DFW International Airport Salutes Alvy Dodson, Retiring Director of Public Safety

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TX (July 12, 2007) – Alvy Dodson, DFW International Airport’s Director/Vice President of Public Safety, is retiring from the Department after serving for 29 years. Director Dodson spent the past 12 years in his role as Director/Vice President of Public Safety, overseeing the 470 employees of the Airport’s police, fire, EMS and civilian security divisions. Director Dodson will be joining the Department of Homeland Security as the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Security Director (FSD) at Dallas Love Field in September.

“Alvy has led this Airport’s safety and security initiatives during some of the most challenging times in our nation’s history,” said Jeff Fegan, chief executive officer of DFW. “We will be forever grateful for his vision and his leadership in creating a safe environment for our passengers and a responsive, yet friendly public safety team to meet the needs of the traveling public.”

Director Dodson joined the Department of Public Safety in 1978 as a police officer and progressed through the ranks to Lieutenant in 1980, Captain in 1986, Assistant Director in 1989 and Director in December of 1995.

“Alvy’s accomplishments here are nothing short of outstanding,” said Jim Crites, DFW's executive vice president of operations. “He has taken the initiative in putting a number of highly effective security systems into place at DFW, and has established connections between our Airport and law enforcement agencies across the nation and around the globe.” 

During Director Dodson’s tenure, the Airport responded to the 9/11 attacks by bolstering its police force with more officers, heightened training and new security systems both inside the Airport and on DFW’s perimeter. The DFW fire and EMS divisions also grew under Director Dodson’s leadership, with new fire stations, additional manpower and equipment, and direct roles in regional responses to emergency situations such as Hurricane Katrina and the space shuttle Columbia accident. Director Dodson was also instrumental in creating the blueprint for emergency response as practiced now in the Airport’s state-of-the-art Airport Operations Center (AOC), which opened last year.

Director Dodson has also served DFW with his membership in various law enforcement associations worldwide, including leadership roles with the Airport Law Enforcement Agency Network, the U. S. State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, the ACI-NA Public Safety & Security Committee, the ACI World Aviation Security Committee, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

He began his law enforcement career in 1975 with the Arlington Police Department, serving in the Patrol and Criminal Investigation Divisions prior to joining the Airport. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1973.

For J.D. Power and Associates Award information, visit www.jdpower.com.