2023 Recipients of the Tim Haines Memorial Award of Honor and Distinction

Lydia Baune

June 22, 2023: Images from the NATCA 19th Biennial Convention at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, FL.

Lydia Baune began her FAA career at Boeing Field in Seattle, and has been a controller at Spokane, Washington ATCT (GEG) for the past 15 years.

She has consistently stepped up to serve NATCA to promote and develop the talents and diversity in our membership.

Lydia’s initial focus was as a member of our National Professional Standards Committee, stepping in to take over the role for one of the founding members of that group. She picked up the role with grace and sophistication and has been responsible for broadening and deepening the Professional Standards team across the country.

Lydia’s passions for the membership have led her to take an active role in Communications, working as the inaugural representative from the Northwest Mountain region to the National Communications Committee, and, to truly expand NATCA’s inclusivity, Lydia stepped up to be a core member of the Union Synergy Committee when it was first established.

Lydia has truly shaped our Union through her selfless dedication to highlighting the fundamental strength of NATCA – our membership.

View the award presentation below.

Rita Graf

Since Marguerite started at NATCA in March 2003, her work has been – and continues to be – crucially vital to the organization.

As the General Counsel, Marguerite represents and defends the interests of NATCA in its various functions as a membership labor organization, a business entity, and as an employer of 50 or so staff members in the District of Columbia.

Marguerite is also responsible for providing review, advice, and counsel to the NEB on all areas of law pertaining to or impacting the organization. She serves as counsel for all formal complaints, including Unfair Labor Practices filed against NATCA, the National Executive Board, or Facility Representatives.

She also coordinates with the Chief of Staff, Special Counsel to the President, and the Director of Labor Relations on all relevant policies and ensures that cross-legal issues are identified and addressed in a consistent manner.

Most importantly, Graf’s knowledge of the working procedures and history of the organization allows her to have an informed systemic view of the areas in which NATCA operates and the regulatory framework surrounding it.

With over 25 years of experience in labor law, her extensive knowledge of the field allows her to foresee issues before they materialize and suggest creative legal solutions as appropriate.

Under Graf’s leadership, the Office of General Counsel received and responded to approximately 100 Unfair Labor Practice and Duty of Fair Representation charges in the past ten years, with the overwhelming majority resulting in either dismissal by the authority or voluntary withdrawal from the filing party.

View the award presentation below.

Curt Howe

Our next Timmy Award recipient, Curt Howe (Engineer/Northwest Mountain Region, ENM), has been involved with so many efforts, held so many positions and has done so much for NATCA it can’t possibly fit in one award speech, but I will give it a shot.

Curt has been there since the beginning as one of the original organizers recognizing our Engineers and Architects needed representation.

As a highly respected Professional Engineer for the FAA in the Seattle office, he brought his credibility and work ethic to this effort and eventually in 1997 the Engineers and Architects unit became part of NATCA.

As the Local President and Representative for the Engineers in the Northwest Region for many years Curt grew his Local and represented his members tirelessly. That local was and remains the largest Region X Local thanks to the work Curt has done over the years.

Curt has made a significant impact on our Union – both within Region X and with our controllers.

View award presentation below:

Kyle Johnson

Kyle Johnson served as a controller in the United States Air Force before his 26-year FAA career retiring from Oakland ATCT (OAK) in 2007.

In early 1988, Kyle was elected the first vice president and treasurer of Concord ATCT (CCR), and by fall became the FacRep until 1992. He represented CCR as a delegate to the 1990 and 1992 biennial conventions and was an Oakland ATCT (OAK) delegate/alternate from 1996-2006.

Kyle also served as the East Bay representative to the Western Pacific Region (NWP) Steering Committee from 1990-1998, on the NWP Legislative Committee from 1992-2000, and on the Level I Contract Tower Committee from 1993-1998.

Additionally, he served as an elected officer at OAK from 1995-2007, on the National Organizing Committee from 2006-2009, a Retired NATCA Active Volunteers (RNAV) Executive Board member from 2015-2018, and a Boots On The Ground participant since its creation in 2008, until 2022.

View award presentation below:

Chris Keyes

Executive Vice President Andrew LeBovidge, Chris Keys, President Rich Santa, Brian Shallenberger Eastern Region RVP

Chris Keyes began his career in the FAA in 2005 after serving in the USMC and spent his entire career at Washington Center (ZDC), serving in many NATCA roles, including Airspace Rep, Area Rep, and Treasurer.

Chris has served on the Professional Standards National Committee since 2019 and brings to the table everyday his passion, integrity, and foresight to Professional Standards and the Respect initiative. He helped lead Professional Standards through the challenge of COVID-19 and made the program even stronger than before.

Chris has touched the lives of hundreds if not thousands of NATCA Members through his teaching, counsel, and the example he sets every day. He is a selfless leader, never taking credit alone, praising his fellow committee members, Lydia Baune and Patrick Carter, along with the PS facility representatives and District Chairs across the country for the program’s success.

View award presentation below:

Clint Lancaster

Alaskan Regional Vice President Clint Lancaster (Alaska Center, ZAN) was presented with the Tim Haines Memorial Award of Honor and Distinction at NATCA’s 19th Biennial Convention.

Read more about Brian here.

View award presentation below:

Mark Sellek

Mark Sellek (Jacksonville Center, ZJX) has been a shining light for the past several years as our Union and profession have endured unprecedented challenges. The value of a highly educated and passionate Union advocate was highlighted during the COVID pandemic. Interest in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not historically been popular with our members. It doesn’t get the attention that some other interests do, but Mark has raised the bar, and raised interest, amongst his peers due to his leadership as the Southern Region OSHA Representative and the Vice-chair of our National OSHA Committee.

Mark’s Leadership and skill were tested in March of 2020 when the COVID pandemic struck our Union, and our profession. Covering over 2,000 Southern Region JCAT calls, Mark attended, listened in, and was an invaluable asset behind the scenes. Additionally, Mark would reach out to our FacReps to ensure the cleaning process and products being used were OSHA-compliant.

View award presentation below:

Corey Soignet

As a Collaboration Facilitator, Corey Soginet (Houston Intercontinental ATCT, IAH) has always sought new ways to improve our operations, never content to rest on the status quo.

Corey Soignet views every challenge as an opportunity for growth, embodying the essence of what NATCA stands for. His dedication extends beyond his defined role and has evolved into a constant drive to ensure our representatives can excel in representing the membership.

He has served for over a decade as the NATCA Southwest Region Legislative Chair, where his tireless leadership has proven instrumental in the successful execution of our mission. His determination and unwavering dedication have consistently guided us through many critical junctures.[Text Wrapping Break]

Yet what further distinguishes this individual is the personal sacrifice he and his family have made for our collective cause and success. During our 2022 and 2024 campaigns, Corey volunteered approximately 900 hours of his own time over 37 days. Working 24/7 without rest, and he did this all while continuing to accomplish his regular duties with unparalleled excellence.

Corey’s dedication knows no bounds and his passion for service continues to drive our collective success.

View award presentation below:

Jaymi Steinberg

Jaymi Steinberg has been a controller at Washington Center (ZDC) for 14 years and currently serves as the Eastern Region representative to the newly created National Communications Committee.

The committee is tasked with assisting leadership with engaging with the members on a variety of platforms. Jaymi has been an integral member of the committee, which continues to expand its role in providing timely and topical updates to every region in our Union.

While this position puts Jaymi on the forefront of our internal activism, Jaymi has long held a position on the international stage. She is a long-serving member of IFATCA’s Technical and Operational Committee which is tasked with the continuous review of international air traffic policies and works to influence such through interactions with ICAO and other international aviation industry groups.

Last year, at the IFATCA’s world conference, the United States nominated Jaymi as the chair of the Technical and Operations Committee, to which she was elected unanimously. This shows the degree of respect Jaymi has earned on the international level. She has been an outstanding ambassador for our union.

View award presentation below: