leading the icons of aviation safety the icons of aviation safety. ... vacant director of...

T h e A d v o c A T e f o r A v i A T i o n L e A d e r s

nov/dec 2012 • vol.10 no.6

Leading the Icons of Aviation Safety

The AdvocATe for AviATion LeAders

november/december 2012 vol. 10 no. 6

06

Advertisers 15 Golden Key Group

www.goldenkeygroup.com

32 FAAMA Membership www.faama.org

features

06 Reauthorization, NextGen, and the Future of Intermodal Transportation—

Rep. John L. Mica

08 Icons of Aviation Safety:

An ATSAP Update

12 2012 Convention a Success!

14 FAAMA Exhibitor Spotlight 2012

28 Leading from Where You Sit:

The Art of Getting Results

departments

03 Washington Watch: A “Wingman” for Your President

26 Money Talks: Avoid Delays with Your Retirement Benefits

30 Spotlight: Becky Scudder

24 What’s Your Story? The Dichotomy of an EEO Complaint

32 Top Five Reasons to Join FAAMA

12

fAA mAnAgers AssociATion, inc. 888 16TH Street NW, Suite 530Washington, DC 20006-4103Tel 202.741.9415 | www.faama.org

missionWe promote aviation safety and efficiency, advocate for our members’ interests, prepare the managers of today to be the leaders of tomorrow, and support the highest ideals of the Federal Government.

officersPresident, David ConleyVice President, Stephen SmithSecretary, Julie FidlerTreasurer, Tom Dury

direcTorsDirector of Administration, VacantDirector of Communications, Anita EngelmannDirector of Legislative Affairs, Tony TisdallDirector of Membership, David ChappuiesParliamentarian, Andy TaylorMembership Education Committee Chair, Hal AlbertPolitical Action Committee Chair, Dan CunninghamCorporate Relations Representative, James GraysonAlaskan Region, Darla GerlachCentral Region, Joyce DavisEastern Region, Rich BakerGreat Lakes Region, Dan DohnerNew England Region, Rick WinchNorthwest Mountain Region,Southern Region, Billy ReedSouthwest Region, Michael (Hitch) CombeWestern Pacific Region, Phil Freed

pubLisherKathleen Cummins Mifsud

mAnAging ediTorAnita Engelmann

sTAff ediTorPam Adams

conTribuTorsDavid Conley, Louis Dupart, Lisbeth Lee Mack, Michael “Hitch” Combe Jr., Kathleen Cummins Mifsud, Cynthia Marzette, Glenn Livingston, Michael Livingston, Rick Seikaley, and Alex Appelhans.

iLLusTrATion & phoTogrAphYCover illustration and illustrations pages 9-13 Noe Noche, a contractor working with the FAA; photos pages 14-23 by Jonathan Burkhardt.

designSagetopia, 703.726.6400, www.sagetopia.com

AdverTisingMarshall Boomer, Sales Representative800.501.9571, [email protected]

ediToriAL & subscripTion inquiriesManaging the Skies1775 East Riviera Drive, Merritt Island, FL 32952Telephone: 202.251.0386Email: [email protected]

Managing the Skies is a benefit of membership in the FAA Managers Association, Inc. To become a member, go to www.faama.org. For all others, the annual sub-scription rate is $49. Please address your inquiries to [email protected] and [email protected].

Managing the Skies is published bi-monthly by the FAA Managers Association, Inc.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed to be the opinion of the FAA Managers Association. Suggestions and opinions expressed in Managing the Skies are not necessarily endorsed by the FAA Managers Association. Nothing in these pages is intended to supersede operators’ or manufacturers’ policies, practices, or requirements, or to supersede government regulations.

© 2012 FAA Managers Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

3

T H E A D V O C A T E F O R A V I A T I O N L E A D E R S

Washington Watch A “Wingman” for Your president...A message from the executive director

It is a great honor to serve as the Executive Director of this organization. I have worked with many of you for more than ten years and have learned a lot about the FAA and, most importantly, about its people: the men and women who make safe, efficient flights a reality, which Americans take for granted. It is taken for granted because at the FAA, each of you do your jobs so well that what is difficult, fraught with peril, and changes constantly with the weather, is invisible to the American people.

A s professionals, I know that you do not take it for granted when you walk into the office that everything will be just

fine. You are the men and women on the front lines, with staff across the FAA that keeps the Agency running. Many of you are you aware of the important roles that our Association’s key leaders play; now, I would like to explain to you exactly how I see my role as Executive Director. What do I do? And, most importantly, how does it affect each of you and our Association?

role of the fAAmA executive directorI have been in this job now for a little over a year. It has been an enormous learning experience from which I have emerged a better, stronger advocate for the Association

and its leadership. I love working for you, and with you. The sense of commitment and desire to lead that led each of you to become a manager or supervisor is the work ethic with which I

am most comfortable and want to support.As Executive Director, I see myself as the

‘wingman’ for your President: always there to help the President and to execute the policy decisions coming from the Executive Committee and your Board. I also view myself as the President’s Consigliore, for all of you familiar with The Godfather. If that does not mean anything to you, it is the role of trusted advisor and confidant to the President – whoever may be serving in that position.

It is the adviser or counselor to the boss, in our case – the Association President, who has the additional responsibility of represent-ing the President at important Association meetings, and with other entities outside the Association. Thus, I act as the close, trusted friend and confidant, or the elder statesman to the President. Because I am not in the line of succession, my sole responsibility is to dispense candid, disinterested advice. Indeed, at times, I see myself as the brake, asking for a second look or a re-appraisal of a decision before we move forward.

Daily, I am working with someone in our Association on a myriad of issues that arise. Between Krista Stark (also from The Normandy Group) and me, we are constantly managing the Association’s workload, tasks, and communica-tions that are so important to preserving and enhancing our position. We have decisively planted our flag at the FAA.

Louis Dupart, FAAMA Executive Director, speaking to delegates at the 32nd Annual Gathering of Eagles.

4 MANAGING THE SKIES | WWW.FAAMA.orG

Key Officials Consult with fAAmA in Advance The President is in periodic communication with the Administrator and key officials in the ATo, FAA Management, and Human resources. They are consulting with us in advance, rather than cleaning up after ill-considered and poorly-executed decisions on issues best exemplified by the debacle over implementation of the MSS Pay decision on February 9th of this year.

The Executive Director also serves the FAAMA Executive Committee and key members of the Board, such as the PAC Director, Legislative Director, Communications Director, and Director of Administration. For each of these positions, I consult with and execute decisions made by the officer in that position, and am in regular contact with each of by email, phone, and where possible, in person.

developing and executing fAAmA’s Legislative strategy Frequently, I meet with and interact with the Director of Legislation as part of my role to help develop and execute our legislative strategy. Annually, we organize at least one, and at times two, major, “Two-Day Fly Ins” of FAAMA members who meet with members of Congress and key senior Congressional Staff.

on day one, we work on our messaging to ensure that it is crisp and consistent with FAAMA’s overall goals as developed by the President and the Board. Day two is filled with seven to eight meet-ings for each attendee with members of Congress and staff. In addition, they attend political events off Capitol Hill. This year’s March 5 and 6 “Fly In” was very successful, resulting in meetings and interaction with a variety of members of Congress who are leaders on aviation issues.

Every attendee participated in a private event off the Hill, where they had a chance to speak candidly with the Member of Congress. If you are interested in participating in this process in the future, please let the Legislative Director Tony Tisdall know.

Acting as a ‘brake’As I mentioned previously, part of my role also is to act as a brake. In our legislative initiatives, we are putting a hard brake

on new legislation on federal personnel issues. It is no secret that our country is in a poor financial condition due to repeated trillion dollar deficits. Both Democrats and republicans have used the federal workforce as a piggy bank to fund programs and to help pay for favored projects. Working with our colleagues in both the Government Managers Coalition and the Federal Postal Coalition, we have halted the most egregious legislation that seeks to change retirement ages, computation of benefits, and cut the workforce further.

These efforts will not end with the election. There will be repeated assaults on federal employees, and we will continue to work to block, slowdown, or break new legislation. Soon, however, we will return to the offense and put our foot back on the accelerator, taking advan-tage of new opportunities to address important legislative matters that directly affect each of you, such as changes in the retirement age and extending the new employee probationary period to two years.

A new dimension of fAAmA communications For years, FAAMA has worked to improve its communications. I can report that we are on a much firmer footing. over the last year, Anita Engelmann, Laurie Zugay, and Michael “Hitch” Combe have been tireless in improving our mes-saging. We have developed and refined a Press List to immediately disseminate statements, letters, and comments to both print and broadcast media, and our views often are requested. We have been picked up by the press, radio, and TV.

In concert and communication with our President, the communications team addresses timely issues and weighs in on which issues we should comment upon. Clearly, as FAA managers and supervisors, much as we would like to do otherwise, the best option is not to comment at all and let the FAA address the matter. We balance the need to be heard with the duty to remain part of the team. I think we have found the right balance.

After a year as Executive Director, under the direction of the President and his team, I can report that we have a wider footprint, dispro-portionately larger than our Association’s size, especially in the office of the FAA Administrator. Members of Congress who are involved in aviation issues know who FAAMA is and seek our input in their decision making. We have been contacted on multiple occasions by the Government Accountability office and the office of Inspector General for our unvarnished thoughts on key aviation issues.

In our legislative initiatives, we are

putting a hard brake on new legislation on

federal personnel issues.

NoVEMBEr/DECEMBEr 2012 | MANAGING THE SKIES 5

Finally, as Executive Director, I bring a different perspective to FAAMA consultations and Board meetings. I served in Government for 28 years – 15 in the CIA abroad and nearly 13 on Capitol Hill. Because I have not served as an FAA employee, I bring an outsider’s point of view to the insiders’ table.

As an outsider, I have had to immerse myself in the lore of the FAA, learn your jargon and acronyms, and understand what makes you tick. As a history major, I believe you must understand what happened in the past to ensure that it does not repeat itself in the future.

required reading To help in my self-education process, I recently read a book called Collision Course, Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers and the Strike that Changed America. This book tells the story of the found-ing of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers organization (PATCo), the labor struggles throughout the 1970s that propelled the union through a series of labor fights and, ultimately, to the confrontation with ronald reagan that led to the strike and the firing of almost every PATCo member.

I learned the startling fact that PATCo endorsed ronald reagan in the fall of 1980. I also learned that just two months before the strike in August 1981, PATCo received an offer from the FAA that was unprecedented in the concessions to a government union. The PATCo leadership accepted the offer, and then in a stunning rebuke, the membership rejected the settlement and pushed for more.

The Greek word “hubris” means extreme pride or arrogance. Hubris manifests itself as a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one’s own competence, or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power. PATCo suffered from a terminal case of Hubris. They tested ronald reagan, and after rejecting his generous offer, reagan gave the strikers orders to return to work from the illegal strike, or be fired. overestimating its power, PATCo workers failed in shutting down the air traffic system, the strike fizzled, and the rest is history.

I am guided by the lessons of the PATCo strike. Hubris not only led to PATCo’s demise; it also infected the post-strike leadership at the FAA. rather than addressing and fixing the legitimate issues that PATCo raised, and building a strong relationship with the new controller workforce, the FAA did little. This led to the formation of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and a still-troubled relationship with thousands of FAA employees.

Another interesting fact from this book is that in late 1978, FAA Administrator Langhorne Bond, who served in the Carter Administration, terminated a controller immunity program remarkably similar to the present day Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP). He found that the “system wrongly offered immunity for ‘gross mistakes’ and thus protected ‘defi-cient pilots and control-lers.’” Thus, again I am reminded that the past can be a prologue to the future, and those who fail to heed history are doomed to make the same mistakes. You should read this book; I have sent copies to anyone who would like to receive one.

Benefits of Humility, compromise, and balance As I provide counsel and advice to your leader-ship, I will urge humility, compromise, and balance in our role as managers and supervi-sors. We will not always agree with the FAA leadership and the political appointees. We have, and will continue to have, disagree-ments with the various bargaining units at the FAA, especially Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) and NATCA; but we share common ground with them as well in the desire to supply and improve safe, efficient flight, and on numerous federal workforce issues. Thus, in my counsel to your leaders, I will always seek and urge compromise first. It gives us the high ground, shows the best of FAAMA, and allows us to lead by example.

In the next year, I look forward to working with FAAMA leadership, walking deliberately and confidently into the future, mindful that we do not have all of the answers, but are always ready to work with others to achieve our common goals and objectives.

You can reach me at [email protected] or at 202.223.8950. £

The Advocate for Aviation Leaders Louis Dupart, Executive DirectorFAA Managers Association, Inc.

We balance the need to be heard with the duty to remain part of the team. I think we have found the right balance.


W e are delighted that you came to

central Florida for the FAAMA

annual meeting – and that you were

able to come at your own expense. And, thank

you, President Conley, for your leadership, and

thanks to each and every one of you for your

work and leadership in the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA). our aviation system

accounts for about eight percent of our domestic

economic activity and is vitally important.

Currently, there is an issue about federal

employees attending conferences. I'm disap-

pointed by the overreaction of some agencies,

because there is nothing wrong with federal

employees participating in legitimate gather-

ings and important conferences like this one.

As you know, we passed FAA reauthoriza-

tion! How about that? I know everybody said

it couldn't be done but we had a lot of your

folks working with us. Prior to my becoming

Chairman, we lived through 17 extensions of

reauthorization. You know the disruption that

caused. You need the legislation in place and

you need good policy in order to move the FAA

and all of our programs forward.

I recall speaking to former Administrator

Babbitt and he said, “Mr. Mica, we have to do

something. Short-term extensions of reauthoriza-

tion are totally disruptive. They cost us millions

of dollars, they put

the gears in reverse,

and the whole agency

cannot perform.”

After that conver-

sation, I gathered my

staff together, and

said, “How can we

motivate the United

States Senate?” So,

to motivate the Senate, we added a caveat that

no airport could receive more than a $1,000

subsidy under the rural Essential Air Services

(EAS) program. of course, some of that was

targeted at one specific airport in Nevada – the

Senator who represented that airport happened

to be Harry reid. The subsidy at that airport

was $3,720 per ticket – not acceptable to anyone

under any terms.

At this point, some political gamesman-

ship began – I was called a “one-man tea party

terrorist cell,” and a variety of other things.

However, we not only got an agreement to move

forward on a longer extension but also gained

the ability to finish the transportation bill. We

were able to pass a four-year bill, signed by the

President on February 14, and move forward.

Now let me talk about where we are now

and where we need to go. You all see it – you

work in the in the system with technology that

certainly could be improved, with technolo-

gies we should advance to keep your system

modernized. Air traffic control is certainly

essential. We now have congested skies that are

only going to get worse.

one of the things that concern me most about

FAA reauthorization is not being able to update

NextGen. I think the guidelines we put into the

legislation will help us achieve some of what we

need to do in switching from ground-based radar

to a satellite-based system. of course, I am disap-

pointed that we have fallen behind. The Inspector

General, the U.S. Government Accountability

office (GAo), and others are looking at the FAA

and conclude that the progress being made is,

frankly, not satisfactory.

Now, with this framework in place, with

milestones, with a better definition about who's

in charge, and with a process for advancing – I

reauthorization, nextgen, and the future of intermodal Transportationexcerpts from an address to the 2012 fAAmA convention by representative John L. mica (fL-07)

Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee & former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation


At this point, some political gamesmanship

began – I was called a “one-man tea party

terrorist cell,” and a variety of other things.


think we can be suc-

cessful. Although I was

initially somewhat disheartened

in the progress being made with NextGen,

I think the answer for us to put this whole

system of new technologies in place is to engage

the private sector.

When government tries to be the developer

of a technology and sometimes the system

integrator – quite frankly, it doesn't work

because the procurement system is so awkward.

It takes so long for the government to make a

decision, and often, the government doesn't

use price considerations or economic return on

investment as a criterion by which they move a

project forward.

The private sector is already developing

technologies – motivated by a little thing called

the profit in this capitalist system. If the private

sector produces a technology that has value,

people will buy it. I've been encouraging the

FAA to look at a satellite program that has the

capacity to put some of the switching equipment

for automatic dependent surveillance broadcast

(ADS-B) in the air and to speed that process up.

If we were really innovative, we could work

with the private sector and then, instead of

improvements requiring 18 or 20 years, we

could make advances in half the time. People

would actually buy and install the equipment

because it would benefit their aircraft, their

businesses, and their commercial activity. Plus,

moving the development of NextGen technolo-

gies more quickly will result in a safer, more

efficient National Airspace System (NAS).

Why wasn't this system in place? There

is no way that FAA managers and air traffic

controllers can handle all the future air traffic

with the current system. We must have tech-

nology and backup systems that work. I've seen

some actual working models that we need to

have in place across the nation – the only thing

standing in the way of that development is the

federal government.

We need to strive to make thing certain

that we have the best technology, that we do

have the best programs, that we have the best

protocols, and that we do have the best policies

in place to achieve the best performance.

This is an incredibly important system which

is very valuable to our economy and to our way

of life – we still have more people flying – it's

part of the American business model. That's why

terrorists

focused on

aviation because they

knew they could do the most

damage there. But we don't want to also

inflict damage by not doing the right thing, by not

getting the system in order and making it work

properly.

one of the biggest bottlenecks in our

country is New York airspace – about 70 percent

of our chronically delayed flights fly from New

York. That's why I'm an advocate of high-speed

rail in the Northeast corridor because – regard-

less of the technology in place – we can only put

so many planes on the runway and into in the

air, and can space them only so closely. That

bottleneck has to be addressed.

When you have a 1950s plan for entering

and leaving the most congested airspace in

the United States, it is just not going to work.

It is not acceptable. right now, I’m involved in

connecting Newark airport with the Northeast

corridor. Also, we connecting the light rail

Long Island railroad with John F. Kennedy

International Airport (JFK). Soon, people can go

directly from JFK to Grand Central Station in

Manhattan. It’s well underway.

In other regions, we've made some dramatic

improvements: o'Hare airport in Chicago has

more capacity along with a lot more safety and

capability; Los Angeles airport is much better;

and in Seattle, after 15 years, we finally have

additional runway capacity – to name a few

projects that are complete.

Solving the problem is a matter of building

the infrastructure, building alternative trans-

portation services, and then connecting them.

In intermodal projects across the country, we’re

connecting major airports with light rail, to

make the whole system more viable and usable.

When terrorists tried to use our aviation

industry as a weapon to harm the United States,

with the help of the FAA, we survived and

brought the industry back from the brink. Many

of you in this room worked long and hard to help

us in the process. I thank you for your service

and the people of the United States of America

thank you, too! £


T he Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP) is proving to be a great way to quickly identify and resolve major

risks to safety. It’s been in place for more than four years, and controllers and frontline managers across the country use it daily to identify issues that are – or could be – a hazard to air travelers.

on average, the ATSAP database receives more than 300 new reports every week. And after the ATSAP Event review Committees (ErCs) review the reports and take action, we’re making at least three substantial changes every month to eliminate hazards in the national airspace system.

That’s a tremendous effort to reduce risk. It’s all driven by frontline employees, but it’s not just controllers who are filing ATSAP reports.

frontline managers Are using ATsAp, TooFrontline managers are using the program, too. In fact, a frontline manager’s ATSAP report recently resolved a situation at Los Angeles Air route Traffic Control Center (ZLA ArTCC) before it became a more serious issue.

one of the ZLA’s sectors recently imple-mented a preferential Area Navigation (rNAV) standard arrival procedure that requires aircraft to have arrival required Navigation Performance (rNP) values of 1.0 or greater. To fly the Standard Terminal Arrival route (STAr), a pilot must include the aircraft’s capabilities in the flight plan.

Most airlines file that information in the correct format, and the User request Evaluation Tool (UrET) can process it and list the STAr in blue as the preferential procedure. one airline, however, was not filing correctly.

That meant controllers had to click and drag information several times to make sure UrET would process the airline’s aircraft for the preferential STAr – a time-consuming task. If they didn’t manually enter the information, or entered it incorrectly, the automation system at Southern California Terminal radar Approach Control (TrACoN) would process the flight plan on another rout-ing even though the flight had been cleared verbally for the preferential STAr.

That could lead to confusion between controllers and pilots and potentially a safety incident. What’s more, the time controllers were spending clicking and dragging was time

Icons of Aviation Safety An ATSAP

Update

About the cover image: The retro styling of chicago’s O’Hare Air Traffic Control Tower (ord) was illustrated by the fAA’s noe noche, who used 3d computer modeling and digital brush strokes for the dynamic art.

This illustration is part of the “icons of Aviation safety” poster series, which is used as recognition in the fAA’s All points safety campaign. Through this program, employees are recognized for outstanding achievement in proactive safety management, voluntary reporting, and collaboration.


Lisbeth Lee mack | Group Manager-Safety Programs, Air Traffic organization (ATo), FAA

they weren’t spending scanning their scopes for potential conflicts. If the issue persisted as more rNAV procedures were introduced, controllers handling heavy traffic elsewhere in ZLA’s airspace simply wouldn’t have time to update the aircraft’s rNAV qualifiers.

ZLA had emailed the airline’s flight opera-tions department, but nothing had changed. So Steve Fragas, a frontline manager, filed an ATSAP report. “It was something that needed to be done to help the controllers do their job,” he said. “I felt the ATSAP report would raise the flag and bring attention to the issue. And it did, very quickly.”

raising AwarenessThat raised awareness of the issue within the Air Traffic organization (ATo). Someone supporting the ATSAP office had a connec-tion to the head of safety at the airline. Mike Blake, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) co-lead on the Confidential Information Sharing Program, emailed her, she sent the message to the airline’s flight operations manager, and within three weeks the airline had fixed the problem. Now the airline’s flights enter ZLA’s airspace with their rNP capabilities properly filed in

their flight plans, and controllers clear them for the preferential arrival without issue.

fixing safety issues quicklyQuickly fixing similar safety issues is now a common occurrence across the country thanks to ATSAP and frontline employees. But that’s not the only way confidential voluntary safety reporting is driving safety.

I spoke recently with Nysei Moses, a frontline manager at Norfolk Tower Terminal radar and Approach Control Facility (TrACoN) (orF) in Virginia. She’s a huge proponent of ATSAP and hopes one day the FAA will no longer refer to it as a program; it will simply become part of the way we do things, “an integrated part of a system that mitigates risk and prevents risk from being introduced.”

She told me she’s seen great value from ATSAP – and not just because it’s given her and her fellow employees a way to report safety issues without fear of reprisal. She said the information gathered and shared through the program, via ATSAP briefing sheets, have helped her and her crew – and all the controllers and managers at orF – understand that some of the issues they face are not theirs alone.

ATSAP by the numbers

54,363 ATSAP Reports Submitted (as of October 1, 2012)

160 ATSAP Positives

19,948 ATO Employees Eligible to File ATSAP Reports

12,680 Eligible Employees Who Have Filed ATSAP Reports

16,553 ATSAP Reports Submitted in Fiscal 2012

15,394 ATSAP Reports Submitted in Fiscal 2011

7.5% increase in ATSAP reports in FY 2012 vs. 2011


Moses and the other frontline man-agers talk with their crews each month about things they’ve seen on the opera-tions floor that might potentially have a negative impact on safety. They don’t

single anyone out, but talk about how, as a team, they can make sure they’re not letting unnecessary risk sneak into the operation.

Deploying ATSAP Briefing SheetsTo illustrate those talks, Moses often uses ATSAP Briefing Sheets. They show controllers at orF that their peers elsewhere have faced similar issues, what the consequences were, and how they avoided creating a potentially hazardous situation again.

“The way ATSAP briefings are written, it makes it feel like we’re all in this together,” Moses said. “It makes it feel like it’s an FAA thing. It’s not just one bad thing one person did, but the result of many people interpreting something differently.”

Frontline managers at orF have used ATSAP Briefing Sheets to inform discussions with controllers on improving their use of pre-briefings and the two-minute overlap that allows for position relief briefings.

And ATSAP briefing sheets have helped illustrate an issue with allowing Instrument Flight rules (IFr) aircraft to fly 500 feet above or below Visual Flight rules (VFr) aircraft. This can increase the likelihood of Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) resolution Advisory (rAs). Though it’s not a violation, thanks to information provided in the briefing sheets, most controllers at orF are now vectoring aircraft so they don’t fly over one another, reducing rAs and risk.

sharing safety data nationwide That kind of information has been great, Moses said. Before ATSAP, frontline managers would gather all the data on a topic themselves, and that data would come only from their facility. Now, they’re able to review and share examples and solutions from facilities across the country with a couple of mouse clicks.

“For a lot of the problems we see at the facility, someone else has already reached

a remedy for that issue, and we can use the road that is already paved by another facility,” Moses said. “Now the information is out there and available.”

We are using the information to drive safety in many other ways. We are sharing ATSAP data with a growing list of airlines and combining it with data collected through their voluntary safety reporting programs to iden-tify areas of risk that might have otherwise remained hidden.

creating a daily safety dashboardWe used information from ATSAP in research to determine the next set of Top 5 safety haz-ards that we will focus on mitigating. And data from ATSAP is being displayed in new data portals that will soon put immense amounts of safety and risk information at the fingertips of local collaborative safety councils.

As part of creating those portals, we are processing two terabytes of data every day to create a dashboard that displays the data in simple, easy-to-understand charts and graphs. That information will help safety councils identify safety trends at their facility and make informed decisions on what steps to take to end those trends.

In addition to ATSAP information, the portals draw data from mandatory occurrence reports, the national offload program, facility logs, and quality assurance. That data is used to create graphical views of overall safety performance and individual events.

Each of the current Top 5 is represented with its own view so a manager can track their facility’s performance. And they can drill down through the data to see how missed altitudes might be occurring for a particular runway at a particular altitude or distance from the runway.

The portal currently displays ATSAP report counts and topics, and for centers and TrACoNs, it can show ATSAP-reported event locations. Safety Councils can use that information to identify potential hot spots in their facility’s airspace and figure out ways to make them safer.

The portals are undergoing beta testing at 10 facilities: Albuquerque ArTCC, Anchorage ArTCC, Atlanta ArTCC, Los Angeles ArTCC, Washington ArTCC, Atlanta TrACoN, Las Vegas TrACoN, Potomac Consolidated TrACoN, Las Vegas Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and San Francisco ATCT.

We used information from ATSAP in research

to determine the next set of Top 5 safety hazards that

we will focus on mitigating.


The portals are one way we are planning to send lots of ATSAP data back to facilities for their use, and the briefing sheets are already bringing ATSAP data back to the frontlines. But there’s another way ATSAP reports end up at local facili-ties, giving them the information necessary to bring about positive changes.

solving safety issuesSometimes ATSAP reports cover situations about which the Event review Committee (ErC) feels the report would help a local facility solve a safety issue. or the report contains information that the facility management and NATCA representation should know. In those cases, the ErC will ask the submitter’s permission to share the report – stripped of all identifying information – with the managers and NATCA representatives.

We estimate that about 10 percent of all ATSAP reports are shared with the facilities where they were filed. Considering that frontline employees have made more than 50,000 ATSAP reports during the past four years, that’s a lot of safety data flowing back to the field.

ATsAp is supporting a positive shift in the cultureBut field facilities are benefiting from more than just the data supplied through ATSAP. They’re also seeing a positive shift in the culture as well. I recently talked with Jim Krieger, a support man-ager at Chicago o’Hare (orD) ATCT. Krieger was the Quality Assurance manager when ATSAP was brought to Chicago-area facilities as part of the first round of implementation in July 2008. And he noted a substantial change in controller behavior after the program arrived.

“When I was a controller, you didn’t spend a lot of time talking with Quality Assurance, at least not intentionally,” he said. “But when ATSAP went into place, it changed people’s attitudes about their ability to share safety incidents or issues without fear of reprisal.”

Krieger found controllers stopping by his office regularly to share information on things that they felt negatively affected safety, like coordination between the north and south tower when a flight was departing a runway that affected both facilities.

“They’d come in and say, ‘I’d like to talk to you about what I think is a safety issue – it’s not against the rules, but I think we can do a better job,’” Krieger said.

That openness and willingness to share has extended beyond the walls of the Quality Assurance manager’s office. Whenever there’s a safety event at orD, management and NATCA bring together everyone who was involved, including controllers, pilots, and representa-tives from airspace and procedures, training, quality assurance, and sometimes even the air-port’s fire department.

identifying the root causes of safety issuesThey all gather in a room and discuss what happened, openly and without talking about who was to blame. That, Krieger said, is a big deal. It helps identify the root causes of the issue – how even if everyone was doing what they thought they should be doing, safety could still be at risk. “You wouldn’t believe the things we learn from sitting down and hashing things out that way,” he said.

And it relies on the willingness of individu-als involved to be open and candid, ready to step up and share the infor-mation that can keep our air traffic system the safest in the world. And, thanks to ATSAP and our growing non-punitive and proactive safety culture, that willing-ness exists. “A lot of people worry there’s no accountability because of ATSAP,” Krieger said. “I see far more account-ability. I’ve never seen more accountability in my career.” £

About The Author Lisbeth Lee (Beth) Mack was appointed Group Manager of Safety Programs in February 2011. Her responsi-bilities include the Air Traffic Organization’s Voluntary Safety Reporting programs (including the Air Traffic Safety Action Program – ATSAP, and the Technical Operations Safety Action Program – T-SAP), the Partnership for Safety and Safety Promotion. Mrs. Mack joined the FAA in June of 2009 as the ATSAP Manager.

Prior to FAA, she was Managing Director of Onboard Service Strategy at United Airlines. Her responsibilities included managing training, policies and procedures for the Onboard Service division, along with safety and security procedures for in-flight per-sonnel. During this time, United was the first major airline to introduce an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) for flight attendants, under Beth’s leadership.

Before joining United, Beth was a Regional Managing Director for American Airlines in Flight Service Operations, returning to American Airlines after that corporation acquired Trans World Airlines (TWA). While at TWA, Beth served as Vice President (VP) of In-Flight Services and VP of Marketing. Prior to TWA, Beth served as the VP of Sales for British West Indies Airways and VP-Sales and Marketing for KIWI International Airlines. Beth started her career at American Airlines as a flight attendant and spent the first 14 years of her career there, in a number of successively more responsible positions.

Beth has a Bachelor of Science degree in Retailing from Michigan State University, where she graduated with high honors. She currently lives in Alexandria, VA, with her husband and has three sons.


DAY 1

new heights: new challengesMonday morning the convention kicked off with a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner followed by the State of the Association address by FAAMA President David Conley.

Monday also featured addresses by two Members of Congress: The Honorable John L. Mica (FL 07), Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, spoke to the delegates in the morning. In the afternoon, the Honorable Dennis ross (FL 12), House Committee on oversight and Government reform, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, US Postal Service, and Labor Policy addressed delegates.

A highlight of Monday was an address by Chuck Pfarrer, former Assault Element Commander at the US Navy’s famed SEAL Team Six. His informative training was called “Leadership Lessons from a Navy Seal.”

on Monday afternoon, delegates received truly memorable training from Dr. Jeff Spencer, the premiere expert in total human performance. His delivery of “The

Champion’s Blueprint,” describing a well-constructed, carefully spelled-out proven program, was a highlight of the afternoon session.

Every year, FAAMA Convention exhibits get better – and this was especially true in 2012. In order to enter the meeting hall, delegates walked through a fascinating display of aviation industry vendors exhibiting the ATC technologies of the future.

State-of-the-art exhibits utilized flat-screen automated technologies, air traffic airspace modeling, flight tracks and trajectories, full-scale tower simulator displays, futuristic data communication solutions – and much more. (on pages 20 to 23 of Managing the Skies, you’ll find a mini-catalog of every 2012 exhibitor – keep it for reference throughout the year.)

DAY 2

new heights: new issuesTuesday’s program began with in-depth train-ing on whistleblower’s rights called “Whistle While You Work Has a Different Meaning,” pro-vided by attorney William L. “Bill” Bransford, a Partner at Shaw Bransford & roth.

FAA MANAGERS ASSOCIATION GATHERING OF EAGLES

Soarin’ To neW heighTs2012 convention a success!michael “hitch” combe Jr. | FAAMA Southwest regional Director & Communications Committee Member

The 32nd Annual fAAmA gathering of eagles came to a close

on Thursday october 18, 2012. This was FAAMA’s first year at the

coronado springs resort in Walt disney World, and the unique new

setting added a touch of disney magic to the event.

The 2012 convention committee, led by Andy Taylor, volunteered

countless hours to make the entire event a stunning success.

The 2012 theme, “soarin’ to new heights,” was skillfully integrated into training sessions, events, and

activities throughout.

The convention opened sunday evening with the president’s

reception – dramatically dif-ferent this year. delegates

boarded buses to the epcot Theme park; were entertained by the voices of Liberty at the

American Adventure pavilion; had a prime viewing spot for

the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks; and closed a

night of excitement with soarin'™ – a multi-sensory ride that sim-

ulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight, lifting passengers 40 feet

into the air, swooping up, and soaring towards clouds and spec-

tacular california panoramas.

LEFT to RIGHT: Chuck Pfarrer gives delegates “Leadership Lessons from a US Navy Seal; FAAMA members gather to play volleyball; Dr. Jeff Spencer presents delegates with “The Champion’s Blueprint;” a fife and drum corps accompany the presentation of the colors; FAAMA President David Conley presents the President’s Award to FAAMA Parliamentarian and Convention Committee Chair Andy Taylor.

Lillian Z. ryals, Vice President and Acting General Manager, MITrE Corporation, supplied delegates with an overview of MITrE and Federally Funded research and Development Centers (FFrDCs). Bob Lamond, Director of Air Traffic Services and Infrastructure, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) spoke on “Business Aviation: Myths vs. Facts.”

Tuesday’s program also featured a report by Louis Dupart, FAAMA Executive Director as well as several FAAMA Director and Committee reports.

DAY 3

new heights: new perspectiveson Wednesday, delegates were trained by Mike Staver, an internationally-respected coach and speaker, on “How to Drive Performance by Challenging People and Confronting Problems.” on Wednesday afternoon, there were several additional FAAMA Director and Committee reports.

In the evening, the 32nd Annual FAAMA Awards Banquet was held in the Coronado Ballroom. Entertainment for the event included a lot of Disney “magic” as well as supplying attendees with an opportunity to catch up with peers and meet new friends. FAAMA Awards also were distributed.

DAY 4

new heights: new TacticsThursday, the 32nd Annual Gathering of Eagles came to a close with the re-election of David Conley as FAAMA President and Julie Fidler as FAAMA Secretary. Delegates also were addressed by Judy Schneider, a specialist on Congress at the Congressional research Service (CrS), a department of the

Library of Congress, and an adjunct scholar at The Brookings Institution. Ms Schneider also administered the oaths of office to the President, Secretary, and incoming regional Directors.

2012 fAAmA Awardspresident’s Award for excellence, our Association’s highest honor, to Andy Taylor, Parliamentarian and Convention Committee Chair, in recognition of his dedicated service, unwavering support, and endless sacrifice which embodies his commitment to excellence and to our Association.

This individual is one who sets the stan-dard of leadership and encourages others to be part of this Association.

Ambassador’s Awards, in recognition of enthusiastic and exceptional service which embodies the values of our Association and its members, to Tom Dury, Treasurer; to Phil Freed, Western Pacific regional Director; and to Ted Thomas, Leadership Training Facilitator.

service Awards to Bruce Hall for service as New England regional Director, March 2011 – october 2012; and to Lori Scharf, Northwest Mountain regional Director, october 2009 – october 2012.

Leadership Awards to Roosevelt Lenard, Jr., National President, National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees, and to Robin Rush, President, Professional Women Controllers, Inc.

commemorative Awards to David and Cathern Conley, Angela Conley, Deb Dury, Nicole Fidler, and Kim Smith. £

32nd ANNUAL CONVENTION & TRAINING CONFERENCE

2012 convention a success!michael “hitch” combe Jr. | FAAMA Southwest regional Director & Communications Committee Member

fAAmA corporate partner Awards

2012 gathering of eagles

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE



PlATinum CORPORATE PARTnER ExHibiTing

gEiCOSeventy-five year ago, in 1936, Leo

Goodwin started an insurance

company to serve federal government

employees. Mr. Goodwin saw federal

employees as good risks and soon

moved his company to Washington,

DC. That company was Government

Employees Insurance Company, or

GEICo. We support federal employees

as we continue to share a special his-

tory together.

When you join with GEICo, you are

partnering with a rock solid multi-line

insurer that is part of the Berkshire

Hathaway family of companies. GEICo

also gets straight A’s for financial

strength. Low premiums are no bargain

if your insurance company doesn’t have

the financial resources to pay your

claim. With GEICo, you never have

to worry, because as a wholly-owned

subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.,

GEICo has assets of over $28 billion.

Why is gEiCO Vital to FAAmA members?You like saving money and GEICo offers

many cost-saving discounts for federal

employees. You may qualify based on

General Schedule (GS) or Equivalent

Job Grade or membership in federal or

other organizations.

GEICo’s trained professional associ-

ates are ready to provide federal employ-

ees with the exceptional service they

deserve and answer any questions about

GEICo's benefits to federal workers.

You will always receive great rates

and great service. When you need us

we are ready to help: 24-hour service,

7 days a week. You can get immedi-

ate coverage, low rates, convenient

payment plans, and take advantage

of numerous money-saving discount

programs just for you.

For more information, go to www.

geico.com/information/federal to discover

the many benefit of the GEICo Federal

Employees Program.

GEICO One GEICO Plaza Washington, D.C. 20076 www.geico.com/information/federal/ 800-861-8380

gOld CORPORATE PARTnER

HARRiS CORPORATiOnHarris is an international communica-

tions and information technology

company serving government and com-

mercial markets in more than 150 coun-

tries. Harris is dedicated to developing

best-in-class assured communications®

products, systems, and services.

Harris offers a wide range of

communications products and

services including Commercial

Broadcast products, Tactical Military

radios and Avionics, Satellite

Communications including anten-

nas payloads, and ground terminals,

Healthcare Communications and

Services, Law Enforcement and

Security Communications, Weather

and Meteorological Communications

Services, Intelligence Community

Products and Services, and products

and services supporting the FAA.

Why is HARRiS Vital to FAAmA members?Harris products and services are

important to FAAMA members because

the FAA is one of our most important

customers. FAAMA members use Harris

products and services every day. We

provide the FAA Telecommunications

Infrastructure (FTI), the Voice Switching

and Control System (VSCS), Weather and

radar Processor (WArP), and operational

and Supportability Implementation

System (oASIS) programs and recently

have won the Alaskan Satellite

Telecommunications Infrastructure

(ASTI) program.

Additionally, Harris recently

submitted a proposal for the Data

Communications Information Services

(DCIS) program. Harris is active in the

FAA’s Florida NextGen test bed activity

and currently is working on proto-

types for System Wide Information

Management (SWIM) and Unmanned

Aircraft System (UAS) communications.

For more information, go to

www.harris.com or contact us via email

at [email protected] or call 321-309-

6180. Also, visit Harris in Melbourne,

Florida and tour the FTI Network

operations and Control Center.Harris Corporation 1025 West NASA Boulevard Melbourne, FL 32919 www.harris.com | 800-442-7747

SilVER CORPORATE PARTnER ExHibiTing

EVAnS COnSOlES CORPORATiOnFounded in 1980 and privately owned,

Evans Consoles is the world leader

in the design and manufacturing of cus-

tom control room solutions for mission

critical and other technology-intensive

environments. our resources, combined

with an experienced sales force and

support network spanning the globe,

give us the tools to meet all of your

control room console furniture needs.

For more information, go to:

www.evansonline.com.

Evans Consoles Corporation 1616 27th Ave. NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 8W4, Canada www.evansonline.com | 403-291-4444

bROnzE CORPORATE PARTnERS ExHibiTing

liVingSTOn FinAnCiAl gROuPLivingston Financial Group (LFG) is

a financial planning firm that works

specifically with federal employees

to plan for retirement. We are located

in Westminster, MD, just outside of

Baltimore and Washington DC, and

have advisors across the country that

can help explain and navigate the

often confusing language and benefits

that are available to federal employees.

Livingston provides all FAAMA

members a FrEE Benefit Analysis.

We calculate your pension, survivor

benefits, Federal Employees Group Life

Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Employees

Health Benefits (FEHB), Thrift Savings

fAAmA exhibitor spotlight 2012


Plan (TSP), Long Term Care Insurance

and other assets and debts you may

have (i.e. – spouses 401(k), mort-

gage, private life insurance, etc).

Then, we put it all together to see if

you are able to retire and keep the

same lifestyle that you have grown

accustomed to. We also hold on-site

seminars for federal employees that

cover the many facets of the federal

retirement system.

Livingston advisors also are able

to provide assistance in manag-

ing assets in retirement, private

life insurance, and long term care

insurance. We are registered

representatives of INVEST Financial

Corporation, member Financial

Industry regulatory Authority

(FINrA)/Securities Investor

Protection Corporation (SIPC).

INVEST offers security and advisory

services but is not affiliated with

Livingston Financial Group or

Livingston Federal. # 86450-1012

Why is lFg Vital to FAAmA members?As a federal employee, your benefits

for retirement can sometimes seem

overwhelming and very confusing.

With our knowledge and expertise in

federal benefits, we can “speak” your

language and try to make sense of

all your benefits to give you peace of

mind before and in retirement.


www.LivingstonFederal.com, call toll

free at 800.752.8992, or email us at

[email protected].

Livingston Financial Group 2 Locust Lane, Suite 306 Westminster, MD 21157 www.livingstonfinancialgroup.com 800-752-8992

STR-SPEECH TECH limiTEdSTr-SpeechTech Ltd. (STr) is a lead-

ing supplier of text-to-speech systems

for mission-critical broadcasting

applications. Located in Victoria,

Canada, STr has been dedicated

to meeting our customers' needs

for high quality speech and signal

processing products for over 25 years.

our StarCaster® text-to-speech

systems are deployed throughout the

world at air traffic control towers and

flight service stations, where the abil-

ity to generate clear and consistent

aviation information broadcasts is a

key component of operational effi-

ciency and safety. StarCaster systems

adhere to International Civil Aviation

organization (ICAo) and World

Meteorological organization (WMo)

standards and recommendations, and

are recognized by the international

air traffic management community

for their reliability and ease of use.

Why is STR Vital to FAAmA members?STr-SpeechTech already has

delivered a number of StarCaster

systems that are used by the FAA

for automated broadcast of weather

information. These systems include

meteorological information for

aircraft in flight (VoLMET) in New

York and Honolulu; Transcribed

Weather En route Broadcast (TWEB)

in Alaska; and Tactical Information

Broadcast Service (TIBS)-Hazardous

Inflight Weather Advisory Service

(HIWAS) for the contiguous United

States (CoNUS).

In addition, STr’s StarCaster

Automatic Terminal Information

Service (ATIS) product is designed

to meet the requirements of the

FAA’s ATIS Program. StarCaster

ATIS reduces the air traffic control

(ATC) workload and provides a clear,

intelligible voice which will increase

the safety and efficiency of ATC tower

operations.


www.speechtech.com, email products@

speechtech.com, or call us at

250-477-0544.

STR-SpeechTech Ltd. #212-1001 Cloverdale Avenue Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8X 4C9 www.speechtech.com | 250-477-0544



AdVAnCEd ATC, inC. Advanced ATC, Inc. (AATC) began

operations in 2008 and is owned and

operated by three retired FAA air

traffic control managers. Located on

the campus of Wiregrass Georgia

Technical College in Valdosta, GA,

AATC specializes in Control Tower

operator (CTo) Certification training.

Advanced ATC offers a 52-week

CTo Certification Training course

which includes 13 weeks of classroom

instruction and nine months of tower

qualification. In addition, AATC stu-

dents receive 400+ hours of advanced

tower simulation as well as training up

to ATC Level 12 proficiency.

Upon successful course completion

and FAA Evaluation, graduates are issued

an FAA CTo certificate with a Facility

rating and are ready to go to work. AATC

graduates make application to the FAA

under a CTo hiring announcement or

hiring policy bulletin #48.

Why is Advanced ATC Vital to FAAmA members?AATC provides FAA managers with

highly-qualified air traffic controllers

who will save the FAA millions of dol-

lars in training costs as well as reduce

training time by more than 50 percent.


advancedatc.com, write admissions@

advancedatc.com, call 866-938-0398 toll

free, or call 229-219-1238.

Advanced ATC, Inc. 4089 Val Tech Road, Bldg. 100 Valdosta, GA 31602 www.advancedatc.com | 866-938-0398

All WEATHER, inC.All Weather, Inc. (AWI) is a leading

developer of high accuracy, high

dependability weather information

systems that help users minimize

risks in an unpredictable world. AWI

combines state-of-the-art surface

weather measurement technology

with flexible systems design, accurate

data distribution and display, and

comprehensive project management.

offerings include Automated

Weather observing Systems (AWoS) avi-

ation weather systems; runway Visual

range (rVr) systems; Automated Surface

observation System (ASoS) Controller

Equipment (ACE)/Integrated Display

System (IDS) air traffic control display

systems; and a wide range of other high

accuracy meteorological sensors and sys-

tems, including AWI’s patented forward

scatter visibility sensors.

For more information, to

www.allweather.com or call 800-824-5873.

2012 convention exhibitors



All Weather, Inc. 1165 National Drive Sacramento, CA 95834 www.allweather.com | 800-824-5873

ATAC CORPORATiOn ATAC Corporation – experts in aviation

simulation and analysis – is a software

and services company that specializes

in providing the aviation community

with state-of-the-art computer simula-

tion, modeling, and analysis tools, as

well as expert services in air traffic

systems and operations design and

analysis. ATAC products have become

the aviation industry standard for

simulation and modeling:

}£ Airport and Airspace Simulation

Model (Simmod Pro!®) provides the

flexibility and power of true rules-

based modeling capability through

the innovative implementation

of a generalized simulation

scripting language. The Integrated

Noise Model (INM) is the FAA's

standard computer model for

assessing aircraft noise impacts

in the vicinity of airports and over

National Parks.

}£ range, Airspace, and Airfield Data

Analysis and reporting System

(rAADArs) is an automated

aviation operations data collection,

analysis and archiving system.

}£ Graphical Airspace Design

Environment (GrADE®) is a state-of-

the-art, four-dimensional computer

tool for displaying, analyzing,

designing, and evaluating air

traffic operations in En route and

Terminal domains.

TOP LEFT to RIGHT: FAAMA President David Conley presents Corporate Partner Awards to executives from the Livingston Financial Group, Harris Corporation, Evans Consoles Corporation, STR-Speech Tech Limited, and GEICO; FAAMA President David Conley presenting Service Award to FAAMA Northwest Mountain Regional Director Lori Scharf and an Ambassador’s Award to FAAMA Treasurer Tom Dury.

MIDDLE LEFT to RIGHT: FAAMA

Southwest Regional Director Michael “Hitch” Combe; Mike Staver presenting “How to Drive Performance by Challenging People and Confronting Problems;” The Honorable Dennis Ross, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

BOTTOM LEFT to RIGHT: FAAMA

President David Conley; FAAMA Membership Director David Chappuies; FAAMA Membership Education Committee Chair Hal Albert.



}£ SkyView™ provides a comprehensive

set of software tools for gathering

aviation performance and

supporting data.

ATAC's specialized services

include airport planning, air traffic

control training, airspace operations,

military aviation, model development,

operational performance analysis, and

environmental impact assessment.

Why is ATAC Vital to FAAmA members?As an industry leader in aviation

modeling and simulation, ATAC is the

primary developer of PDArS, Simmod

Pro!® and the Integrated Noise Model

(INM). We also are a key contributor to

the development of the FAA’s Aviation

Environmental Design Tool (AEDT).

As developers, ATAC possesses

unique knowledge and insight into the

inner workings of tools that enable

customers to meet demanding, project-

specific analysis requirements. ATAC

has conducted airport and airspace

design and analysis projects through-

out the U.S. for the FAA.

For more information go to

www.atac.com, or write to Jeff Browder

at [email protected] or call 408-736-2822

x403 or 408-510-9348 (mobile).

ATAC Corporation 755 N. Mathilda Avenue, Suite 200 Sunnyvale, CA 94085 www.atac.com | 408-736-2822

bluE CROSS bluE SHiEld FEdERAl EmPlOYEE PROgRAmThe Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

(BCBSA) administers the Blue Cross

Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan, the

largest privately underwritten health

insurance contract in the world. over

61 percent of all federal employees and

retirees who receive their health care

benefits through the government’s

Federal Employees Health Benefits

Program (FEHBP) are members of the

Service Benefit Plan – receiving health

coverage through their local Blue Plans.

The Service Benefit Plan has been a

part of the FEHBP since its inception in

1960 and is the largest plan in the pro-

gram with more than 2.5 million of the

almost 4.1 million contracts of federal

employees and retirees who receive

their health care benefits through the

FEHBP, covering over 5.2 million federal

employee retirees and their families.

Under the Service Benefit Plan,

members can decide between Standard

option and Basic option. Standard

option offers the freedom to use out-

of-network or Non-preferred providers

and the convenience of the mail service

prescription drug program.

With lower premiums and no

deductibles, Basic option provides an

extensive network of preferred provid-

ers for all your medical needs. Both

options offer financial incentives for

healthy behaviors.

Why is bCbS Vital to FAAmA members?Blue Cross Blue Shield provides the

most extensive health Plan to Federal

Employees and retirees. Members have an

array of online consumer tools currently

available to help them manage their ben-

efits, increase their healthcare knowledge,

and make informed decisions.

Members can access health advice

and information through Blue Health

Connection, a 24/7, toll -free telephone

and online nurse advice line.

Through www.fepblue.org, members

can locate physicians, order prescrip-

tion refills, view claims information

online, enroll in WalkingWorks®

and learn more about health care

options through AskBlue for Federal

Employees.

our suite of online tools includes

the Blue Health Assessment to provide

information about your current health

status, MyBlue Benefit Statements to

summarize your benefits and health

care expenses, and MyBlue Personal

Health record to organize your per-

sonal health records.


www.fepblue.org.

BlueCross and BlueShield Association Headquarters 225 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60601 www.fepblue.org

CgH TECHnOlOgiES, inC.Founded in 1989 as a woman-owned

small business, CGH is a forward-

thinking information engineering

and management support company

dedicated to providing innovative

solutions to meet each client’s unique

needs. CGH focuses on services and

products that add value to the decision

management chain.

CGH has extensive expertise in the

migration of legacy data to centralized

knowledge repositories; the engineer-

ing, re-engineering, and automation

of critical business processes; and

development of custom and web-based

applications.

CGH Technologies, Inc. 600 Maryland Ave, SW Suite 800W Washington, DC 20024 202-554-7774 | www.cghtech.com

EizO nAnAO TECHnOlOgiES inC. EIZo’s full spectrum of air traffic

control visual display solutions provide

towers, control centers, and training

centers with a wide range of moni-

tors, graphic boards, and recording

solutions. EIZo is dedicated to making

products that deliver reliable opera-

tions for the safe, efficient movement

of art traffic in all air traffic control

environments.

Products include primary control

monitors, high-bright tower monitors,

auxiliary monitors, and video and

audio recording systems.

The Eizo re/Vue system is a

leading technology recording solution

that delivers lossless video and audio

recording while compressing data down

20,000:1 for easy storage.

EIZO Nanao Technologies Inc. 6235 Lawson Drive Haymarket, VA 20169 800-800-5202 | www.eizo.com

FAA AEROnAV PROduCTS, TERminAl PROduCTS gROuPThe Mission Support Services,

Aeronautical Navigation Products

organization (AeroNav Products) serves

as the FAA’s charting authority for the

publication of aeronautical charts and

products. Located in oklahoma City

and Glenn Dale and Silver Spring, MD,

this organization designs, develops,

prints, distributes and maintains the

roughly 23,000 FAA Instrument Flight

Procedures in the National Airspace

System (NAS).



It compiles and publishes FAA

Instrument and Visual Flight rule

aeronautical charting products used

primarily by pilots, in addition to

radar Video maps used by air traffic

controllers, as well as supplemental

navigation publications. Many paper

chart publications also have a digital

counterpart. AeroNav Products also

produces specialized digital products

to support pilot’s Electronic Flight Bags

(EFB) and Flight Management Systems

(FMS), Air Traffic Control, Airport and

Airspace Planning, and Industry.

AeroNav Products distributes

its variety of FAA paper and digital

aeronautical charts and products

worldwide through agents and direct

sales. The agent network is composed

of approximately 400 Authorized FAA

Paper Charting Agents around the

world. Direct sales are currently man-

aged through e-commerce subscrip-

tions and one time sales. The products

and services support various Federal

Agencies (to include the Department

of Defense), internal FAA customers

(such as Air Traffic Control), general

aviation, and industry. FAA does plan

to transition out of direct public sales

to rely solely on chart agents, for both

paper and digital products.

Why is FAA Aeronav Vital to FAAmA members?Networking with FAAMA allows

AeroNav Products to showcase our

products and services to managers

throughout the agency as well as

to alert them to the recent changes

within our product line, and continue

to play an active role in responding to

the issues, needs and concerns of our

customers.

For example, AeroNav Products has

been working closely with Congress,

the FAA, and aviation industry stake-

holders to manage the implementation

of AeroNav Products’ Cost recovery

proposal. This proposal seeks to recover

the costs of its suite of digital products,

and to sell these digital products solely

through a channel of Authorized

Digital Agents having signed agree-

ments with AeroNav Products.

To learn more about AeroNav’s

products and services, please visit:

www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/

aeronav/. In particular, please reference

the online Catalog of Products: www.

faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/

productcatalog/.If you have questions

relating to our products and services,

please email:[email protected]

and we will respond to your request

within three business days.

FAA AeroNav Products, Terminal Products Group 1305 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910

FEdERAl EmPlOYEE dEFEnSE SERViCES (FEdS)Federal Employee Defense Services

(FEDS) provides professional liability

insurance for federal employees and

continually works with FAAMA to

ensure we provide the protection

necessary for FAA managers. For over

25 years, the FEDS panel of attorneys

has successfully defended federal

managers and supervisors in a variety

of investigations and disciplinary cases

as well as personal capacity lawsuits.

For $270 per year (only $135 after

agency reimbursement), the FEDS pol-

icy provides experienced legal counsel

to defend you in the event of an alleged

wrongdoing or if you are accused of an

act, error or omission in the perfor-

mance of your FAA and/or managerial

duties, an attorney to defend you if the

Department of Justice (DoJ) exercises

its discretion to decline to defend you

or provide you with private counsel for

a civil lawsuit, and indemnification of

up to $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 if there

is a judgment of damages against you.

Why is FEdS Vital to FAAmA members?Administrative complaints and civil

actions brought upon by subordinate

employees, co-workers, members of

the public, or some other entity often

lead to Equal Employment opportunity

Commission (EEoC), office of Inspector

General (oIG), office of Professional

responsibility (oPr), office of Special

Counsel (oSC), Congressional, or other

management directed investigation

and/or proposed disciplinary actions

requiring the need for FAA manag-

ers to defend themselves. New policy

changes, politically charged responses,

and accountability demands for deci-

sions made before, during, and after

each new FAA-related incident have

increased the professional and personal

liability exposures of FAA managers.


www.fedsprotection.com or call us at

866-955-FEDS.

FEDS P.O. Box 65282 Washington, DC 20035 www.fedsprotection.com | 866-955-FEDS

FEEASince 1986, the Federal Employee

Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA)

has been the only nonprofit organiza-

tion devoted solely to helping civilian

federal and postal employees. FEEA

was formed because of the needs of

federal employees, but has grown

through their generosity. FEEA’s goal is

that every federal employee knows of

FEEA in his or her time of need.


www.feea.org.

FEEA 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300 Lakewood, CO 80227 www.feea.org | 800-323-4140

THE FEdERAl lOng TERm CARE inSuRAnCE PROgRAmLong Term Care Partners, LLC is a

wholly-owned subsidiary of John

Hancock Life & Health Insurance

Company and administers the Federal

Long Term Care Insurance Program and

BENEFEDS, a secure website enabling

Federal Family members to enroll in and

manage their Federal Employees Dental

and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

coverage, under oPM oversight.

The Federal Long Term Care

Insurance Program (FLTCIP), available

to Federal and Postal employees and

annuitants, members and retired

members of the uniformed services,

and qualified relatives, is the largest

employer-sponsored long term care

insurance program in the country (with

218,000+ enrollees as of August 31,



2011). Coverage through the program is

offered on a voluntary basis and premi-

ums are paid fully by the enrollees.

The Program is the result of the

Long Term Care Security Act (PL

106-265), which was signed into law on

September 19, 2000. Long Term Care

Partners was awarded the contract on

December 18, 2001 following a lengthy

bidding and review process. Long

Term Care Partners also administers

BENEFEDS (www.BENEFEDS.com)

under oPM oversight. It comprises

the payroll and billing systems and

customer service functions necessary

to administer FEDVIP.

Why is lTCFEdS Vital to FAAmA members?The Program supplies long term pro-

tection for you, your finances, and your

future. Life can be challenging when

you do not have long term care insur-

ance. It means you may need to rely

on loved ones or pay for long term care

services out of your income, savings, or

retirement fund.

Fortunately, the FLTCIP provides

coverage and helps you plan for the

high costs of long term care. Note:

Certain medical conditions, or com-

binations of conditions, will prevent

some people from being approved for

coverage. You need to apply to find out

if you qualify for coverage under the

FLTCIP.


www.LTCFEDS.com/FAAMA which

offers online applications, an interac-

tive calculator to provide customized

price quotes based on age and choice

of benefits, and educational resources

about long term care and long term

care insurance. or, call 1-800-LTC-

FEDS (1-800-582-3337), or TTY

1-800-843-3557.

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program PO Box 797, Greenland, NH 03840 www.LTCFEDS.com/FAAMA | 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337)

gOldEn KEY gROuPGolden Key Group (GKG) specializes

in providing a complete spectrum of

workforce solutions in both the govern-

ment and commercial marketplaces.

our diverse management team has

more than 150 years of experience in

operations, human resource manage-

ment, training, and leadership.

our experienced team includes

retired military, former government,

and professional men and women,

offering you multiple perspectives and

proven solutions to complex issues.

Whether you need talent acquisi-

tion, training and development, or

outsourcing of Hr functions, the GKG

can provide the keys to unlock the

power of your workforce and improve

your profits and productivity. GKG is

a woman-owned and service-disabled

veteran-owned small business.

Why is gKg Vital to FAAmA members?GKG works collaboratively with our

partners to develop innovative and

flexible solutions for our clients and

to ensure effective and ongoing com-

munication with both our clients and

employees. We challenge ourselves

and our entire organization to provide

creative and value-added solutions.

We also provide our employees

with the tools and the resources

needed to ensure their responsiveness

to our clients. Plus, we constantly

review and assess our performance to

identify and leverage “lessons learned”

in order to apply them to future

projects.


www.goldenkeygroup.com, write to

[email protected], or call

703-815-0290 or 888-593-7454.

Golden Key Group 6728 Cedar Spring Road Centreville, VA 20121 www.goldenkeygroup.com | 888-593-7454

iHC FinAnCiAl gROuP, inC.IHC Financial Group leads the way in

providing valuable financial products

to specialized markets which include

employees of federal, state, and

municipal governments, members of

our United States Armed Forces, and

small businesses.

our workshop is ideal for federal

employees early in their career,

mid-career, or pre-retirement looking

at ways to maximize their federal

benefits and annuity. This workshop

provided instruction in a classroom

setting with a one-on-one federal

retirement and financial planning

session.

Specialties include: Federal

Employees retirement System (FErS),

Thrift Savings Plan, Civil Service

retirement Civil Service retirement

offset, Windfall Elimination Provision,

TSP In-Service Withdrawals, Civil

Service retirement System (CSrS),

Military Service Buy Back, Survivor

Benefit options, retirement Package

Completion, Federal Employees Group

Life Insurance, Disability Insurance

Coverage, and Federal Long Term Care

Insurance Program.

IHC Financial Group, Inc. 3508 Far West Boulevard, Suite 360 Austin, TX 78731 www.ihcfinancialgroup.com | 254-947-8317

THE miTRE CORPORATiOnThe MITrE Corporation (MITrE) is a

not-for-profit organization, chartered

to work in the public interest. MITrE

operates the Center for Advanced

Aviation System Development

(CAASD), a Federally Funded research

and Development Center (FFrDC),

for the United States (U.S.) Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA). MITrE/

CAASD is a world-class, independent,

not-for-profit research and develop-

ment center dedicated to improving the

capacity, safety, security and efficiency

of aviation worldwide.

MITrE has supported the FAA for

over 50 years and has been involved in

the research, development, operation

and modernization of every facet of

the U.S. national airspace system.

In addition, MITrE provides interna-

tional civil aviation authorities, air

navigation service providers, airport

operators, airlines, and other aviation

organizations with unbiased, objective

expertise in the areas of systems engi-

neering, aviation operations, strategic

planning, modeling and simulation,

safety and security, and information

systems integration.

MITrE/CAASD carries out highly

technical engineering and operational

analyses, system development, and



system specification activities to help

the FAA and our other sponsors plan,

develop, test, and field new capabilities

that help modernize air traffic man-

agement (ATM) systems and practices

to improve the safety, efficiency and

security of air travel.

MITrE/CAASD’s innovations have

been adopted in critical ATM programs

such as conflict probe and resolution,

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-

Broadcast (ADS-B), Global Positioning

System (GPS) modeling, and the Traffic

Alert and Collision Avoidance System

(TCAS).

recently, MITrE/CAASD has been

heavily involved in supporting the FAA

NextGen program. The NextGen imple-

mentation plan addresses the evolution

of the U.S. air transportation system in

the mid-term (2012 -2018) and in the

long-term (2018-2025) with significant

coordination between government,

industry and air transport carriers.

The plan is focusing on providing

integrated surveillance and network-

enabled operations.

Why is miTRE Vital to FAAmA members?MITrE/CAASD’s mission is to serve the

public interest by advancing the safety,

security, effectiveness, and efficiency

of aviation in the U.S. and around

the world by conducting a continuing

program of research, development,

and engineering collaboration with the

aviation community.

MITrE/CAASD understands the

complex challenges that our customers

face and we tailor creative solutions

to their most critical needs. These

solutions place an emphasis on quality,

integrity, and objectivity, and take a

long-term perspective focused on the

public interest, and seek ways to merge

operational, technical, and program

expertise.


http://mitrecaasd.org/ or http://mai.

mitrecaasd.org/.

The MITRE Corporation-Washington 7515 Colshire Drive McLean, VA 22102 www.mitre.org | 703-983-6000

mOSAiC ATm, inC.Mosaic ATM was proud to be an

exhibitor at the Gathering of Eagles

Convention held in Las Vegas.

Headquartered in Leesburg, VA,

Mosaic ATM develops engineering

solutions and products, from research

prototypes to operational systems,

to support our nation’s air transport

system. our focus is excellence in the

design and development of intelligent,

digital reasoning systems that drive

the predictive planning and decision

making within real-time, command

and control systems.

our products are employed in

NextGen air traffic control systems,

airline airport operations, and in

the navigation guidance systems for

Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles

(UAVs). our dedication is to maintain

our staff of industry-recognized

experts in air traffic management –

that is why “ATM” is in our name.

The FAA, NASA, and the airlines

use Mosaic ATM systems to make

better operational decisions and to

improve system performance:

}£ Surface Decision Support

System (SDSS) provides surface

information and tools for the FAA

and airline users by supporting

advanced procedures such as

Collaborative Departure Queue

Management (CDQM).

}£ Surface operations Data Analysis

and Adaptation (SoDAA) brings

automated airport and surface

intelligence to airlines and airport

authorities for use in improving the

pace of operational performance.

}£ Unmanned System Technologies

support autonomous operation

through mission planning,

computer vision, sensor fusion,

and piloting systems. These

technologies and our ATC/ATM

knowledge are supporting UAS

integration into the National

Airspace System (NAS).

our research in airspace design

and advanced trajectory managed

environments is being applied to

support future NextGen operational

improvements. our partnering with

Passur Aerospace provides an exten-

sion of our airport tolls to a broad

commercial base to support airport

departure metering, networked surface

management, and integrated traffic

management.

Why is mosaic ATm Vital to FAAmA members?Service is our primary product.

Mosaic ATM products and services are

responsive to customer needs from

research and operational analysis to

design, installation, and support. We

take pride in transitioning benefi-

cial technical improvements to the

operational environment, supplying

cutting edge research and design for

the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA), National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA), the armed

forces, and commercial users.

our technologies and system

expertise provides efficient planning

for airports and airspace and supports

future operating of autonomous

systems in the NAS. We are a team

of highly educated and experienced

aviation professionals and math and

software experts who are dedicated

to solving the critical issues and the

daily routines required to make opera-

tions sing.


www.mosaicatm.com or contact Bill Hall,

Managing Director of Commercial

Applications and Services, at 202-653-

2886, or Chris Wargo, Director Business

Development, at 443-994-6137.

Mosaic ATM, Inc. 801 Sycolin Rd., Ste. 306 Leesburg, VA 20175 www.mosaicatm.com | 800-405-8576

nARFEThe National Active and retired

Federal Employees Association

(NArFE) was founded in 1921 by 14 fed-

eral retirees who met in Washington,

DC, to form a group dedicated to

improving the status of retired federal

employees. Since then, NArFE has

worked tirelessly on behalf of federal

workers, retirees, their spouses and

survivors. An advocate for both active

and retired federal employees before



Congress and the White House, NArFE

has emerged as a significant force on

behalf of the entire federal family.

NArFE is the only association solely

dedicated to preserving and improving

the health care and retirement benefits

of federal workers and retirees. Today,

NArFE’s efforts are more important

than ever as Congress and the admin-

istration consider unprecedented cuts

in federal pay and benefits. NArFE ser-

vices to members include the following:

}£ Effective legislative representation

at the federal and state levels;

}£ A monthly magazine, focused on

federal benefits, finances and other

topics;

}£ Electronic alerts to legislation

affecting your income and health

care security;

}£ NArFE’s Legislative Action Center,

weekly Legislative Hotlines, and

a wide variety of information is

available only to members via our

website (www.narfe.org);

}£ Exclusive access to a set of easy-to-

use online financial planning tools

and e-seminars;

}£ Eligibility for college scholarships

for children and/or grandchildren;

}£ Discounts on hotels, cruises,

vacation tours, car rentals,

bankcards, and more.

NArFE’s expert staff of former U.S.

office of Personnel Management and

Social Security Administration profes-

sionals is available to advise members

regarding problems related to CSrS

and FErS annuities, TSP investments,

health benefits, Medicare, and Social

Security.

Why is nARFE Vital to FAAmA members?Your federal benefits, health insurance

and annuity are probably among your

most valuable assets. Currently, they

are under unprecedented attack.

Some lawmakers are calling for

drastic cuts. The congressional “super

committee,” charged with cutting

an additional $1.5 trillion from the

federal deficit, has our benefits on its

chopping block right now. Through our

“Protect America’s Heartbeat” (www.

protectamericasheartbeat.org) advocacy

and communications campaign, NArFE

is leading the fight in defending against

these attacks.


www.narfe.org or call 800-627-3394.

NARFE 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314 www.narfe.org | 703-838-7760

nATiOnAl buSinESS AViATiOn ASSOCiATiOnFounded in 1947 and based in Washington,

DC, NBAA is the leading organization

for companies that rely on general

aviation aircraft to help make their

businesses more efficient, productive,

and successful.

The Association represents more

than 8,000 companies and provides

more than 100 products and services

to the business aviation community.

NBAA’s mission is to foster an environ-

ment that allows business aviation to

thrive in the U.S. and around the world.

National Business Aviation Association

1200 18th Street NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20036

202-783-9000 | www.nbaa.org

PlAnTROniCS, inC. Powered by a 50-year obsession with

perfecting headsets and backed by a

worldwide network of services and

support, Plantronics audio devices

have earned a sound reputation for

mission-critical applications. Air traffic

control (ATC), Emergency/9-1-1, E9-1-1,

and Dispatch Centers for Police, Fire,

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)

and other vital first responder func-

tions rely on Plantronics for crisp, clear

communications every time.

Plantronics holds the exclusive

contract with the FAA for ATC

headsets. We also provide headsets and

audio devices for standard telecom-

munications, radio and console,

computer assisted communications

Unified Communications (UC)/

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

and learning applications, as well as

Emergency/9-1-1 Dispatch Centers and

other vital First responder functions.

The Plantronics Specials Group also

provides headsets for dozens of other

mission-critical applications: NASA,

DoD, the Armed Forces, and emergency

dispatch services to name just a few.

Why is Plantronics Vital to FAAmA members?Your conversations are mission critical

communications, so your headset

choice is just as vital. We design head-

sets for day-to-day wear in demanding

environments – our expertise is used

to ensure that every product we build

meets the highest standards of quality

and reliability.


plantronics.com/gov or call 800-544-4660,

option 5, ext 4063.Plantronics, Inc. 345 Encinal Street Santa Cruz, California 95060 www.plantronics.com/gov | 800-544-4660

SKY OnE FEdERAl CREdiT uniOnSkyone’s products, quality service,

and loyalty to our membership make

us unique. You work hard transport-

ing America safely through the skies.

We work hard to provide you financial

peace of mind.

What makes us stand out among

financial institutions? We have almost

63 years of serving the air transporta-

tion industry, and we understand the

specific financial needs of our mem-

bers. That’s why we exist. We embrace

the latest technological innovations

to offer the highest level of secure,

24/7 account access services available

today.

Why is SkyOne Vital to FAAmA members?Think of it as having the best of both

worlds – exceptional financial services

matched with the sense of community

and tradition that makes us unique.

That means you can rely on us to sup-

port all aspects of your financial world,

from personal checking to mortgages


skyone.org or call us at 800-421-7111.

SkyOne Federal Credit Union 14600 Aviation Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250-6656 www.skyone.org | 800-421-7111



SnOW FEdERAl SEminARS, inC.Get clear direction on your Federal

Employee Benefits from the premiere

educational organization providing

in-depth knowledge on the complex

maze of federal employee benefits. If

you are struggling to understand your

benefits, or are wondering how you can

plan for a secure retirement, we can help

you! Snow Federal Seminars specialize

in providing information on benefits

for Civil Service retirement System

(CSrS), CSrS offset, Federal Employees

retirement System (FErS), FErS

Transferees, and Air Traffic Controllers.

Why is Snow Federal Vital to FAAmA members?We are the premier educational organi-

zation providing in-depth knowledge on

the complex maze of federal employee

benefits. In the business of providing

quality educational training for 26 years,

we supply benefit training for new hires,

mid-career, and pre-retirement federal

employees, providing well qualified and

dynamic instructors. Plus, we can cus-

tomize the agendas to suit the specific

needs of your Agency.


snowseminars.com, call Snow Federal

Seminars at 1-800-696-3511, or contact

either Heather Clark at 303-587-0626 or

Selena Maruska at 303-596-2265.

Federal Seminars & ChFEBC, Inc. 399 Perry Street, Suite 320 Castle Rock, CO 80104 www.snowseminars.com | 800-696-3511

SunHillO CORPORATiOnSunhillo Corporation is the globally-

recognized leader in surveillance data

distribution systems and is a successful

small business prime contractor.

Currently celebrating a twentieth

anniversary, Sunhillo has designed,

developed, tested, and integrated

hundreds of surveillance data com-

munications systems throughout the

world. Many of the systems in use at

the sites today are built with Sunhillo

products, including the En route

Communications Gateway (ECG), the

AToP External Communications Server,

and the Standard Terminal Automation

replacement System (STArS) system, to

mention just a few.

We handle all lifecycle aspects for

these systems, from specification to

design and test, to site installation, as

well as technical refresh. Sunhillo is an

ISo 9001:200 certified small business

with headquarters located within 45

minutes of the William J. Hughes FAA

Technical Center (WJHTC). We also

have an ECG support staff located inside

the WJHTC to handle field support and

upgrades to the ECG.

Sunhillo’s product line includes; the

Longport (Surveillance Data Distribution

Platform) used in the Standard Terminal

Automation replacement System

(STArS), ATCBI6 systems, rICI (real

time Interface Conversion Item), and the

SGP (Surveillance Gateway Processor)

used across the FAA including the FAA

National Defense Program as well as

the Automatic Dependent Surveillance

– Broadcast (ADS-B) program. Sunhillo

also supplies Simulation and Test

Tools including the SGAT (Surveillance

Generator and Analysis Tool), the

Track Generator, and the Surveillance

Monitoring System. The company pro-

vides rack integration and testing and

all En route Automation Modernization

(ErAM) racks were built by Sunhillo.

Why is Sunhillo Vital to FAAmA members?Sunhillo designs, engineers, fields, and

sustains the most advanced mission-

critical data and air traffic surveillance

systems and networks in the world

today, and is proud to be your partner in

FAA NextGen initiatives. Most notably,

Sunhillo is now deploying the FAA’s

ADS-B system Service Delivery Points

(SDPs) across the U.S. as well as making

ongoing deliveries of our Longport prod-

uct for STArS system deployments.


www.sunhillo.com, write to us at

[email protected], or call 856-767-7676.

Sunhillo Corporation 444 Kelley Drive West Berlin, New Jersey 08091 www.sunhillo.com | 856-767-7676

THAlES ATmThales ATM is deploying sustain-

able NextGen solutions addressing

the needs of stakeholders in these

areas: air traffic automation, avionics,

data communication, navigation,

surveillance, and simulation.

Thales ATM provides navigational

aids – Instrument Landing System (ILS),

Distance Measuring Equipment (DME),

Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN),

and Doppler very high frequency (VHF)

omnidirectional range (DVor); surveil-

lance solutions including Automatic

Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast

(ADS-B), Multilateration, and Low-Cost

Ground Surveillance; tower, terminal, en

route, and oceanic automation solutions;

simulation; and engineering services.

Why is Thales ATm Vital to FAAmA members?Thales ATM has been providing

navigation solutions in the National

Airspace System (NAS) for more than

60 years. The company provides 99

percent of the ILS systems in the US,

ADS-B ground stations, and multi-

sensor tracking for Traffic Information

Services-Broadcast (TIS-B) services to

Information Technology Tools (ITT) for

the Surveillance and Broadcast Services

(SBS) program and is providing an air/

ground data server to the FAA’s Data

Communications program office to

validate avionics that will be used for

data communications services.


www.thalesgroup.com or write to

[email protected].

Thales ATM, Inc. 23501 West 84th Street Shawnee, KS 66227 www.thalesgroup.com | 913-422-2600

WAEPAWorldwide Assurance for Employees

of Public Agencies (WAEPA) enables

federal employees, and their families,

to purchase better life insurance at far

better prices. As a superior alternative,

or supplement to Federal Employees

Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), WAEPA

gives its members more coverage, more

benefits, and greater flexibility, yet costs

much less. WAEPA insurance not only

saves money, but also actually provides

better insurance at the same time.


www.waepa.org.

WAEPA 433 Park Avenue Falls Church, VA 22046 www.waepa.org | 800-368-3484

A s a federal agency representative

performing in the most professional

manner at all times, a manager evaluat-

ing EEo related matters has an obligation to

maintain awareness of current EEo policies and

protocols to ensure successful implementation.

To facilitate the application of critical regulations

relevant to EEo complaints, it is beneficial when

participating managers possess the capacity to

recognize, empathize, and adhere to all require-

ments that govern the complaint process.

And This story goes…Viewpoints, opinions, and stories emanate from

the life experiences of both management and

non-management employees. In your role as a

manager you must be able to listen attentively

without being judgmental. Even if incidents

first appear to be minor or insignificant, it

remains important to take the time to listen

carefully to all participating parties.

Since individuals feel affected by circum-

stances that they believe warrant continued

attention, meaningful time allotted to researching

issues at the earliest stages of the EEo Complaint

process can result in effective outcomes.

Addressing these issues early can minimize the

escalation of bigger or lingering problems.

Managers should address and correct any

and all unlawful discrimination and inap-

propriate conduct concerns swiftly. Meticulous

responses to employee disputes can reinforce

your managerial credibility and demonstrate

your commitment to organizational excellence.

Managers must execute sound decisions that

do not jeopardize the position of the Agency.

empathy – not sympathyDuring your inquiry, you will empathize with

individuals, but be careful not to sympathize.

Always maintain an emotional balance. Exemplify

a posture and tone of impartiality and veracity.

Do not insert personal presuppositions into a

scenario. In other words, avoid being victimized

by your own emotions.

it is Their storyAlways remember, it is their story. A common

phrase heard in the EEo arena is that a person’s

perception is their reality. You may actually be

faced with a misperception. This mispercep-

tion can evolve from a failure to communicate.

Miscommunication or misperception yields the

same negative results. Which is worse? It does

not really matter, because when it comes to EEo

they can all lead you to similar disappointment.

In contrast, clear, honest, timely and open

communications can inspire employees and

managers to exchange ideas, solve problems,

and confront conflict effectively. Managers

must make a firm commitment to exercise this

fundamental approach to communication and

make it part of the Agency’s culture.

Actively listen to provide mitigation points

and foster a culture of trust. Ultimately, as a

supervisor, lead by example. Model the behav-

iors that reflect the characteristics of an ideal

workplace that is free from discrimination,

cynthia marzette

Air Traffic organization

(ATo), William J. Hughes

Technical Center

When it comes to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints there are always two sides to every story. In most situations, there are several perspectives surrounding case issues. Vital to the existence of a Model EEO workplace is the capacity of management officials to objectively analyze and accurately interpret all information as it is presented.


story? What 's Your

The Dichotomy of an Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint


harassment, and confusion. A positive work

environment can increase sound employee

communications, productivity, and morale;

consequently, promoting the accomplishment

of the mission of the Agency.

Adhere to the complaint process: seek AdviceThe fulfillment of the Agency’s initiatives to

promote a Model EEo climate is strongly sup-

ported by management’s awareness and adher-

ence to EEo rules and regulations governing the

complaint process. If you have questions about

compliance with EEo laws or merit principles,

the Agency has several resources available

upon request.

You are not expected to function as if you

are isolated on an island. Take full advantage

of your resources! Seek advice from and coor-

dinate with the subject matter experts within

the offices of Civil rights, Human resource

Management, and Chief Counsel. Their knowl-

edge very often proves to be invaluable.

Additionally, requisite training can mini-

mize the propensity for complaints. It is very

important that you, as leader, and your employ-

ees receive all agency required EEo familiar-

ization training. Knowing the parameters of

actions that are considered appropriate and

inappropriate lend itself towards prevention.

Office of Civil Rights eeo Training instituteEach line of business can fully utilize the train-

ing resources made available through the office

of Civil rights EEo Training Institute. This

Institute offers sixteen instructor-led courses

and two eLearning Management System based

training courses. Teams armed with informa-

tion possess the preparedness to effectively

dialogue about the varied levels of organiza-

tional concerns.

recognize the value in teamwork. Create

the optimum “we” organization. Foster an envi-

ronment of inclusion to eliminate the “them”

vs. “us” mentality. As appropriate and permis-

sible, include employees in key decision-making

actions. Especially significant are the projects

where their choices pertain directly to them.

Sound management and solid teaming can

influence the dynamics of any workplace for

the better. This change enables the Agency to

be benefactors of committed, loyal, productive,

and content employees. It is known that a satis-

fied employee rarely files a complaint against

management.

embrace differences Finally, embrace differences. It is incumbent

upon all managers to recognize that diversity

is an important asset that strengthens and

enables the FAA and all government agencies

to meet unforeseen challenges. Diversity can

contribute to the Agency’s problem-solving,

decision-making, and overall effectiveness.

It champions a variety of viewpoints, skills,

experiences, knowledge, and capabilities when

incorporated to the fullest. It factors in essen-

tial significance when FAA managers have the

insight to include these principles in efforts and

decisions to uphold the mission of the Agency.

As an FAA leader, make certain that your

story displays the best that you have to offer

demonstrating professional prowess and

integrity. Ensure that it is one that reflects a

discrimination-free work environment where

all employees’ talents are utilized without

regard to race, color, religion, national origin,

age, sex, sexual orientation, reprisal, disability,

or genetic information. Always strive to have

your story manifest work well done. £

darla gerlach selected for fAA Leadership and career development partnership TaskThe FAA Leadership and Career Development (LCD) Partnership is a coalition of the presidents of FAA employee associations, the national chairs of the FAA Managers’ Association, the Supervisors’ Committee (SupComm), and the managers of special emphasis employment programs. They work with the ATo Employee Development Group to ensure that FAA talent management programs are focused on developing a diverse, inclusive, and high performing workforce.

Darla Gerlach, FAAMA Alaskan regional Director, has been selected by LCD to participate in the review team for Personality and Leadership Style Inventories. She is one of a group of five reviewing assessment tools for potential use in FAA talent management programs that include employee development, career planning, succession planning, performance management, and selection.



W hen a federal employee is ready to

retire from their career, sometimes

the hardest and most difficult part

is making sure your retirement application and

associated paperwork is properly completed and

submitted. It is very common to have retirement

benefits delayed due to missing, inaccurate,

and/or inconsistent information.

There are two primary sets of forms that

will comprise your retirement package. The

first set is the employee forms, to be com-

pleted by the employee; and the second set is

the employer’s forms to be completed by the

human resources department of an employee’s

federal agency.

read on to help yourself prepare and submit

a completed, healthy retirement package so

that you can ensure a smooth process with

little to no delay in receiving the benefits that

you worked so hard to achieve.

employee formsThe first and most important form for you, as

the retiree, is your Federal Retirement Application.

For Civil Service retirement System (CSrS)

employees, the form to use is the SF-2801; and

Federal Employees retirement System (FErS)

employees use the SF-3107. Both of these forms

must be submitted as an original copy that has

been signed and dated in ink directly by the

employee. You must make sure ALL questions

are answered, boxes are checked, and that all

areas requiring your initials are completed.

Even one missed check box or set of initials can

delay your benefits.

In Section F of SF-2801 and Section D of

SF-3107, remember to elect one of the survivor ben-

efit options, whether you are married or not. Also,

the court order question under section E of SF-2801

and Section C of SF-3107 must be answered.

If you are married and select anything less

than a full survivor annuity, you must submit the

Spousal Consent Form (SF-2801-2 for CSrS and

SF-3107-2 for FErS). This form must match your

elections on your Federal Retirement Application

and must be signed directly in ink and dated by

your spouse. It then is required to be notarized

by a notary public (and note that the dates of the

signatures on the application and the consent

form must match one another).

employer’s formsTwo of a federal employee’s

most important retirement

benefits are the Federal

Employees' Group Life

Insurance Program

(FEGLI) and Federal

Employee Health

Benefits (FEHB) coverage.

As a federal employee,

the ability to carry these

benefits into retirement

is a significant advantage

compared to most privately

employed individuals. However,

there are stipulations you must meet

to ensure you keep your FEGLI and

FEHB benefits.

The first requirement is that you

must be enrolled in both programs for

five consecutive years prior to retire-

ment. If you are retiring with less

than five years of service, it is

possible you may still receive

these benefits if you enrolled

in FEGLI and FEHB at your

first eligibility period and

maintained that coverage

throughout eligibility.


Money Talks Avoid delays with Your Retirement BenefitsHow to prepare a complete and “healthy” retirement applicationglenn Livingston and michael Livingston | Livingston Federal Employee retirement Planning

registered representatives of invesT financial

corporation (inves T), member financial industry

regulatory Authority (finrA)/securities investor

protection corporation (SIPC). INVEST and its affili-ated insurance agencies offer securities, advisory services, and certain insurance prod-

ucts. INVEST is not affiliated with Livingston financial group, Livingston federal or any government agency. invesT does not provide

legal or tax advice. This infor-mation is general in nature

and should not be construed as tax or legal advice. please

consult your tax and/or legal adviser for guidance on your

particular situation.

The information in this report has been obtained from sources considered

to be reliable but we do not guarantee that the foregoing

material is accurate or complete. please consult

your financial Advisor for further information. This

article is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security,

and may not be reproduced or made available to other

persons without the express consent of invesT financial corporation. #96725-081013


Documentation of your status and eligibil-

ity for both FEGLI and FEHB must be included

in your retirement package, however, note that

these forms will be submitted by your retiring

agency to the office of Personnel Management

(oPM). While oPM would like documentation

of coverage for your entire career, they require

proof of coverage for the immediate five years

leading up to your retirement.

For FEGLI, proof of coverage can be submit-

ted in one of three ways. The first option is to

use either form SF-2817 or SF-176; the second

is to submit your SF-50’s showing any FEGLI

changes in the five years preceding retire-

ment; or third, the retiring employee’s agency

can submit payroll records showing your five

years of coverage and any changes. Also, the

employee’s agency needs to submit SF-2821 if

he or she had FEGLI.

If you want to continue your FEGLI coverage

into retirement, you need to submit Form

SF-2818, Continuation of Life Insurance Coverage.

This form was updated in February 2012. You

can download this form and others at www.opm.

gov/forms. You must sign and date the form in

Item 14. You must also check the appropriate

boxes to make your elections for any reductions

of Basic coverage (sections 7-8), Standard Optional

coverage (option A, section 9), Additional Optional

coverage (option B, sections 10-11) and Family

Optional coverage (option C, sections 12-13).

For acceptable proof of FEHB coverage, use

form SF-2809 or other applicable enrollment

forms; history reports from online enrollments

that show all the old plan, new plan and effec-

tive dates for each change; or you can provide

evidence of coverage as a family member under

another family member’s FEHB enrollment.

Acceptable proof of coverage under SF-2809

includes a signed letter from the carrier, a

signed memorandum from the agency detailing

the continuous coverage of the employee to

prove the five-year requirement or evidence

of the Department of Defense Health Care

Program known as TrICArE (formerly known

as The Civilian Health and Medical Program

of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)) enroll-

ment. If you are eligible for a waiver because of

a Voluntary Early retirement Authority (VErA),

the certification of eligibility for the waiver

must also be submitted.

Also, whenever you separate from your fed-

eral agency, whether retiring or just changing

offices or agencies, forms SF-2806 and SF-3100

must be filed with oPM on your behalf. When

you do retire, your agency will send your final

SF-2806/SF-3100 to oPM with your retirement

package.

Understand that oPM must have all of these

forms on file to finalize your retirement. You

should follow up to make sure your service

history is complete, additional pay status is

indicated for any year applicable, part-time

tours of duty and/or intermittent and When

Actual Employed (WAE) time is accurate, any

leave without pay is documented, and any

unused sick leave is posted.

military serviceFinally, if you have military service, all periods

of credible service must be documented with

form DD214. If oPM does not have this form,

they will accept a document signed by an official

verifying the service, a certificate of military

service, a copy of orders, or military academy

certification. If you are waiving your military

service credit, then a copy of the military retired

pay waiver request must be included.

By making sure these forms are filled in

completely and accurately, unnecessary delays

can be avoided in oPM's processing your pack-

age, and many of the frustrations that can be

associated with the leap into retirement will be

eliminated.

This article is adapted from Edward A

Zumdorfer’s, “How to Submit a Healthy Federal

retirement Application Package,” posted August

24, 2012 at: http://www.myfederalretirement.com/

public/1070.cfm.

To reach Michael Livingston or Glenn

Livingston, call 800.752.8992 or visit

www.LivingstonFederal.com. £

By making sure these forms are filled in completely and accurately, you can avoid any unnecessary delays in OPM processing your package...


A major issue I often come across in my consulting work is that many employees feel powerless at work because they

don’t have the authority of a supervisor or manager. My response to these individuals is that they have more power than they think, as well as the capacity to lead – in some cases better than many managers. They just may not realize it.

Leadership, by most definitions, is less about where you sit, but more about your ability to make a positive difference through the relation-ships you have. In short, leaders can come from anywhere in the organization. They are impactful not because of their title or position, but because of who they are, the example they set, and the people who (listen to and) believe in what they have to say.

So what are the differentiating factors that make one a leader, regardless of level or title? They boil down to four:

1. The ability to influence others; 2. The capacity to think innovatively and

creatively; 3. The mindset of accountability (versus

being a victim); and 4. The willingness to ask for and offer sup-

port, when needed.

Influencing Others iT’s AbouT reLATionships

At its core, leadership is the ability to positively influence the thinking, beliefs, and behaviors of others. No small task here. Many people don’t realize that we are able to influence others, regardless of where we sit in the organization. We may just not be aware of how to do it.

our major sources of influence come from the strength of our relationships, our expertise and willingness to share information, our trustworthi-ness, our style of communications, and our ability to maintain perspective. once tapped, we can channel our sources of influence so that we can help ourselves (and others) achieve the outcomes we desire. Let’s explore each briefly.

Strong RelationshipsThere is probably no greater lever to influence others than developing and maintaining strong and trusting relationships. These are not casual or self-serving relationships but relationships having depth and meaning in the workplace. Understanding that they take time to develop, once formed, these relationships can serve as the foundation to exert your own innate leadership.

Expertise and information SharingEffective communications is comprised of four major components:

1. Listening and sharing information: Listen attentively and take time between what you’re hearing and formulating your response. Share what you know as soon as you can, but only if you think a colleague could benefit from the information.

The Art of Getting Resultsrick seikaly | President, EnVisions Consulting

from Where You sitLeading T H E A D V O C A T E F O R A V I A T I O N L E A D E R S


2. Knowing the communication style of others and how they like to receive information: People are different and one style of communication will not work for everyone. Ask yourself these questions:

}£ How much information do people need from you?

}£ Do they want to delve into the details and get in the weeds?

}£ Do they just need to know the big picture?

}£ Do they want only summary points?

}£ What is their attention span?

}£ What is the method they like to receive the information (face-to-face conversation, phone, memo, email or texting, etc.)?

Knowing this can help you be seen as credible and effective in how you present yourself. Successfully influencing others is determined in how well you present yourself.

3. Be mindful of the timing of your com-munication: It's important to know how to time the delivery of critical communica-tion. Most people don’t like to be surprised by information they wish had been shared with them earlier. But if they are busy or focused on other projects, your message may be lost and communication won’t be received as well as it could have been.

4. Be Concise and On-Point: Communication is subtle and personality styles are impor-tant. Some like to start with casual conver-sation and then ease into work issues. Some want you to get right to the point. That’s why it’s important to know the needs and styles of others. However, when people are under pressure to get things done, err on the side of being concise and to the point. It may be the difference between being sought out because they know you value their time or being avoided.

maintaining PerspectiveWhen facing resistance to your ideas, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t personalize resistance. While we all want to have our ideas accepted and embraced, it just doesn’t happen all the time. People question. People challenge. People resist. It’s the nature of organizations.

do You… remember

Know what your different sources of influence are?

Maintain strong relationships, demonstrate expertise and share information, be trustworthy, communicate effectively at all levels in the organization, and maintain perspective.

Know how to manage the resistance of others?

Stay centered, give up being right, and focus on issues rather than egos.

Know what pushes your buttons? Know what pushes others’ buttons?

Stay engaged with the other person in order to understand what more they need to buy into your idea. Test your assumptions and make your thought process transparent. Invite the other person to do the same.

Actively seek alternative ways to solve challenges at work?

Be open to new ideas and ask good questions.

Ask good questions (of yourself and others)?

Consider questions that take you and others to a different level of thinking about a situation, enable a better view of the issue, focus on possibilities not limitations, and test assumptions and interpretations

Get caught up in victim behavior? Know others who get caught up in victim behavior?

Ask yourself (and others) “what more can I/you/we do to move this forward, to get results, to make it happen?

Want to be, or help others be, more self-empowered?

True accountability is an attitude that comes from within. If you want to accomplish a result against some odds, there is always something more you can do.

Recognize when you need support and how to ask for it?

Understand what type of support you need (e.g., task related, specific feedback, coaching, etc.)

Be authentic and open to asking for help

Use specific language and tailor your request to the individual from whom you need support

Recognize when others need support and how to offer it?

offer only what you can deliver

Be patient and non-judgmental

Check back and follow through

30 MANAGING THE SKIES | WWW.FAAMA.orG Professional Profile

The key is in main-taining a calm perspec-tive and responding in ways that keep the relationship intact. once your ego and emotions take over, the opportunity to truly

understand why someone doesn’t accept your suggestion or idea is lost. Listen to the concerns of others and work with them. It’s exactly the information you need in order to influence their thinking and behavior.

The relationship is always key – without which there’s little chance you can influence. Another important point is to remember never escalating to someone’s boss at the first sign of resistance. At best, you’ll get grudging compli-ance. At worst, the trust will be damaged and hard to rebuild.

Thinking innovatively and creatively iT’s in The quesTions We Ask

Leadership, at any level in the organization, is also about getting things done, showing results, and making things happen. This means being open to new ideas and ways of doing things. When you, or someone you work with, is stuck on an issue, try looking at the problem from a different angle. Be creative in finding alternate ways of approaching the challenge. Seek new

ways of thinking. Examine how oth-ers have handled similar problems.

A good way to break through an issue or challenge is to ask good questions. In his book, Leading With Questions (Jossey-Bass, 2005), Michael Marquardt suggests that good leaders ask ques-tions that encour-age collaboration, promote new thinking to solve

problems, and strengthen relationships. The idea is that well-paced questions take us out of the immediate issue and into a mode of higher-level thinking so we can look at issues differently and from other perspectives.

being AccountableiT’s AbouT mAking iT hAppen

Accountability is the opposite of being a victim. If you hear people saying, “I can’t” or “it’s manage-ment’s fault” or “let’s wait…this will pass,” you can bet that a victim mentality has taken hold.

What is it you can do right now, without permission from anyone, to move the forward? When the question is carefully considered, people realize that they can always step up and do more.

Becoming empowered is not always easy. We often have a tendency to join in when we hear others complain. By doing this, we reinforce negative attitudes. rather than perpetuate the situation by joining in or saying nothing, suggest that there’s always something positive that can be done about the situation.

This is how you can help yourself and oth-ers become accountable for outcomes. Breaking through the wall of victim behavior and moving toward accountability casts a positive impression that further enhances your ability to influence others.

Asking for and offering support coLLAborATion

Asking for and offering support is a demon-stration of collaborative leadership. At times, individuals might be reluctant to ask for support from peers or managers. The reluctance will potentially diminish opportunities to strengthen the very relationships needed to enhance perfor-mance and achieve results.

To effectively get the help of others, be clear and specific on what is being asked. The ability to be specific will allow the ultimate form of collaboration and support.

In summary, the ability to influence through relationships, think innovatively through the questions we ask, demonstrate accountability to make things happen, and seek and provide support to enhance collaboration are the hallmarks of any good leader. It doesn’t matter where you sit. £

About The Author Rick Seikaly, President and Owner of EnVisions Consulting, is a leadership coach, organiza-tional development consultant and group facilitator with over 27 years of experience in leading groups to higher levels of performance. He has worked with the FAA, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Veteran Affairs, and Commerce (the Census Bureau), Dow Chemical, Saudi Aramco, Royal Dutch Shell, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Washington Post, and Freddie Mac. Rick lives in suburban Washington, DC and can be reached at [email protected] or through his website www.envisionsconsulting.com.

A good way to break through an issue or

challenge is to ask good questions.


ScudderSpotlight on an Aviation Leader

Professional Profile

becky scudder

b ecky grew up in Minnesota, graduated from Edina High School in 1984, and went to the University of Wisconsin at

Madison, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and History. Her first job after graduation was at a small government agency in St. Paul, MN, as a public information spe-cialist, writing news releases, annual reports, and newsletters.

In 1992, she made a major career change and enrolled in the Minnesota Air Traffic Control Training Center (MARC) School to learn to become an air traffic controller. At that time, the MARC school was a pilot pro-gram between the state of Minnesota and the FAA. It has since been a model for all kinds of Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) programs across the country.

In 1993, Becky landed at Kansas City ARTCC (ZKC) as a brand-new developmental. Three years later, she became full-performance level (FPL). During her time at ZKC, Becky was part of the local User Request and Evaluation Tool (URET) cadre and later became part of the National URET Training Cadre. As part of the national cadre, she traveled to different en route facilities to train local cadres on the in’s and out’s of URET.

While at ZKC, she also served on the National Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA) Executive Board and was the NATCA representative for training. She had a short stay in ZKC’s Traffic Management Unit before relocating to ZDV.

In 2007, Becky moved to ZDV and took on the role of frontline manager (FLM). As an FLM, Becky was involved with the Leading From Where You Are and the Leading Edge Programs. She was part of the cadre that traveled throughout the Western Service Area to train other FLMs on the programs. At ZDV, she served as the training FLM and quality control (QC) representative for her area.

Since January 2012, Becky has been an Operations Manager at ZDV, working closely with Technical Operations to streamline the

outage reporting process. She has enjoyed the opportunity to look forward and work on more of the big picture, while keeping the operation at the center of decision-making.

“I joined FAAMA because I hear the training offered is some of the best out there and a lot of people I respect are involved, so I thought I'd check it out,” Becky responded when asked what motivated her to join.

“The FAA has been a great place to learn and grow in a variety of positions. People are so willing to help along the way. I’ve had people both in NATCA and management who helped steer my path and gave me opportuni-ties to try new things. As a manager, I take great delight in helping other people get where they want to go, whether it’s through formal mentoring or casual encouragement. No doubt with an organization of our size we have challenges, but I’d rather be thinking and dreaming about how to meet those challenges than stuck in a rut of always doing things the same way,” Becky said.

“Moving forward, I’d like to be part of an organization that values every person who is part of it, whether they separate the planes, maintain the equipment, dream about new systems, clean the bathrooms, crunch the numbers, protect us or our 1,000 passwords, or lead us forward. We have a very high calling in the FAA, and I think we need to remember that and celebrate our having a huge influence on our nation’s well-being. In my part of the world, I want us to do better today than we did yesterday. I want us to be evaluating why we do what we do and make good decisions about the future. I want us to be system thinkers and value the contribution each area, facility, and person brings to the NAS,” stated Becky.

Outside the FAA, Becky enjoys spend-ing time in Rocky Mountain National Park and at Winter Park. She is an avid hiker and skier, is very active in her church, and can most certainly be found hanging out with her twelve-pound dog, Spike. £

» interested in more information?

Alex Appelhans is the President of Chapter 376, Denver Hub Chapter, and the Northwest Mountain Regional Director is Lori Scharf.

For more information on joining one of the local chapters in this area, please contact Lori Scharf ([email protected]). To request other membership information, please write to: [email protected].

Operations Manager, Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) (ZDV),FAAmA denver Hub Chapter 376


fAAmA is a company, not an Agency group. FAAMA is not an internal Agency organization. We raise our own funds, follow our own path,

are free to lobby Congress, and are free to create alliances with like-minded organizations within and outside of government.

We actively and successfully lobby congress. FAAMA has an active Legislative Committee that represents FAAMA issues to

members of Congress who can support our causes. The force of FAAMA advocacy was demonstrated in December 2009 with the successful passing of comprehensive federal workforce legislation. With the addition of an Executive Director in 2011, we are expanding FAAMA’s voice and reach in our nation’s capitol.

fAAmA collaborates with our Agency. With the formal signing of a Consultative Relationship between the Association and the FAA in

December, 2011, FAAMA achieved a new level of collaboration with the Agency. FAAMA members have an opportunity to participate in Agency workgroups or serve in leadership roles where they can influence a positive outcome that benefit the aviation community.

fAAmA supplies superb information. There is a great deal of information available relevant to what we do, who we are, and what is happening within the aviation

industry. FAAMA provides current information through the award-winning Managing the Skies magazine, the dynamic Association website, and through the efforts of Association leadership. If members have questions, FAAMA can find the answers!

networking opportunities are unsurpassed. Local FAAMA Chapters provide networking opportu-nities that otherwise may be missed. FAAMA-sponsored events such as

Chapter Leadership Training and the annual Gathering of Eagles convention offer a wealth of networking opportunities both in local areas and in Washington, D.C.

These five reasons for joining FAAMA

build a strong case for why being a member

is a positive and beneficial experience

for professionals in all FAA lines of business.

Spread the word about the benefits of

FAAMA membership to your FAA friends

and colleagues so that they may have a clearer picture of

what it means to be a member.

12

3

4

5

Top5reasons for Joining fAA managers Association (FAAMA)

The AdvocATe for AviATion LeAderswww.FAAMA.org

leading the icons of aviation safety the icons of aviation safety. ... vacant director of...

Documents