2021 Recipients of the Tim Haines Memorial Award of Honor and Distinction

Doss began his FAA career at Indianapolis Center (ZID) in 2008 and has spent the last 10 years at Jacksonville Center (ZJX).

Doss has served on the Information Technology Committee since October 2015 and took over as chair of the committee earlier this year. He has been part of the committee that has worked for several years on a replacement system for the Unionware membership database. The new system is called MyNATCA. It is a tremendous undertaking and very complex. But Doss’s expertise and work ethic has brought this system to the brink of full use.

Under his leadership, NATCA recently achieved a successful benchmark with the launch of a single sign-on system where members register on MyNATCA and then have access to that, the members side of the website, and the NATCA store.

Doss also led NATCA’s efforts to migrate NATCA reps and National Office staff to Microsoft Teams, just in time to facilitate the use of virtual meetings during the pandemic. This has been critical to NATCA’s efforts to keep the Union’s business running smoothly throughout the last two years. He has also worked on web schedules and CRU-art, adding to his vast NATCA technological resume.

“That was surprising and unexpected,” Doss said of the award. “Thank you to all of my fellow brothers and sisters for what you do for NATCA and our profession. It’s not a one-man band. We do what we do because that’s what union brothers and sisters do.”

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Navarro began her FAA career in 2007 and has spent her entire time at Seattle ATCT (SEA). She served as secretary/treasurer there for two years and then was FacRep for six years.

She has been a member of the Onboarding Committee since 2016 and a member of the Historical Committee since 2019. She also serves as a mentor on the Reloaded Committee and is presently the Western Service Area Safety representative.

“Thank you to the NEB for this,” Navarro said. “I want to give a word of encouragement: Find that thing that makes you go and run with it. There is a lot to do. We need a lot of you to do it. Find that thing and come join us.”

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Daniels, who took office Sept. 1 as Southwest Regional Vice President (RVP), started his NATCA activism as a Fort Worth Center (ZFW) area representative and then served as ZFW secretary and vice president. In September 2015, he became the FacRep.

He was Southwest Region alternate RVP from September 2018 through August of this year before taking office as Southwest RVP. He has served on the Training Committee since 2017 and has been a NATCA Academy Instructor since January 2018 as well as an instructor for Article 24 and 32 annual training classes.

Daniels participated on several national initiatives, including the development of COVID schedules, COVID scheduling practices, return to work protocols, implementation of the Agency’s GM structure, and the National Training Initiative.  

“Thank you, truly, for this honor,” Daniels said. “It’s been an absolute privilege to serve alongside (current executive vice president and former Southwest RVP) Andrew (LeBovidge) and now be in this role. Zero of this is about me. I would not be successful without each of you who I have worked with. Understand – it takes every single one of us. That is who we are and that is what we are about.”

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Haltom served as Las Vegas ATCT (LAS) secretary before becoming FacRep in January 2012. He served in that position until September 2019.

He has served on the Training Committee since 2017 and was a member of the Slate Book 2016 contract team. He also has been a NATCA Academy Instructor since January 2018 and was a Western Pacific Region alternate regional vice president from September 2018 to September 2019.

Haltom is one of the original members of the Union Synergy Committee, is a NATCA member on the FAA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and has worked as an instructor for Article 24 and 32 annual training classes.

He has participated on several national initiatives, including development of the COVID scheduling practices, return to work protocols, implementation of the Agency’s GM structure, and the National Training Initiative.  

Haltom is currently the National Training Representative and has served in that role since October 2019.

“Thanks to everyone,” Haltom said. “I’m very happy to receive this. Everything that we do, we do on behalf of the Union and I try to pay forward knowledge I have received. Pass along whatever you have.”

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Marinas began her career in 2005 and has spent all of it at Los Angeles Center (ZLA). Keeping members safe is of paramount concern to her. That’s what got her interested in serving on the OSHA Committee in 2012. She became chair of that committee in 2019.

The OSHA Committee has been extremely important during this pandemic. Marinas was part of the team that worked with the Agency’s Aerospace Medicine office and helped ensure that CDC guidance was followed. COVID cleaning protocols were also something the OSHA Committee had a direct role with, ensuring compliance.

Marinas has also served on the Air Safety Investigations (ASI) Committee for the past 10 years and is currently the ASI chair. She is also a member of the Safety Committee and the Union Synergy Committee.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to get to do what I do every day,” Marinas said. “This is an extra special honor. Thank you for this.”

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Flanary began his career in 2011 and has worked at Miami Center (ZMA) that entire time. He served as FacRep for the last two years. He recently stepped down as FacRep in order to assume the position of national lead for collaboration.

He conceived the idea of creating the Disaster Response Committee (DRC), serving as its first chair. The DRC has assisted many NATCA members and their families around the country who have been affected by all types of natural disasters, including devastating hurricanes the past five years. The DRC works with money raised for the disaster relief fund to provide needed supplies. Even before some events happen, they have mapped out the areas where members live so they can be prepared to assist them if needed.

Flanary was also instrumental in the collaborative success at ZMA for the level 3 cleaning process during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to lay the foundation for what became established protocol around the country to prevent the full closure of large facilities during busy traffic periods.

“I really appreciate it. I do all of this for my team. You are amazing,” Flanary said. “The DRC – the whole team – is absolutely fantastic. Miami Center supported me from Day 1.”

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Katz started his FAA career in 2002 and has spent the past 12 years at Phoenix TRACON (P50). He served as FacRep from May 2012 to February 2015.

He has served on the National Safety Committee since 2018, the National Training Committee since 2017, and the National Benefits Committee since 2013. He was also the Western Pacific Region’s Collaboration Facilitator from March 2015 to December 2018 and the National Human Performance representative since Dec 2018.

Katz was not in attendance to receive his award.

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McCray began his FAA career 19 years ago at Denver Center (ZDV) and has spent the past 11 years at Washington Center (ZDC). He served as local treasurer.

He was a National Legislative Committee member from April 2007 through December 2010. He was awarded the Trish Gilbert Legislative Activism Award in 2011 for his work on midterm elections and other grassroots legislative success which greatly benefitted NATCA’s legislative efforts.

McCray was also a member of the Miami Center (ZMA) and Houston Center (ZHU) validation teams and has been a National Validation Team member since October 2011.

McCray was not in attendance to receive his award.

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Johnson has spent her entire 16-year FAA career at Atlanta Center (ZTL). She has served as chair of the Reloaded Committee for the past eight years. The Reloaded Committee shapes NATCA’s future by inspiring unionism and provides opportunities for involvement through education. The committee also works to develop future leaders.

During the pandemic, Johnson led the Reloaded Committee’s efforts to adjust its training classes from in-person to remote with the creation of a virtual learning program. This included classes on building a stronger local, how to have a difficult conversation, and building lasting relationships. Through her efforts, NATCA has created an environment where members take ownership of the Union’s future.

On the safety side, Johnson has been involved with ATSAP since 2014. She has also been an instrumental part of NATCA’s annual Communicating For Safety (CFS) events, both behind the scenes with her outstanding organizational skills, and also out front on stage in recent years as one of our event hosts and emcees. With Johnson involved, CFS has grown into one of the world’s largest and most important aviation safety conferences.

“My heart became NATCA during the White Book and, like Sam Navarro, I found my niche and what was important to me and it was this Union,” Johnson said. “I became active in every single way that I could and invited others to do things they never thought they could. Thank you for this.”

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Virk has served as NATCA’s comptroller at the National Office in Washington, D.C., since July 9, 2018.

He joined the National Office staff as senior staff accountant in January 2009 and was promoted to deputy comptroller in July 2011. He has been an invaluable part of the Accounting Department over the past 12 years, and he has been integral in many of the major changes implemented during that period including the transition to electronic vouchering.

Since becoming comptroller, he has continued the excellent professional leadership that has been a hallmark of the NATCA National Office Accounting Department. Virk is steady, strong, reliable, and responsible.

Virk was not in attendance to receive his award.

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Vitale, a member of NATCA’s National Office staff in Washington, D.C., was named NATCA’s Director of Labor Relations in February 2020. She joined the Labor Relations (LR) Department in May 2013 and became the assistant director of LR in March 2016. She served as acting director of LR from June 2019 to February 2020.

She did excellent work leading the LR department during a period of transition before the pandemic and has provided experienced leadership, guidance, and strategy on the many labor relations issues confronting NATCA and its members.

Vitale has risen to meet the challenge throughout the pandemic with her experience, knowledge, and determination. NATCA has continuously worked collaboratively with the FAA to manage the pandemic and all issues related to keeping our members safe and keeping the National Airspace System operating safely and effectively. Vitale is at the forefront of those efforts.

Vitale was not in attendance to receive her award.

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Thompson served as a controller in the Army before his 25-year FAA career. He retired from Indianapolis Center (ZID) in 2013.

He has been involved in NATCA’s Boots On The Ground program since 2014 including leading it as program manager since May 2017. Boots On The Ground is a comprehensive grassroots NATCA program in states designated by NATCA within the AFL-CIO’s labor program, focused on the presidential election and targeted U.S. Senate races. The program places mostly retired NATCA members into labor-to-labor outreach and education programs. It has grown in size, activity, and influence and this retired member has expertly handled every aspect of it.

Since January 2019, Thompson also has served as chair of the executive committee of the Retired NATCA Active Volunteers (RNAV), which has expanded to include more than 3,000 retired members. At its core, RNAV ensures connectivity between what retirees do and how they can support the organization and its active members. He connects what they do to what NATCA needs done.

“I appreciate the recognition for the Boots On The Ground program,” Thompson said. “Everything that the Boots program does and which retirees do is based on supporting the entire membership – giving back to the Union that gave to us. Everything we are doing is about giving back. Union passion never retires and it is true with the group we have now.”

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