TSA Administrator John Pistole to Speak at National Press Club, March 5

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Feb 22, 2012, 04:20 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration, will speak at a National Press Club Speakers Luncheon, March 5. Pistole will discuss "Counterterrorism, Risk-Based Security, and TSA's Vision for the Future of Aviation Security."

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In July, 2010, Pistole was confirmed as the fifth administrator of the TSA, where he oversees the 60,000 employees who provide security at more than 450 U.S. airports and through the Federal Air Marshal Service. His agency also is responsible for security for highways, railroads, ports, mass transit systems and pipelines. Since arriving at the agency created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he has worked with the Department of Homeland Security to transform TSA's one-size-fits-all screening process at airports to one more driven by intelligence and risk.

A 26-year veteran of the FBI, Pistole came to TSA with extensive national security and counterterrorism experience. After 9/11, he was assigned to the FBI's expanded counterterrorism program, eventually rising to become deputy director. He led or was involved in a number of high-profile investigations, including the 2010 attempted car bombing in Times Square, the Christmas Day 2009 foiled "underwear" bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner, an attempted attack on Northwest Flight 253, and a 2009 plot to bomb New York City subways. He also took part in the investigation into the May, 2003, suicide bombings of three housing compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in which 35 people died, including nine Americans.

Pistole began his career as a Special Agent with the FBI in 1983, serving in the Minneapolis and New York divisions before being promoted to supervisor of the Organized Crime Section at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Anderson University (Indiana) and Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis.

The Press Club luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Remarks will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session, ending at 2 p.m. Advance reservations should be made through (202) 662-7501 or [email protected]. The cost of luncheon admission is $19 for National Press Club members, $30 for their guests, and $37 for the general public. Tickets must be purchased at time of reservation.

National Press Club Luncheons are webcast live on press.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NPCLunch, or on Facebook at (facebook.com/PressClubDC) and Twitter (@PressClubDC). Submit questions for speakers in advance and during the live event by sending them to @QNPCLunch on Twitter. Or email a question in advance, type PISTOLE in the subject line and send to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of event.

The Press Club is on the 13th floor, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Credentialed press may cover this event.

About the National Press Club the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists with more than 3,400 members worldwide representing every major news organization. More than 250,000 people visit the Club each year to attend more than 2,000 events. The Club was founded in 1908 and is on the web at press.org.

SOURCE National Press Club