A former Hoosier attorney who graduated from Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis is now being tapped for a leading role at the federal agency responsible for strengthening security and screening measures at the nation's airports.

President Barack Obama on Monday nominated John S. Pistole to be assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for administering the Transportation Security Administration. Pistole has been the second-in-command of the Federal Bureau of Investigations since October 2004, and if confirmed by the U.S. Senate he would take a post that's been vacant since the end of the Bush administration.

An Anderson native who studied pre-law at Anderson University, Pistole went on to graduate from law school in 1981. He practiced for two years before becoming a special agent with the FBI in 1983. He's held leadership roles stretching from the Indianapolis office to nationwide offices for organized crime, white-collar crime, airplane crashes, and international issues. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he led the counterterrorism and counterintelligence divisions and took on the deputy director role in October 2004.