TSA Executive Joins K2 Security Screening Group

  • Sep 08, 2022

K2 Security Screening Group is excited to announce that Keith Jeffries, formerly the Federal Security Director (FSD) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), will be joining the company next month as Vice President. Jeffries will lead K2’s Security Innovation Advisory Program (SIAP) team, recently created to help airports, cruise lines, mass transit systems and other transportation industry operators develop and sustain effective, efficient, and innovative security capabilities.

“Keith’s extensive operational security expertise will be a huge asset for our team,” said Kathy Yurkunas, Security Screening Group president. “His expertise will be indispensable in the evaluation and enhancement of security for a wide range of transportation nodes.”

Jeffries has distinguished himself as an exceptional security professional in the government and military for more than 40 years. He has held numerous leadership roles during his career, which has spanned six presidential administrations and he possesses deep expertise in strategy and policy development, training, analysis, and implementation. “I have worked with the K2 Security Screening Group for many years and have been thoroughly impressed by the professionalism and dedication of its team members,” said Jeffries. “Heading up K2’s new Security Innovation Advisory Program is an exciting opportunity. I believe we can play an important role in the homeland security mission.”

As the TSA’s Federal Security Director at LAX, Jeffries was responsible for five other airports, one of the largest transit systems in the country, as well as the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. During his tenure, Jeffries was the Senior TSA official for most of Southern California and oversaw nearly 3,200 uniformed and non-uniformed staff across 8,100 square miles. He created partnerships with local, city, state and federal partners to exchange vital information, detect, deter, and mitigate threats and enhance public area security in aviation, cargo, mass transit, freight rail and pipeline transportation sectors.

Prior to becoming the FSD at LAX, Jeffries served as the Assistant Federal Security Director for Screening (AFSD-S) and then the Deputy Federal Security Director (DFSD) at Orlando International Airport (MCO), where he supervised every aspect of the TSA security operations. Previously, Jeffries was the Deputy Director for Field Operations at TSA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he administered a $3 billion budget and managed 43,000 officers across 452 federalized airports in all 50 states and territories.

Jeffries received TSA’s Honorary Award for Leadership. He is a member of the Senior Executive Service. Before joining TSA, Jeffries served for 20 years in the Marine Corps.

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