Michael Rucinski is the Chief Executive Officer of Hawthorn Hill, LLC, providing security and compliance consulting services to the aviation industry.

In December of 2023, Mr. Rucinski retired from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after more than 21 years of federal service.  He worked closely with aircraft operators, industry associations, and government partners on a wide range of subject matter comprised of aviation policy, regulatory requirements, and security programs.  He represented the TSA on various working groups and served as the Co-Chair of the General Aviation Subcommittee of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) to the TSA Administrator.

Within the ASAC, Mr. Rucinski launched the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Working Group where he worked with industry stakeholders including manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure companies in preparation for AAM operations in the National Airspace System.  He worked to educate and facilitate discussions regarding the existing regulatory framework for security requirements as well as the potential development of new programs to address the security needs of the AAM industry.  Additionally, he represented the TSA on the Department of Transportation’s AAM Interagency Working Group.

In addition to aviation security, Mr. Rucinski has held a variety of positions within the federal government where he was responsible for incident management and response coordination, policy development, and regulatory enforcement.  He has led numerous initiatives and action-oriented teams in the field, as well as headquarters locations.

Prior to his service with the federal government, Mr. Rucinski worked in both the public and private sectors in various positions including law enforcement, emergency management, industrial safety, corporate security, and investigations.