TSA Officer of the Year works at Idaho Falls Regional Airport
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IDAHO FALLS — A prestigious and national award was given to an officer at a local airport for being recognized for integrity and professionalism.
The Transportation Security Administration announced Margaret Hanson, a transportation security officer (TSO) at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, as the national TSA Officer of the Year for 2021.
“I am very honored but this isn’t a job that you do solo. It takes a lot of support from your coworkers, a lot of support from leadership, and having that leadership recognize efforts are really important, and I appreciate that they have,” said Hanson. “I am surprised and pleased (about the award) and mostly excited for our airport because it really does demonstrate the strength we have here as a group, working as a team every day.”
Hanson was nominated by her co-workers for the award. She has worked as a TSO at the airport for five years. She said she loves working there.
“We have a diverse and great team to work with. They’ve always got your back. They are not judgmental. It’s been a delight to work with them,” she said. “Our passengers have been great, very positive, fun to work with. We hear a lot of stories of where they are going and what they are doing.”
Hanson’s job entails security screening while also handling additional assignments that ensure smooth checkpoint operations. According to a news release, she serves as an on-the-job coach, mentoring new officers while also managing the collection and accounting of currency left behind by travelers at the security checkpoint.
There are approximately 40,000 TSOs nationwide.
“This is probably the most prestigious award that TSA gives out every year, and Margaret honestly is one of those people that you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that makes sense to me.’ This is exactly the type of person that we want to be honoring as an agency for her work ethic, for just the way that she treats other people — both passengers but also her co-workers and everyone that she meets. She is an honored and respected member of this community,” said Andy Coose, TSA federal security director for Idaho.
Hanson is the second national TSA Officer of the Year from Idaho to be recognized in the past two years.
“As far as I know, it is unprecedented for any operation or any state to have won back-to-back awards. For both of them to be from east Idaho I find, in some ways, even more phenomenal because we have a smaller population of employees. But to me, it speaks to the quality of the people and just the community, the environment that they come from and I am just so proud. I couldn’t be any prouder of the team,” said Coose.
TSA named Kimberlee Green, who works at the Pocatello Regional Airport, as TSA Officer of the Year in 2020. EastIdahoNews.com featured Green in 2020.
RELATED: Pocatello TSA worker gets rare honor — named officer of the year
“It’s a really big honor nationwide to be chosen,” said Green. “(2021’s award is) going to someone very deserving. To be able to pass it on to her (Hanson) and for it to stay locally, it shows how hard we work here at east Idaho and how much we love our jobs.”
Hanson is one of two recipients in 2021. The other recipient of the award is TSO Kaitlyn Talley in Colorado. Click here to learn more.
