Houston, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection at George Bush Intercontinental Airport welcomed a new port director to head CBP operations at one of the nation’s busiest international airports.

Raymond S. Polley, 26-year CBP veteran, assumed the reins of leadership, April 23, and has spent his first few weeks becoming familiar with an international airport listed among the top 50 busiest airports by passenger traffic.

“Houston is a great place to be,” Polley said.  “I am very happy to be here and look forward to working with the various stakeholders.”

Polley, who hails from Eastern Kentucky, joined U.S. Customs Service in 1992 after serving as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.  While in the Army, Polley graduated from the Army’s Jungle School, Airborne School and Air Assault Schools.  In his four years with the Army, Polley earned the Combat Infantry Badge and the Jungle Expert Badge.

“When I made the decision to join the military, I wanted to be in the thick of it,” he said with a grin.  “When I was searching for my next career, I came across a vacancy with U.S. Customs Service and felt that my skillset would transfer pretty easy.”

Polley’s decision to continue in public service has taken him across the country including duty locations in Cincinnati, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I did a six-month temporary duty in New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina to assist the agency in its recovery efforts,” he explained.  “I returned to a far more recovered city in 2013.”

After spending two years as the CBP area port director in the “Big Easy” and immediately before his selection to Houston, Polley spent three years at CBP headquarters where he directed programs related to improving physical and personal security, use of force policy, the Canine Program for the Office of Field Operations and their Anti-Terrorism and Contraband Enforcement Teams.

“I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Polley to CBP’s team in Houston,” said Houston CBP Director of Field Operations Judson W. Murdock II.  “He is a well-rounded, experienced and proven leader who will hit the ground running.  He will definitely add value to our already impressive team.”

Polley will over see CBP operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby International Airport. He is a graduate of Morehead State University and attended the University of Kentucky.  He is also a graduate of the CBP Leadership Institute at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.