Influential Woman · Aviation Security
Christina Montes
Station General Manager, IAH airport
Houston, TX
Her Story
About Christina
Christina Montes serves as Station General Manager for Global Security in Houston, Texas. In this role, she manages a 24-hour aviation security operation at IAH, the Houston International Airport, ensuring schedules, training, audits, and the absence of complacency among her team of operational managers, supervisors, and agent officers. With eight and a half years in the industry, Montes started as an administrative assistant and worked her way up, inspired by the critical importance of securing aircraft following the events of 9-11, which personally affected her family. She holds a high school diploma from 2002 and completed two years of college studies in fine arts. Montes has earned ACE and BOM certifications and received TSA awards recognizing her outstanding leadership, performance, and commitment in March 2023, outstanding cooperation and partnership in March 2024, and reporting unusual activity in December 2025. She was also nominated for the OSPAS Outstanding Female Security Professional Award. Montes attributes her success to the strong work ethic instilled by her immigrant parents who became U.S. citizens, and she emphasizes values of excellence, building relationships, and continuous improvement. She advises staying humble and approaching work with heart while mentoring others to care about their teams.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christina
01What do you attribute your success to?
My parents taught me a strong work ethic from a young age. They were immigrants who became U.S. citizens, and I saw how hard they worked for everything. They instilled that in me very young, and being first generation in the United States, that drive has carried me through my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Always stay humble, and always do things with heart.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be open-minded and have passion. Learn the culture of your people and care about them. Find their strong and weak points and help them. Stay humble and show heart so your team gives their all. Mentoring others in this field has shown me that caring about your employees' well-being leads to better performance and a stronger team.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is complacency. Once agents get comfortable and minimize their work, like rushing through searches, it becomes a major safety concern. My priority is ensuring no complacency by mentoring the team and keeping everyone aware of the importance of their role in passenger safety.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Excellence in everything I do, always striving to push myself and my team to do better. Building strong relationships, protecting the people I work with, and continuously improving myself and my team are core values that guide me.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.