Homeland Security's Chertoff Names Acting TSA Leadership

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omeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that Kenneth Kasprisin will serve as acting administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and Tom Blank will serve as TSA’s acting deputy administrator effective immediately.

Kasprisin most recently served as Acting Deputy Administrator for TSA. Prior to that position he was federal security director for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport where he was responsible for coordinating and overseeing the execution of all federal aviation security responsibilities.

He has held several additional positions at TSA over the past several years, including as a regional director, and served in the U.S. military for more than 26 years.

Blank 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.

Previously, he 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.

Earlier in his career, Blank served as communications director for former House Newt Gingrich, as assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and as a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation.

President Bush in early May nominated Edmund "Kip" Hawley to be TSA’s new administrator, to replace outgoing administrator David Stone, who is scheduled to leave the post this month.

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