BANGOR – The official change of command ceremony for the Houlton Sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection was held Friday morning at the Bangor Civic Center.

Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Mellia, 49, began leading the Houlton Sector in March, promoted from his position as deputy chief patrol agent in Swanton, Vt.

“I live there [Houlton] with my family and if I don’t protect the border, the state and the country, my family is there too,” Mellia said in an interview after the ceremony. “I have a self-vested interest in keeping everything safe and secure.”

Mellia has 24 years of experience in the field, beginning his career in 1982 in Yuma, Ariz. Officials said his experience is a great asset, not only to the Houlton Sector, but also the country.

“The northern border presents a huge challenge because we cannot lose focus. Terrorists are always looking for vulnerabilities,” Commissioner W. Ralph Basham of CBP said Friday after the event. “Joe will not allow the Houlton Sector to be one of those vulnerabilities. I sleep better at night knowing he is at the northern border.”

A native of the Bronx, New York, Mellia moved to Houlton with his wife, Cindy, and is living in temporary housing until the family can find a permanent home. Mellia has four children, and his second eldest daughter, 22-year-old Jessica, will soon be attending CBP Border Patrol Academy.

“I’m very proud of her,” Mellia said. “I’m very proud she wants to walk in my footsteps, but of course I’ll worry about her.”