have done to help enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of transportation security while improving the passenger screening experience.”
   Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Pistole had been a key player in the TSA’s movement to becoming a “risk-based, intelligence-driven counter-terrorism agency dedicated to protecting our transportation systems.”
   Johnson continued, “Because of his efforts over the past four and a half years, our country’s transportation systems are more safe and secure. I am grateful for John’s contributions to DHS, TSA and our country.”
Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said he worked closely with Pistole, who often had “thankless” tasks to complete.
   “Shifting TSA from a one-size-fits-all approach to risk-based security has empowered the agency to provide the most effective security in the most efficient ways,” Rockefeller said. “His determination to train and develop TSA’s front-line employees into a counter-terrorism workforce will have lasting public safety benefits. Our transportation and aviation systems are certainly safer than ever before in large part thanks to Administrator Pistole and his steady leadership.”