AIRPORT SECURITY DIRECTOR NAMED BURBANK TSA HEAD COMES FROM HAWAII.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

BURBANK - The former federal security director at the airport in Kauai, Hawaii, has been named to the same post at Bob Hope Airport and will start work Nov. 14, officials said.

Shannon Garcia-Hamilton has worked for the Transportation Security Administration since 2002. She replaces Luz Ponce, who was reassigned to TSA's office in Spain. ``I will ensure the security of the traveling public as our No. 1 focus and priority,'' Garcia-Hamilton said in a statement.

She also had high praise for employees of TSA, formed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ``(They) are hard-working and a dedicated group of public servants focused on keeping our skies safe.''

Garcia-Hamilton holds a bachelor's degree in information systems from the University of Phoenix, Los Angeles.

She worked for United Airlines from 1993-2002, working her way up from cargo supervisor to operations manager in Los Angeles. She served as United's emergency response coordinator at the LAX crisis center on Sept. 11, helping families of passengers aboard Flight 175, which was hijacked en route from Boston to Los Angeles.

An avid long distance runner, she's completed seven Los Angeles Marathons and one New York City Marathon.

Jason Kandel, [phone]

jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com