Former Nellis boss to head airport security

Friday, May 17, 2002 | 10:49 a.m.

James Blair, a former Nellis Air Force Base commander, has been appointed by Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to serve as federal security director at McCarran International Airport.

Blair, a 25-year Air Force veteran, has more than 30 years of experience in managing large organizations in fields such as airfield management, human resources, security and city planning, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman with Transportation Security Administration.

Blair, who has served tours of duty in Vietnam and Turkey, has also worked as a deputy director of planning for the city of Las Vegas and as executive director of security for The Mirage.

Federal security directors are a new category of law enforcement officers who oversee federal security operations at the nation's airports.

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