Kathy Yurkunas is President of K2 Security Screening Group. Under her 20-year leadership, the company has become a national leader in the planning, installation, and integration of advanced security screening equipment at airports across the country.

Yurkunas has partnered with hundreds of customers and partners, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), airports, airlines, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and port authorities to provide security screening services to every Category X airport and 92% of all TSA-regulated airports in the United States.

Her expertise in project controls, scheduling, and custom software development enables customers to bridge technology gaps, gather information quickly, and successfully execute complex security checkpoint projects. Most recently, Yurkunas led major projects at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

Yurkunas has teamed with the TSA and the TSA’s Innovation Task Force (ITF) to successfully introduce cutting-edge security equipment in America’s busiest airports. K2 Security Screening Group is the country’s leading Systems Integrator in the installation of Automated Screening Lanes (ASL’s).

Prior to assuming her President position at K2 Security Screening Group, Yurkunas consulted on complex projects at a number of large airports, including Miami International Airport (MIA) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). She is certified as a Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) and has been recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEi).

Steve Karoly is the Executive Vice President of K2 Security Screening Group. He is a nationally-recognized technology integration leader and systems engineer in the aviation security industry. Karoly has distinguished himself in leadership roles in the private, government and military sectors for more than three decades. In his last public servant capacity, he served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, Deputy Assistant Administrator of Office of Security Capabilities, and led the agency’s Innovation Task Force.

At the TSA, Karoly managed more than 15,000 units of security equipment in 440 airports that annually screened more than 660 million passengers and two billion carry-on and checked bags. He also spearheaded the identification and demonstration of emerging solutions that increased security effectiveness and efficiency and improved the passenger experience.

Karoly has received numerous performance awards from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the US Navy, where he retired as a Captain. He received DoD’s Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service and is a three-time recipient of both the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

At K2 Security Screening Group, Karoly is responsible for achieving overall strategic goals and collaborating with transportation industry leaders on cutting-edge passenger and baggage screening solutions. He also oversees the implementation of critical infrastructure security capabilities at airports and other transportation facilities across the country.

Prior to joining K2 Security Screening Group, Karoly was responsible for identifying and evaluating emerging airport security technologies for Vantage Airport Group, which manages airports around the world. At Vantage, he was instrumental in the planning and execution of the new Terminal B Screening Checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport.

Karoly has a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and is a certified DoD/DHS Level 3 Program Manager and a DoD/DHS Systems Level 3 Engineer.

Keith Jeffries is Vice President of K2 Security Screening Group. He leads K2’s Security Innovation Advisory Program (SIAP) team, which was created to help airports, cruise lines, mass transit systems and other transportation industry operators develop and sustain effective, efficient and innovative security capabilities.

Prior to joining K2, Jeffries was the Federal Security Director of the Los Angeles International Airport. he has distinguished himself as an exceptional security professional in the government and military for more than 40 years. He has held numerous leadership positions during his career which has spanned six presidential administrations and he possesses deep expertise in strategy and policy development, training, analysis, and implementation.

As the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Security Director (FSD) for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Jeffries was responsible for five other airports, one of the largest transit systems in the country, as well as the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. During his tenure at LAX, he was the Senior TSA official for most of Southern California and oversaw nearly 3,200 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel across 8,100 square miles.

Before Jeffries assumed the FSD role at LAX, he served as the Assistant Federal Security Director for Screening (AFSD-S) and then the Deputy Federal Security Director (DFSD) at Orlando International Airport (MCO), where he supervised every aspect of the TSA security operations. Previously, he was the Deputy Director for Field Operations at TSA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he administered a $3 billion budget and managed 43,000 officers across 452 federalized airports in all 50 states and territories.

Jeffries honorably served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps. He is a recipient of TSA’s Honorary Award for Leadership, a graduate of the TSA Federal Executive Institute and a member of the Senior Executive Service.

Girard (Gerry) Phelan is Senior Director of Capability Delivery of K2 Security Screening Group. Gerry oversees an impressive portfolio of programs and projects, while also ensuring operational and financial efficiency.

Prior to joining K2, Gerry spent 21 years with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), serving in several executive positions. He was the Federal Security Director (FSD) at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. His innovative approach strengthened security operations, and modernized screening technology and processes, including the integration of Automatic Screening Lanes and TSA’s first remote checkpoint screening. While there, he was recognized as the Federal Security Director of the Year in 2018, and under his leadership in 2019, IAH was named Airport of the Year. Before his Houston assignment, Gerry was the Federal Security Director at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) and Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Florida.

Recently, Gerry led a team of inspectors and technicians responsible for the regulatory oversight, compliance, and enforcement of security measures for all modes of transportation in 10 counties in Central Florida. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Transportation Security Administration Representative (TSAR) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Attaché in Sydney, Australia, where he worked closely with foreign government and embassy officials throughout the South Pacific. Gerry’s commitment to a more transparent exchange of ideas was responsible for several groundbreaking projects which have had a significant global impact.

Before joining the TSA, Gerry worked in the private sector, serving as Vice President of Human Resources/Facilities/Security for Evergreen International Aviation. He began his career in the United States Army Military Police Corps, where he spent 20 years serving our country.

Mitch Merriam is K2 Security Screening Group’s Vice President of Borders and Maritime Security. In his role, Mitch is responsible for expanding K2’s footprint in the areas of border and port security. As was the case during his career with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Mitch’s top priority is to prevent terrorists and their weapons from entering the country. He will execute that mission by partnering with security equipment technologists, land and seaport operators, CBP, and other industry stakeholders.

A distinguished member of the United States Senior Executive Service, Mitch served in numerous leadership positions with CBP. He was the Area Port Director at Los Angeles International Airport, where he directed a workforce of more than 1,000 CBP officers, specialists and trade professionals dedicated to protecting the homeland. His team screened and processed more than 20 million passengers and one million cargo shipments annually.

Mitch was the Executive Director of Operations at the CBP’s Office of Field Operations Headquarters in Washington, DC, and held command positions protecting our borders in Tucson, Arizona and New Orleans, Louisiana. He also served as an advisor to the Border Management Task Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, supporting the U.S. Embassy, DOD, USAID, Army Corp of Engineers, and Afghan Customs and Border Police. He has experience in Border Security, Customs and Immigration Enforcement, Anti-Terrorism and Intelligence, Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and International Advisory and Training Services.

Jon Nielsen is Senior Program Manager of K2 Security Screening Group. He spent over 30 years in the nuclear weapons enterprise and held a wide variety of senior management positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory before joining the Security Screening Group.

Nielsen has successfully led numerous large domestic and international programs in the Global Material Security program, supporting nuclear nonproliferation and emergency preparedness initiatives. These projects included the deployment and implementation of detection capabilities at borders, airports and maritime shipping facilities in the U.S.

Nielsen possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in program management, detection and screening technology, and processes related to securing, detecting, deterring and interdicting illicit trafficking of contraband, nuclear and radiological materials. He is heavily involved in the Radiation Portal Monitor Program (RPMP), a key security initiative for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Division (CWMD). In this capacity, he advises on the deployment of security screening technology and procedures related to nuclear and radiological threats and incidents.

In his last role at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nielsen oversaw a portfolio of five programs that included 75 projects with a total budget in excess of $100 million. As Program Manager, he was responsible for the recovery of unwanted radioactive sources, the testing and evaluation of radiation detection equipment and assisting the Russian Federation in the upgrading of their weapons production complex. He also consolidated multi-disciplinary organizations and departments to streamline workflows, ensure regulatory compliance and increase laboratory capabilities.

Nielsen earned a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Alabama and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of New Mexico.

Cameron Lovell is the Director of Engineering of K2 Security Screening Group. He has been instrumental in the successful deployment of security checkpoints at hundreds of airports in the U.S.

Lovell has played a major role in the planning, coordination, management, and supervision of the delivery and installation of more than 60 automated screening lanes (ASLs) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), LaGuardia International Airport (LGA), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). He also spearheaded the deployment of test units for new technologies as part of the Transportation Security Administration’s evaluation process. He has been recognized by the TSA for his expertise and dedication.

Most recently, Lovell provided checkpoint design services for Delta Airlines’ state-of-the-art LGA Terminal C, LGA Terminal 1.5 and LAX’s Terminal 3.

He joined K2 in 2015 as a Site Lead and effectively managed projects from concept to closeout.During his time at the company, he has developed and implemented internal processes and procedures that have greatly improved the productivity and performance of the engineering department.

Lovell began his career in the residential architecture industry before moving into aviation security and commercial construction. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Master of Science Degree in Structural Engineering and Mechanics.

David Borges serves as Director for K2 Security Screening Group. He is a renowned subject matter expert who has designed and installed security equipment at more than 480 Transportation Security Administration-regulated airports and major government facilities, including the Pentagon.

Borges has more than 20 years of project management experience and has developed new security checkpoint systems and practices for airports and airlines. He oversees design requirements, logistics and budgets and staffing at project sites around the country. He is the direct liaison between the Security Screening Group and agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Borges is the senior passenger screening expert for the TSA, Delta Airlines, LaGuardia and Los Angeles International Airports. He runs physical perimeter security for large-scale events, including the Rose Bowl and the Papal Visit in 2015.

After joining K2 Security Screening Group, Borges worked closely with Lockheed Martin as an area manager. In this leadership role, he managed hundreds of employees and oversaw the design, relocation and repair of security equipment.

Previously, Borges was a senior program manager at Raytheon for all airport-related Homeland Security projects. At Raytheon, he was responsible for a $125 million budget and won multiple Excellence awards.

Borges is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives, and was just appointed Vice Chair of the Providence, RI, chapter of ASIS International. ASIS is a global community of security practitioners dedicated to the protection of human, property and information assets. He is a certified asset protection specialist for the organization and has been a key stakeholder on a number of its Homeland Security and security checkpoint design committees.

Tom Merryman is the Program Manager of K2 Security Screening Group. He is an expert in security detection systems and oversees the company’s extensive international portfolio of airport projects. He has worked with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for nearly 15 years.

Before joining K2 Security Screening Group last year, Merryman oversaw all field service project and program initiatives in North America for L3Harris Technologies, a global aerospace and defense technology company. He planned and executed the development, testing and integration of advanced security equipment at airports around the world.

Merryman is an experienced Program Manager skilled in Operations Management, Analytics, Government, Operational Planning, and Systems Engineering. He brings a proven track record of innovation in the aviation security industry to the Security Screening Group team.

Earlier in his career, Merryman was responsible for the maintenance and repair of security detection systems and associated network components at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, which handles more than 24 million passengers annually. He served with distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he received a letter of commendation for his actions in the Second Gulf War.

Merryman is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and has a Masters Certificate in Project Management. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Sullivan University with a concentration in Business Administration and Management.