Maj. Gen. (ret.) Bob Harding

President Obama has nominated Robert A. Harding, a retired Army Major General and founder of Harding Security Associates, to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

President Obama said of Harding in a press release, “I am confident that Bob’s talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ongoing efforts to bolster security and screening measures at our airports.  I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job, and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”

Greg Baroni, CEO of Attain

“It will be good for TSA to have a permanent administrator in place – the agency has gone far too long without that leadership,” said Greg Baroni, chairman and chief executive officer of Attain, LLC. “It’s time to set a course for TSA’s future, and it appears from Harding’s past track record that he is the right fit for the role.”

The TSA has been led by an acting administrator since the agency’s last senate-confirmed leader Edmund “Kip” Hawley resigned at the end of the Bush administration.

Harding also served as CEO of Harding Security Associates, a defense and intelligence government contracting firm he founded in 2003 and sold in July 2009 to Six3 Systems, led by CEO Bob Coleman.

When Bob Coleman left ManTech earlier this year, many wondered about his next move. Then came news Coleman had launched Six3 Systems, a company focused on acquiring government services providers focused on national security. Six3 Systems has since acquired Harding Security Associates. Now comes its second acquisition: BIT Systems, Inc., an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance company. “I see the potential of what we’re building and how far we can take it, that’s exciting,” says Coleman, in an exclusive interview with ExecutiveBiz. Here Coleman debriefs on his plans to build Six3 Systems into the next major mid-tier player.

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“Six3 represents our six core values, serving our three key customers: The federal intelligence, Department of Defense, and civilian community.” — Bob Coleman, CEO, Six3 Systems

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Last we reported, Bob Coleman was getting ready to start his own company, Six3 Systems, which specializes in providing national security and defense intelligence services. Now comes word that Six3 Systems and GTCR, one of the nation’s leading private equity firms, have announced plans to acquire Harding Security Associates, Inc. HSA is a provider of identity intelligence, forensics analysis and security services to the federal government. Backed by over 350 employees, the company provides mission-critical intelligence and counter-intelligence training and security services to the DoD and key civilian agencies.

“We view this deal as a critical first step in achieving our long term objective of building a highly specialized national security services provider that is focused on solving our nation’s most pressing security challenges domestically and abroad,” says Coleman, who was named one of ExecutiveBiz’s top 20 people to watch this year. “HSA is working at the heart of the identity intelligence and forensics mission, and I look forward to continuing to build that capability under Six3 Systems.”