Ha Nguyen McNeill
Ha Nguyen McNeill was appointed Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in April 2025, bringing a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving strategic change and innovation in both the public and private sectors. As Deputy Administrator, McNeill leverages her extensive experience to further TSA's mission of securing the nation's transportation systems and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations.
McNeill's career is marked by significant achievements in national security and organizational efficiency. At TSA, she previously served as Chief of Staff from 2017 – 2019 during the first Trump Administration, where she advanced critical Administration priorities and aligned TSA’s budget to focus on meaningful security outcomes. Her close and continued engagement with Congress and stakeholders helped secure public-private partnership authorities for TSA, allowing for innovative, cost-effective, and secure approaches to sustaining year-over-year travel volume growth. Additionally, McNeill established the first Chief Innovation Officer role at TSA to remove bureaucratic obstacles and expedite the deployment of key technologies such as Computed Tomography and Credential Authentication Technology.
In her most recent role as President, Commercial (acting) and Vice President, Digital Identity Growth at BigBear.AI, McNeill successfully stood up the company’s digital identity portfolio. Her leadership contributed to revenue growth and the development of new AI capabilities for the aviation market.
McNeill also held the position of Chief Operating Officer at BSA | The Software Alliance, where she oversaw all revenue-generating functions and managed global intellectual property enforcement and compliance programs. As COO, her efforts improved financial management and planning within the organization and increased overall employee morale.
Additionally, McNeill has served in various capacities within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget, managing national aviation security portfolios and leading the development of unified U.S. government policies and initiatives.
McNeill holds a Master’s in Public Policy with a concentration in International Security and Political Economy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and B.A.s in International Studies and Music from the University of California, Irvine.