John W Halinski
John W Halinski
Strategist
John Halinski is currently the CEO partner of S&R Investments of VA LLC, dba SRI Group, a service -disabled veteran owned small business specializing in global security and technology and risk consulting opportunities. He was also the President and owner of Raloid Corporation a classified manufacturing facility specializing in sensitive DoD programs in Baltimore Maryland. Additionally he periodically consults for the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO.
John Halinski became TSA's Deputy Administrator in July 2012. As Deputy Administrator, he was responsible for helping TSA grow as a high-performance counterterrorism agency.
Halinski joined TSA in July 2004, serving in the Office of Global Strategies (OGS) before assuming his role as Deputy Administrator. In this capacity Halinski served as the COO for the 62,000-person TSA. He has spearheaded an operational and cultural change which has stressed a risk-based approach to security, the professional development of the TSA workforce and increasing stakeholder outreach.
As Assistant Administrator for OGS from 2008 to 2012, Halinski was responsible for enhancing international transportation security through compliance, outreach and engagement, and capacity development. Key accomplishments included the advancement of measures to prevent and suppress all acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation and acting as the US Representative on Aviation Security for ICAO. As the Europe Area Manager/TSA Representative for OGS, Halinski was also responsible for all TSA operations and administrative activities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Additional accomplishments since in TSA include serving as the TSA/DHS lead for the 2006 Winter Olympics and acting as the TSA Representative for the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon in 2006. Halinski also served as the chief technical advisor for aviation security for the U.S. State Department negotiations on Open Skies agreements. He also developed and implemented a successful Africa engagement strategy for TSA, as well as the Safe Skies for Africa program. In addition, Halinski directed the TSA response to international incidents including the international cargo plot of 2010, rebuilding of Haiti's transportation security infrastructure following the 2010 earthquake, and the December 25, 2009, attempted terrorist underwear bombing and printer bombing attempt.
Previously, Halinski served 25 years in the Marine Corps in a variety of positions. Highlights of this period include several successful tours involving counterterrorism, counter-drugs and counter-proliferation operations. Halinski began his Marine Corps career as an Infantry Officer and later Intelligence Officer. His combat tours include Lebanon, Desert Storm, Kosovo and Somalia as well as multiple tours in special operations.
Halinski earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of TSA's Senior Leadership Development Program and the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. John Halinski is also on the Board of Advisors for Marymount University’s Intelligence Studies Program, the Board of Advisors for Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies and is a Senior Fellow with George Washington University on Homeland Security issues. John Halinski is also a frequent contributor to the media and has appeared as an expert commentator for NBC, CBS, ABC, Bloomberg and MSNBC as well as being published in various security publications. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Smith Detection USA.