WHO ARE WE?

My FAA career has been very fruitful and rewarding. I didn’t know much about the FAA or Air
Traffic Control in my younger years, but about the time of the strike in 1981, a close family
friend mentioned this as a potential career for me. At the time I was working at Eastern Airlines,
and suffering through the ups and downs of the airline industry. Choosing the FAA as a career
was a giant leap of faith, as I had heard that the success rate for graduates at Oklahoma City was
very low. I took the test, was interviewed about a year later and shortly after that went to the
FAA Academy. Upon graduation, I was assigned to Atlanta ARTCC, which was also were I
resided at the time. My progression there through the training program went well, and there were
some that I felt were not interested in seeing me be successful. I fought on and strived to be the
best at this craft. I think that my dedication to learning this skill paid dividends then and now. I
was able to garner their respect and in some cases their admiration.
That part of my journey really set the stage for continuing to go after promotions with more
responsibility and accountability. After certifying at Atlanta and spending a couple of years
getting experience, I transferred to Oakland ARTCC, and slowly rose through the ranks, first as a
Traffic Management Coordinator, then as a Staff Specialist. I did a short tenure as Supervisor
Traffic Management Specialist, before becoming a permanent Operations Supervisor. I worked
in both Domestic and International areas of air traffic control at Oakland. I had aspirations of
going to ICAO or FAA HQ to do international work, but instead stayed at Oakland after
becoming an Operations Manager. Seeing that I needed some more diversity of experience, I
then took a position as a specialist in the Western Pacific Regional Office near Los Angeles.
There in the Air Traffic Division, I worked in Airspace and Procedures, as well as the Resource
Management Branch. I also was able to spend a year on detail to Santa Monica Tower as the Air
Traffic Manager.
The stand-up of the ATO brought more opportunities for me. While I didn’t look forward to
relocating from Los Angeles to Seattle, I did go up there in a new position as Senior Advisor to
the Terminal Director. Over the course of four years, I worked under five different Directors.
There I was able to observe and learn things that not only made them successful, but also gave
me the skills to be more effective in the job. The first Director once told me, “It’s not the king
that has the power, it’s the one who has the king’s ear that does.” I found that to be very true
over the course of the next few years. Serving in the position of Senior Advisor also gave me the
opportunity to serve as Air Traffic Manager at Seattle ATCT prior to, and concurrent with their
3 rd runway commissioning.
Sensing a desire to become Air Traffic Manager at a large facility, I bid and was selected for the
Staff Manager at Southern California TRACON in late 2009. In early 2011, the incumbent
manager retired and I bid and was selected first for the Acting Manager position, then later
selected as the permanent Air Traffic Manager. I also served as the District Manager until
December 2013 when the District realignment took place.
Looking back, I have to say that timing of events and bidding positions was pretty key to my
success, but the largest key to my success were the mentors, close friends, peers, and others in
my life that continually gave me opportunities and encouraged me along the way. I have not