Transportation unveils first group of airport security directors

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta Wednesday swore in the first eight members of the new corps of federal airport security directors.

Each airport must have such a director under the 2001 Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which became law last November. The directors will control security operations and report directly to the headquarters of the new Transportation Security Administration. They have authority to ground flights and will help supervise training of the new, federalized force of baggage screeners.

Six of the eight security directors named Wednesday come from federal law enforcement and military backgrounds. They are:

• Arnold Cole, Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Cole's career in federal law enforcement began in 1975 as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He subsequently served as a special agent with the Secret Service. He culminated his career as special agent in charge of the San Francisco field office.
• Gail Linkins, Mobile Regional Airport in Alabama. As a Secret Service agent for more than 20 years, her assignments included duty as a criminal investigator and a stint on the vice president's security detail.
• William Pickle, Denver International Airport. He is a 25-year veteran of the Secret Service, where he served as deputy assistant director for human resources and as special agent in charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division.
• Anthony Zotto, Ronald Reagan-Washington National Airport. He is a long-time Secret Service agent who currently serves on the vice president's security detail.
• Isaac Richardson, O'Hare International Airport. A retired Navy admiral, he served as a fighter pilot, flying F-14A Tomcats from numerous aircraft carriers, and was commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
• Mike Aguilar, San Diego International Airport. During his 30 years of military service, the retired Marine Corps general flew helicopters from bases in California, Hawaii and Japan, and served as deputy commander of U.S. Marine Forces South in Miami and commanding general of Fleet Marine Forces South.

• Marcia Florian, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. A veteran of airport security, she served 27 years in the Phoenix Police Department and developed and led the Police Airport Bureau at the Phoenix airport.
• Willie Williams, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. He served as the Los Angeles chief of police from 1992 to 1997, and as the Philadelphia police commissioner from 1988 to 1992. Prior to that he was a Philadelphia police officer from 1964 to 1988.