Hello [firstname],
Quarterly Stakeholder Meeting Summary
Location: Washington Field Office (WFO)
Date: May 21, 2025
Attendees: Representatives from FFDOA, ALPA, APA, SWAPA, and management from multiple airlines.
Key Highlights:
1. Recognition of Ms. Denise Stark-Jones
We began by congratulating and extending our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Denise Stark-Jones, FFDO and CMSD Branch Manager, on her retirement from TSA. Over the past five years, Denise has been a staunch advocate and leader for the FFDO and CMSD programs. Under her direction, the programs have seen:
- Significant post-COVID expansion
- Increased budget allocations
- Integration of the FFDO Senior Program
- Multiple MOUs with airlines for CMSDT training
Her leadership, vision, and dedication will be greatly missed.
2. Honoring Captain Jonathan Campos
Captain Jonathan Campos, the first FFDO to perish in the line of duty, has been honored with inclusion in the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). His name was read at the Blue Mass and will be permanently inscribed on the memorial in Washington, D.C.in May 2026. His sacrifice is also recognized under DHS.
3. TSA Updates
Budget Challenges:
With the transition to a new administration in January, TSA has experienced:
- Significant personnel and budgetary shifts
- Delayed backfilling of APB positions due to early retirements
- An overall directive to “do more with less”...The long-term impact of these changes remains uncertain and will become clearer as the agency stabilizes.
4. Program Metrics
Training Capacity
As of May 16, 2025:
- Over 667,000 missions have been completed
- On track to surpass 1.1 million missions in FY25
- More than half of the fiscal year’s initial training slots have been filled
- Training slots are in high demand, filling up within 5–10 minutes of release
Note: Initial training slots are released quarterly. Encourage interested colleagues to monitortheir emails closely.
5. Awards Program Suspended:
Per updated DHS policy, TSA APB is no longer authorized to fund the following awards:
- FFDO of the Quarter
- FFDO of the Year
- Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA)
- Service Recognition Awards (SRA), including coins and patches
It is unclear whether this suspension is temporary or permanent.
6. International Expansion Challenges:
Negotiations to expand international missions with over 20 countries have been suspended inaccordance with the President’s Executive Order requiring review of all International Agreements.
- 2 international incidents have occurred in FY25
- Each incident significantly complicates the expansion of international operations
7. Upcoming Initiatives:
- The Atlanta RTP facility build-out is progressing and slated for completion by October2025
- There is an active initiative to move initial training from Artesia to ACY, pendingfunding availability
- No Open Houses at FAM locations will be held this year due to travel restrictions
Thank you to our Executive VP for Industry Engagement Darrick Dorn for providing this important update!
Semper Vigilans!
Bill Cason
President
FFDO
