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David R. Nicholson

Assistant Administrator for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer

In March 2005, David Nicholson became the assistant administrator for Finance and Administration and chief financial officer of the Transportation Security Administration. He is responsible for financial operations and administrative services supporting national transportation security, including operations at more than 450 airports. He also oversees TSA's compliance with the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act and planning, formulating, defending and executing the agency's $6.3 billion annual budget.

For the two years before coming to TSA, Nicholson served as the resource director for the under secretary of Border and Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security, where he coordinated operational support requirements and planning of TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Customs and Immigrations Enforcement, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. In that capacity he coordinated activities of the agencies' chief financial officers, chief information officers, chief human capital officers, chief procurement officers and chief administrative services officers.

Nicholson worked in the private sector from 2001 to 2003 as chief strategic analyst with Soza & Company, Ltd., providing services in information technology and human resources transformation and project implementation.

From 1973 to 2001, Nicholson served in the U.S. Coast Guard, attaining the rank of rear admiral, spending most of his time in field operations in the Pacific, Bering Sea, Caribbean, East Coast of the U.S., and northwest Atlantic. He commanded three cutters and served as the squadron commander for joint U.S. and international operations enforcing United Nation's resolutions on Haiti. He ended his Coast Guard career as resource director in charge of strategic and performance planning and budget.

In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Nicholson holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.