James P. Schear Named Federal Security Director at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced that James P. Schear has been named Federal Security Director (FSD) for Colorado Springs (Colo.) Municipal Airport (COS). He will assume his duties in mid-April.

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Schear most recently served as FSD at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (2006-2010). He also has extensive experience at TSA headquarters in several key operational positions, including Deputy Assistant Administrator for Aviation Operations (2002-2004) and as General Manager for Plans and Programs in the Office of Security Operations (2006). 

"Jim Schear has already made enormous contributions to TSA, both in leadership positions at headquarters and in the field," said Lee Kair, Assistant Administrator for Security Operations. "TSA's Officers and staff at Colorado Springs are fortunate to be getting a highly dedicated, experienced security professional to lead their team."  

During his 27-year career as a commercial pilot for US Airways, Schear rose to Chief Pilot and qualified as an instructor on seven separate aircraft. He left TSA in 2004 to become Vice President for Safety Services at the Air Traffic Organization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Later that year, he returned to US Airways to serve as Vice President of Restructuring during the airline's bankruptcy reorganization. Following that successful reorganization, he returned to TSA in 2006.

Schear served 37 years in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve as an anti-submarine warfare pilot and commanding officer, retiring as a Rear Admiral. During his active and reserve career, he flew the P-3 Orion Anti-submarine Warfare/Surface Surveillance aircraft and had multiple assignments, including command of two squadrons and Vice Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. He also was a Mission Commander and Airborne Emergency Action Officer on Looking Glass aircraft flying the strategic nuclear mission. A Vietnam veteran, Schear had three deployments to Southeast Asia flying numerous operational missions in theater.

Schear received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy.  

For more information about TSA, please visit our Web site at www.tsa.gov.

SOURCE Transportation Security Administration