Communicating For Safety 2022 Video Archive

NATCA is honored and excited to welcome former U.S. Navy commander, New York Times best-selling author, and leadership and teamwork expert Michael Abrashoff to CFS 2022

Abrashoff is at the center of one of the most remarkable modern day stories of organizational transformation. At 36, he was selected to be Commander of USS Benfold and was the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific fleet. The challenges of this underachieving destroyer were staggering, with low morale and the highest turnover rate in the Navy. Few thought the ship could improve. Yet 12 months later it was ranked #1 in performance – using the same crew. How did Abrashoff do it? By replacing command and control leadership with commitment and cohesion. The lesson was clear: leadership matters and culture is everything.

Since leaving the Navy, Abrashoff has worked with over 1,200 organizations instilling leadership initiatives at every level – achieving phenomenal change in unexpected places. Leaders especially identify with Abrashoff being accountable for results in an environment where he couldn’t make the rules. He focused on the one thing he could influence: his crew’s attitude, because culture is the ultimate competitive weapon for any organization. That’s why Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and others have cited Abrashoff’s story. It’s also why Abrashoff is so popular with such a wide range of audiences.

As a keynote speaker, Abrashoff has spoken to every industry and kind of audience – from board retreats to front line personnel, from sales groups to universities, from Fortune 500s to startups. He tailors his message to focus on engagement, execution, change, safety, diversity, leadership, teamwork, innovation, accountability and more.

Billy Nolen was appointed acting FAA Administrator in April 2022. Previously, Nolen served as FAA’s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety (AVS). The Aviation Safety Organization’s programs are carried out by 7,400 employees located in Washington Headquarters, regional and directorate offices, and 125 field offices throughout the world. The AVS safety purview covers over one million registered aircraft, over one thousand approved manufacturers, over one million active pilots, and over 50,000 flights every day.

Billy has over 33 years of experience in operations and corporate safety, regulatory affairs and flight operations. He started his career as a 767, 757 and MD-80 pilot with American Airlines. His passion for operations and safety led to the role of Manager of the Pilot Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). He then became Manager of Flight Safety with responsibility for Accident/Incident Investigations, Flight Operational Quality Assurance, Line Operations Safety Audits, and oversight of the Pilot and Maintenance ASAPs.

After American Airlines, Billy served as Senior Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations with Airlines for America, where he collaborated with leaders across the airline industry, government and other key stakeholders to enhance safety and operational performance.

He subsequently served as Executive Manager of Group Safety & Health for the Qantas Group. In that capacity, Billy played a key role in the Qantas Group Safety Governance Framework and was responsible for providing assurance and advice to the Qantas Board, principally the Corporate Health, Environmental, Safety & Security Committee, the Group CEO, the Qantas Group Management Committee, and Qantas’ executive management.

Billy came to FAA from his position as Vice President of Safety, Security and Quality at WestJet in Calgary, Alberta. Reporting to the CEO, Billy had responsibility for overseeing safety, security and quality across WestJet, Encore and Swoop, 14,700 WestJet employees, and the millions of passengers flying on WestJet aircraft each year.

Billy is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a BS degree in Aviation Management, and has certificates in aviation safety from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, U.S. Army Safety Center, and the University of Southern California. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and has travelled extensively across the globe.

David Seymour is American Airlines Chief Operating Officer. He leads all of American’s operations including airport operations, flight operations, technical operations, flight service, safety, cargo operations and the Integrated Operations Center, where the airline’s daily operations are managed.

David’s aviation career began at the airline in 1999. Throughout his career he has held a variety of leadership roles in Materials and Planning, Operations Control and Planning, Crew Resources and Scheduling, Technical Operations, and Flight Operations. Most recently David served as Senior Vice President of Operations. He was named Chief Operating Officer in 2020.

After college, David began his career serving as an airborne infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He later held numerous management positions in purchasing, inventory management, warehouse distribution, logistics and finance.

David is an executive sponsor for American’s Veteran & Military Employee Business Resource Group, an employeeled organization that supports veterans, current military service members and their families. David also served as chairman on the board of the Medal of Honor Foundation.

David holds a Master of Management in marketing and transportation from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in mathematical science of operations research from the U.S. Military Academy.

David graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1986 and completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course. In 1987, after graduation from U.S. Army Ranger School, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he served as a Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer. In 1989, he reassigned to the 18th Airborne Corps where he served as the Aide-de-Camp for the Corps Chief of Staff and later for the Deputy Commanding General. He completed his active service in 1991 as the Operations Officer for the U.S. Army Parachute Team “Golden Knights.

The first panel of #NATCACFS2019​ highlighted the important new initiative demonstrating NATCA’s commitment to an ongoing training culture: “Every Day is a Training Day.” NATCA National Training Rep Tom Adcock and NATCA Safety Committee Chair Steve Hansen moderated the panel, which invited panelists to discuss ongoing, effective learning and its importance to success and safety. Joining the panel were International Association of Fire Fighters Assistant General President for Health, Safety and Medicine Patrick Morrison; ALPA Human Factors and Training Group Chairman Captain Frank Cheeseman; Retired MLB Player Ron Kittle, and Former Blue Angels Pilot John Allison.

In the panel “The Impact of Weather on the Operation” at #NATCACFS2019​, moderators NATCA Director of Safety and Technology Jim Ullmann & FAA ATO Director of Safety Tony Schneider led discussion with panelists about weather as one of the top safety issues in the National Airspace System (NAS). Joining the discussion were NATCA Air Traffic Control System Command Center (DCC) Traffic Management Specialist Jessica Strahley, NATCA Washington Center (ZDC) Traffic Management Coordinator Ben Dengler, NATCA ATSAP ERC Rep Dave Cook, New York-JFK ATCT (JFK) FacRep Gerald Quaye, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 357 ASAP Representative Rachel Rae, and American Airlines Dispatcher Mike Sterenchuk.

NATCA Reloaded Committee Chair Dawn Johnson and NATCA Recurrent Training Representative Richard Kennington moderated the #NATCACFS2019​ Pilot/Controller Communications panel — which remains one of the most highly anticipated discussions at CFS year after year. This year’s panelists were: Brandon Johnson, Northwest Mountain Region Safety Representative, NATCA; John Murdock, National Procedures Representative, NATCA; Erin Phelps, Central Service Area ATSAP ERC Analyst, NATCA; Don Dobias, ALPA; Matthew Cain, Safety Chair SWAPA; Paul Flynn, NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP).

The #NATCACFS2019​ panel “ATC Training: Excellence has got to be the Norm, not the Deviation,” moderated by NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert & FAA ATO Deputy COO Tim Arel, focused on training as the lifeblood of the air traffic control profession and NATCA taking leadership role in changing how we think about training and the importance of it. The panel welcomed panelists from across the National Airspace System: Tom Adcock, National Training Representative, NATCA; Jeffrey Vincent, VP of Air Traffic Services, ATO; Glen Martin, VP of Safety and Technical Training, ATO; Don Moran, National Supcom Chair, ATO; Brian Shallenberger, ZDC Facility Representative, NATCA; Carl Adams, ZDC Air Traffic Manager, ATO.

Runway safety is a significant challenge and a top priority for everyone in aviation. To address this always-present risk, a panel on “Surface Safety: Don’t let that Airport Mislead you” at #NATCACFS2019​ featured a discussion with NATCA National Runway Safety Rep Bridget Singratanakul (Gee), ALPA Aviation Safety Chairman Captain Steve Jangelis, FAA ATO Runway Safety Manager Jim Fee, and Western Service Area, ATO, Runway Safety Team Manager Emily Banuelos.

CATCA President & CEO Peter Duffey and David Grizzle of Dazzle Partners, LLC, moderated a panel on international collaboration at #NATCACFS2019​. Panelists Prospect ATCOs’ Branch Chair Paul Winstanley, NZALPA ATC Director Kelvin Vercoe, NAVCANADA Executive Vice President Service Delivery Rudy Kellar, Aireon Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Engineering Vincent Capezzuto, Raytheon Executive Technical Director Rachel Jackson, and Leidos Senior VP of Operations Fran Hill discussed how partnerships strengthen ties and establish a collective voice to speak on a range of subjects. Leaders of aviation safety unions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and New Zealand launched the Global Air Traffic Controllers Alliance at the World ATM in Madrid, Spain, in March 2018. The members of the alliance are unions who represent aviation safety professionals and advocate for their status and working conditions. The member unions work together to meet both individual and shared challenges, raise important safety issues to a global platform, and communicate with one another in a spirit of solidarity and unity. Learn more about the Alliance: www.atcalliance.world/

The Excellence in Training Award was created this year and awarded first at CFS to Tom Adcock, Miami Center (ZMA). “I want to thank Paul and Trish for trusting me to do this job seven years ago,” he said. “I want to thank many of the collaborative partners; thank you to the SMEs and the CADREs – you all have made the work easier.”

On Day 2 of #NATCACFS2019​, several awards were presented to NATCA members, including: NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) Cathy Meachum Volunteer of the Year Award; Elena Nash Community Volunteer of the Year Award; OSHA Helping Hearts Award; Disaster Response Committee Award; Raytheon’s 2019 Air Traffic Controller of the Year Award; NATCA National Professionalism Award; Dale Wright Award for Distinguished, Professional and Exceptional Career Service to NATCA and the National Airspace System; Steve Hansen Safety Advocate Award.

The Beacon of NATCA Award is given to a facility that rises above and handles an emergency or disaster situation with grace. No amount of planning, training or preparation can prevent a disaster event. But when it occurs, whether it is natural or man-made, NATCA members answer the call. Aviation safety professionals are among the first to take direct action in response to a disaster, working with first responders. They attend to the immediate danger and implement longer-term strategies to mitigate damage. The Beacon of NATCA Award was created to recognize those facilities that go above and beyond to perform the essential and difficult task of disaster response. The recipients of this award are the beacon that guides us home and the heroes that rise above the chaos. At #NATCACFS2019​ Alaskan Region members were honored for their exemplary professionalism displayed during during an earthquake in 2018.

American Airlines Award, presented to NATCA members on Sept. 18, 2019 at #NATCACFS2019​: This past summer, American Airlines ordered 50 new planes to increase up to 100 flights and reduce taxi times by two minutes, including operation initiatives. American Airlines approached Dallas/Fort Worth ATCT (DFW), Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON (D10), and Fort Worth Center (ZFW) members to help the company accomplish its goals at its airports. “The controllers have a willingness to take on challenges and make them into opportunities,” said American Airlines Senior Vice President for Integrated Operations David Seymour. “Thank you for your partnership in helping make DFW the third-busiest airport in the world.”

NBC News reporter Tom Costello was presented with the James Oberstar Sentinel of Safety Award at #NATCACFS2019​ on Sept. 18, 2019. NATCA created the Sentinel of Safety Award as a way to honor those outside NATCA who have displayed outstanding achievement in the advancement of aviation safety. In 2014, at our Biennial Convention in Minneapolis, NATCA proudly renamed the award to honor Congressman Oberstar, who had died earlier that year. Congressman Oberstar was a tireless advocate for aviation, air traffic control, and NATCA during his time in Congress and as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Tom’s quarter century of national and international reporting has earned numerous awards including national and regional Emmy awards, and multiple Edward R. Murrow reporting honors. And today, we are very excited to present the James Oberstar Sentinel of Safety Award to Tom.

Tom has covered aviation for the past 14 years, including the 2009 Miracle on the Hudson, last year’s fatal engine explosion onboard a Southwest Airlines flight, and the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes and subsequent MAX fleet grounding. One of his first stories in 2005 when he moved to the NBC News Washington Bureau was about the first winners of NATCA’s Archie League Medal of Safety Awards. Tom has also covered a wide array of stories across the beats of transportation, space exploration, cybersecurity, and economics.

In 2017, his coverage of deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville earned NBC News an Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Tom’s reports appear across all NBC News platforms, including online, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, and CNBC. In fact, he was on duty as CNBC’s Nasdaq Editor in Manhattan on 9/11. Before joining NBC News in 2004, Tom spent six years at KUSA-TV in Denver, and two years at KVIA-TV in El Paso, TX.

Highlights Compilation

Opening Remarks, NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and FAA ATO COO Teri Bristol

Region X Commitment to Safety Award

Alaskan Region

Central Region

Eastern Region

Great Lakes Region (ZID)

Great Lakes Region (ZMP)

New England Region (PVD)

New England Region (ZBW)

Northwest Mountain Region

Southern Region

Southwest Region

Western Pacific Region