Coast Guard No. 2 tapped to lead TSA

President Barack Obama announced that he intends to nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger to be the next head of the Transportation Security Administration.

"He has been a recognized leader in the face of our nation’s important challenges, and I am grateful for his service," Obama said in a statement.

Neffenger has served as vice commandant of the Coast Guard since May 2014, the culmination of a Coast Guard career that began in 1981. Among the positions he has held are deputy commandant for operations and director of strategic management and doctrine. He was also deputy national incident commander for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and served as security coordinator for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., from 2003 to 2006. 

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson noted that Neffenger's confirmation would include him in a growing list of top managers coming into the department. DHS has had nagging problems with vacancies in some of its top management ranks over the past few years.

"With the recent confirmation of Russ Deyo to be our new undersecretary for management, there are now 12 new Senate-confirmed presidential appointments for the Department of Homeland Security since I took office, including me," Johnson said in an April 28 statement.

Neffenger would be 13 if he is confirmed by the Senate.