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The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) has named Harry Saporta to the newly created position of safety and security executive, effective later this month.

Saporta, who has worked on most of the world's major transit projects, most recently was leader of the surface transport safety and security project for the United Arab Emirate's Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, according to TriMet. He also has served as director of safety and security for the Federal Transit Administration, where he was responsible for developing programs that addressed safety, homeland and transit security issues, as well as the emergency management needs of the U.S. public transportation industry.

Saporta also is no stranger to TriMet; he worked at the agency for 19 years during the construction of the Eastside, Westside and Airport MAX projects.

In his new position, Saporta will oversee the agency's safety and security programs. The position was created in response to a safety review prompted by an April 2010 fatal bus crash.

Saporta "is the right person to help make safety the focus throughout our organization and transform the organization's culture where safety is not just a priority, but a value," said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane in a prepared statement.