TSA Award Winner Sandra Arocha: Recruiting Initiatives Help Washington Area Airports
Press & Happenings
September 6, 2007
Sandra Arocha
The transportation security officer workforce at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was facing a staffing shortage until Lead Transportation Security Officer Sandra Arocha stepped in. She not only helped reverse the decline but ensured staffing was increased to its optimum level. Her initiatives included mini-job fairs, attaching news clippings to recruitment flyers, and moving candidates expeditiously through the recruitment process so they do not become discouraged or drop out.
Arocha's success at Washington National was immediately recognized and Washington Dulles International Airport Northern Virginia asked her to implement her recruiting system there, where staffing had also been on the decline. Within months her system took hold and the Dulles workforce began to increase.
"Sandra built an effective in-house team that … took ownership of the recruitment process [and] … not only reversed the headcount decline but has put that facility in a position where they are fully staffed," said Aviation Security Inspector Jacqueline Bester.
Arocha was recognized a second time for her efforts. But this time, instead of additional work at Dulles, which she gladly accepted, she was recognized at last year's Honorary Incentive Awards ceremony.
