National Security Branch > Terrorist Screening Center > TSC Leadership
Timothy J. Healy – Acting Director
Timothy J. Healy was appointed Acting Director of the Terrorist Screening Center in February 2009.
Mr. Healy began his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent in 1986. After completing training at Quantico, his first office of assignment was Salt Lake City where he worked a variety of criminal violations to include all types of white-collar crime and reactive work. He was later assigned to a three-man resident agency and worked telemarketing fraud, bank fraud, bank robberies, fraud by wire, murder for hire, and murder on government reservations. In 1989, he initiated “Operation Disconnect,” which was a proactive telemarketing investigation that eventually included 15 field divisions and culminated in the successful conviction of 402 fraudulent telemarketers. In 1995, he was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for serving as the primary undercover agent on the Montana Freeman case.
In 1997, he was promoted to FBI Headquarters Economic Crime Unit as the Telemarketing Program Manager. In 2000, he initiated the Internet Fraud Complaint Center and was promoted as its first unit chief. During the 9/11 crisis, he directed his staff to develop a webpage to receive online tips from the Internet, which is now used to “Submit a Tip” to the FBI. The Internet Fraud Complaint Center received the Excellent.gov Award. In 2002, he transferred to the Baltimore Field Office as a supervisory special agent where he supervised the Innocent Images Squad and, later, a Computer Intrusion Squad. While in Baltimore, he developed a software system to track suspicious activity. It was called the Baltimore Terrorist Tracking System (BATTS), which was later adopted by FBI Headquarters and is now known as GUARDIAN.
In 2003, the Director assigned him to stand up the new Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), and Mr. Healy was later promoted as the Deputy Director of the TSC responsible for Operations, Administrative and Information Technology Branches. For his efforts at the TSC, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Information Management. In 2006, he was designated Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Intelligence Division. In 2008, he was designated Deputy Assistant Director of Law Enforcement Targeting and Response Branch within the Directorate of Intelligence.
Mr. Healy graduated from Benedictine University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He began his career as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, completed Naval Flight Training, and was ordered to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where he flew AV8 Harrier Jump Jets. Mr. Healy is married and has six children.
Rick Kopel – Principal Deputy Director
Rick Kopel is a Terrorist Threat Tracking Officer in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis. He is currently the senior DHS official assigned to the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), where he serves as Principal Deputy Director. Mr. Kopel has had an extensive career in public service as well as experience in the private sector.
In his role as Principal Deputy Director for TSC, Mr. Kopel directs the development of operational policies and procedures for fostering cooperation, information sharing, and interoperability on terrorist watch-listing among intelligence and law enforcement organizations as well as the private sector. Mr. Kopel also serves as the senior U.S. government official for negotiations with foreign governments on the sharing of terrorist watch list information under the provisions of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-6. For six months in 2007, he served as the Acting Director of TSC.
In 1982, Mr. Kopel began his professional career as a computer systems analyst working in the private sector. He entered government service with the U.S. Customs Service (USCS) in 1988 as an information analyst in the Cargo Selectivity Branch of the Office of Data Systems. He became the Branch Chief later that year, responsible for all narcotics interdiction analytic applications developed and deployed by Customs.
In 1993, Mr. Kopel was reassigned to the Law Enforcement Systems Division and was responsible for automating the screening process for all passengers arriving and departing the United States. During this time he was designated as the subject matter expert for all Customs screening and analysis efforts for both passengers and cargo. In 1998, as the Chief of the Targeting Branch, he was responsible for the design, development, and deployment of all antiterrorism, narcotics smuggling, and trade violation systems. He also served as a senior liaison to other agencies and foreign governments for screening initiatives and technical issues.
Following September 11, 2001, Mr. Kopel was assigned to the USCS Office of Anti-Terrorism as the lead for all intelligence analysis, targeting, and information sharing efforts. He became the Deputy Director of the office in 2002 and served in this capacity until he was designated the Acting Director in March 2003. In July 2003, he was assigned to the Terrorist Screening Center.
Zandra Flemister – Deputy Director
Zandra Flemister was most recently a Senior Consular Inspector in the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General and joined TSC as the Deputy Director-State Department in August. As a Senior Consular Inspector she inspected the field side of U.S. non-immigrant and immigrant visa processing at U.S. embassies in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, Canada, and Central and South America. This provided her the opportunity to apply the knowledge she had acquired in a 30-year State Department career that has included extensive collaboration with U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies.
Zandra joined the State Department in 1978 after four years as a special agent in the U.S. Secret Service based in the Washington Field Office. Following early assignments for the State Department in Argentina, Spain, Pakistan, and Washington from 1991-94, she served as the Anti-Fraud Officer in London. There, she was instrumental in creating a multilateral working group pooling U.S., U.K., and third country expertise to identify fraudulent and altered visas and passports and interdict persons attempting to exploit these documents for international travel.
After service in Washington as the Post Management Officer for consular sections in Europe and Central Asia Zandra headed non-immigrant visa operations in South Korea from 1999-2002, at that time the highest volume non-immigrant visa issuing embassy in the world. While in Seoul she was the State lead for the Embassy’s Visas-Viper program, the field side of the terrorist screening program. During this period she also was instrumental in the detection and destruction of a major South Korean visa fraud ring that had successfully penetrated the embassy. Zandra next attended the National Defense University - Industrial College of the Armed Forces graduating in 2003 with a Masters in Strategic Resource Management.
In 2005 Zandra volunteered for a 13-month tour as Consul General in Islamabad, Pakistan. In that job she was a member of Ambassador Ryan Crocker’s senior management team and was responsible for overseeing all U.S. consular activities in Pakistan, as well as visa issuance in Afghanistan. Highlights of her time in Pakistan included responding to the October 2005 South Asian earthquake and a major terrorist attack in Karachi in February 2006, as well as supporting a 2006 Presidential Visit and handling several highly sensitive visa cases. Ms. Flemister was selected for the Senior Foreign Service in 2006.
As the TSC Deputy Director-State Department, Zandra will work to enhance cooperation with international partners, beginning with the Visa Waiver Program Countries, to establish appropriate access to terrorist screening information.
Cory B. Nelson – Deputy Director
Cory B. Nelson entered on duty with the FBI on July 17, 1991. He was initially assigned to the New York Office Applicant Squad. While on the Applicant Squad he volunteered to assist the Drug and Organized Crime Squad with all operations. As a result, he was reassigned to the Genovese Organized Crime Squad to spear-head Title III investigations in furtherance of dismantling the Genovese Crime Family. In addition to his investigative work, Mr. Nelson was selected to lead one of the first New York Office Evidence Response Teams.
On August 29, 1997, Mr. Nelson transferred to the San Antonio Division, Brownsville Resident Agency. He was subsequently assigned as the case agent on the Juan Garcia Abrego investigation (Major Case 102). He also served as the bilateral task force agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and vetted teams of Mexican Law Enforcement Officers. In addition, Mr. Nelson was selected as the SWAT Assistant Team Leader. He was also requested to respond to the Oklahoma City Bombing, for which he received an award from the FBI Director.
On October 10, 1999, Mr. Nelson was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Headquarters, Drug Section, Colombian/Caribbean Unit. He provided investigative and operational guidance and program management oversight in direct support of significant domestic and international Drug Program Investigations. He was also responsible for the Colombian Resolution 6 initiative and was the Drug Section's point of contact on the U.S. Government's Plan Colombian initiative.
On October 17, 2001, Mr. Nelson was promoted to the position of Senior Supervisory Resident Agent (SSRA), Tampa Division, and Fort Myers Resident Agency. As SSRA, he directly supervised three resident agencies covering nine counties in Southwest Florida. He received national recognition for this work in assisting with the Carlie Brucia abduction and received a commendation from Governor Jeb Bush regarding his assistance to the State of Florida's counterterrorism efforts.
On August 7, 2005, Mr. Nelson was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Denver Division. He was responsible for program management of all criminal programs, the cyber program, all resident agencies in Colorado, and SWAT.
Mr. Nelson served as the FBI's on-scene commander in Afghanistan between April and June 2006. In May and June 2007 he was assigned to the Directorate of Intelligence to assist in the design and implementation of the Domestic HUMINT Collector Course. Upon returning to the Denver Division, he served as the Acting Special Agent in Charge until the arrival of current Special Agent in Charge in September 2007.
On April 14, 2008, Mr. Nelson was appointed Deputy Director of the Terrorist Screening Center.
