San Antonio Aviation Director Named To Aviation Security Blue Ribbon Panel

The U.S. Travel Association has named Frank R. Miller, A.A.E., City of San Antonio Aviation Director, to a national Blue Ribbon Panel for Frictionless Security. The panel consists of approximately 20 experts from various organizations and industries and has been organized for the purpose of developing a vision for airport security screening that maximizes security and minimizes the burden on travelers.

The panel will bring together various stakeholders in the travel industry, including travelers themselves, to recommend improved and more efficient screening processes at airports around the country while also addressing impacts on the traveling public. Representatives from airlines, airports and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as experts in aviation security, queuing, technology and privacy industries, will solicit points of view from frequent travelers. The group will take a new look at the entire security screening process and the need for improved security that incorporates efficiency from the perspective of the traveler.

“It is truly an honor to be asked to be a part of this panel,” said Frank R. Miller A.A.E., Aviation Director. “To bring airline customers to the table with aviation industry representatives and discuss ways to maximize security and minimize the burden on travelers will be important in shaping the future of aviation security. This Blue Ribbon Panel gives the aviation industry the opportunity to plan and implement an efficient, customer friendly environment while still providing optimum security to the traveling public. I hope to contribute ideas that maximize security screening, as well as address concerns expressed by the traveling public for the purpose of improving the overall travel experience at airports.”

Panel chairs are:

• The Honorable Tom Ridge, former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
• The Honorable Jim Turner, former Ranking Democratic Member of the House Homeland Security Committee
• Sam Gilliland, Chairman and CEO of Sabre Holdings

Panel members include:

• David Bronczek, President and CEO of FedEx Express
• Bob Crandall, former CEO of American Airlines
• Fred Dust, Partner and Practice Lead at IDEO
• Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at CATO
• Kevin Hassett, Senior Fellow and Director of Economic Policy Studies at American Enterprise Institute
• Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, former Staff Director of the House Homeland Security Committee
• The Honorable Kathryn “Kitty” Higgins, former Board Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
• The Honorable Robert Jamison, former Deputy Administrator at the TSA
• Kathleen Kraninger, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Screening Coordination at the Department of Homeland Security
• Michael Lind, Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program, New America Foundation
• Mo McGowan, former Federal Security Director for Dallas / Fort Worth Airport at the TSA
• Ajay Mehra, Executive Vice President at OSI Systems and President of Rapiscan Systems
• Rick “Ozzie” Nelson, Director of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies
• Rick Patrick, Vice President at L-1 Identity Solutions
• Thomas Ripp, President of L-3 Security and Detection Systems
• Stephanie Rowe, former Assistant Administrator for Transportation Threat Assessment & Credentialing at the TSA
• Bennet Waters, former Deputy Assistant Administrator at the TSA
• Frank R. Miller, Aviation Director, The City of San Antonio

Additional members may be added to the panel.

The panel seeks to design a system for “frictionless security” – one that maximizes the odds of preventing terrorist attacks on the aviation system, while minimizing disruptions to the millions who travel by air. The panel will set current politics and cost constraints aside, and focus on what is required to achieve its goals.

Miller is the Aviation Director of the San Antonio Airport System, with responsibility for San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport, accepting this position in May 2009. He has over 27 years of experience in the planning, design, operation and management of public airports.

Mr. Miller currently serves on the Executive Committee of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) as First Vice Chairman; is past chairman of the Small Airports Committee of the ACI-NA; is a past president of the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE); and served on AAAE’s Board of Directors