Transportation Security Administration chief resigns

John Magaw stepped down Thursday as head of the Transportation Security Administration and will be replaced by James Loy, former commandant of the Coast Guard and TSA's current second-in-command. Magaw, former head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at the Treasury Department and former director of the Secret Service, often clashed with members of Congress and the aviation industry during his brief tenure at TSA. Some congressional leaders, concerned that Magaw was mismanaging the agency, questioned his desire to hire nearly 60,000 airport passenger and baggage screeners. Magaw originally thought the agency would need only 35,000 screeners. Airport executives had expressed concern that most of TSA's leaders, who have backgrounds in security and law enforcement, knew little about the aviation and airport industry. James Wilding, president and CEO of the Washington Airports Authority, which oversees operations at Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport, said that TSA officials have generally operated in a vacuum, seeking little comment or input from the airport industry. During an interview on Wednesday, Michael Robinson, TSA's associate undersecretary for aviation operations, said the agency has improved its outreach to the industry. He added that TSA has had a tough time recruiting industry experts to join it. In Loy, TSA has a seasoned government executive who has won high marks for his management of the Coast Guard, which has wide-ranging duties. Loy, who retired from the Coast Guard this past spring, was named as Magaw's deputy in May. "We are extremely fortunate that Jim Loy has agreed to serve as our new head of the TSA. Admiral Loy has amply demonstrated his ability to motivate and manage a large federal agency when he was commandant of the Coast Guard. Jim Loy is the right man for this job, at the right time," said Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta in a statement.