Loretta McNeir Senior Advisor

lmcneir@wicks-group.com
202-457-7790 (office)

Loretta McNeir is a Senior Advisor to The Wicks Group, PLLC on matters involving aviation security. In this role, Loretta draws on more than 20 years of experience with international and domestic aviation security practices, including her senior leadership and management positions at both the FAA and the US Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), to assist the firm's attorneys with developing strategies for resolving client aviation security matters.

Loretta's specific experience includes serving as the principal representative of the FAA and TSA Administrators in all matters related to aviation security for over 40 countries; developing and negotiating international agreements between government officials for sharing of information; serving as the subject matter expert for the alignment of US and international aviation security measures and passenger and baggage screening technologies; providing guidance to US Embassy principal officers, US and foreign air carrier officials, and host government officials on mitigating threats and events that affected aviation security; developing emergency action plans for aviation security potential threats; and initiating programs and training to provide capacity building for airport, air carrier and civil aviation principals.

Loretta holds both a Masters of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University. She also has completed specialized training in Aviation Security Management Audits and Inspections, Risk Management Air Carrier Compliance and Enforcement, and Aviation Security Quality Control Techniques.

Representative Experience

• Led tactical operations and developed AVSEC plans for security sensitive events affecting international airports to include: US and other Presidential Visits, Pan Am World Games and Olympics
• Provided leadership and incident management for Federal Aviation Administration staff during critical security incidents, including airplane crashes and multiple bomb threats at airports within the Caribbean and Latin America
• Provided programmatic leadership to reinstate flight service to the US from the only country that has ever had suspended service; received formal recognition from the Secretary of Transportation for this achievement
• Served as the key FAA AVSEC principal for Haiti following military intervention in mid 1990; led the transition from military airport oversight to meeting civilian airport security requirements
• Developed emergency action plans for AVSEC potential threats; coordinated and disseminated threat information to host officials during times of elevated security alerts
• Provided AVSEC oversight for new flight operations approval to the US from Cote d’Ivoire
• US Embassy Dakar Ebola Crisis Team Lead for AVSEC, Senegal; received Franklin Award from US Embassy
• Conducted AVSEC audit and developed corrective actions as requested by host government following a hijacking in the Caribbean region
• Served as AVSEC Technical Assistance Project Lead for Prototype Transportation Security Administration Capacity Development Program for St. Lucia
• Served as Haiti Earthquake Airport Logistical Operations Response Coordinator