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THE DELEGATE THURSDAY • OCTOBER 2, 2014 11 REGIONAL ROUNDUP Outgoing Salt Lake City Center (ZLC) FacRep Will Kramer's leadership has set the local on a path to greater membership numbers, says incoming FacRep Joel Brown. "He wanted to emphasize the fact that we are a professional organization representing professional employees in an incredibly important and professional career. Will's vision was for our local to get a foot in the door of every meeting in the building." QQ Seattle Tower's (SEA) Sam Navarro, now in her third year as FacRep, says her best advice for members who would like to get involved is, "don't wait for someone to come to you. Find your niche and run with it. It makes us stronger as a whole if we have people doing what they love." QQ Just 16 days aer the first live operational test of STARS as a replacement for the aging CARTS 3E system at Denver TRACON (D01), the facility achieved continuous operations status on Sept. 10. D01 TAMR Rep Brian Reddy was instrumental in ensuring the training for D01 was developed and conducted properly. QQ The best part about being FacRep at Aspen? It's the atmosphere, says Laura Smith. "It's so wonderful coming to work and knowing that we can all work together to make the best out of each day." Miami Center (ZMA) presented the FAA Vanguard of Safety Award earlier this month to member Jeff Warters, honoring the work and deep commitment of a safety professional who helped lead the facility's successful efforts to implement voluntary skill enhancement training by keeping the focus on the operation and away from bureaucracy. QQ Congratulations Kevin Oswald (Kissimmee FCT), winner of the ATCA Air Traffic Control Specialist of the Year Award, presented earlier this week! QQ On Sept. 10, Jacksonville Center (ZJX) declared IOC, the latest in a series of ERAM successes in the region. ZMA declared ORD on Aug. 1, and Atlanta Center (ZTL) reached IOC in July. ZTL FacRep Rick Baugh praises the work of the facility's ERAM team that, he says, "did a fantastic job preparing, testing, and getting us to IOC." QQ New equipment is regularly tested at Louisville-Standiford (SDF), as well as the new wake turbulence RECAT rules allowing reduced separation between certain aircra. "The atmosphere in our facility is a team effort to provide the best service we can to our customers. We all strive to help each other and look out for one another," SDF FacRep Mark Varady says. Austin (AUS) members Matt Sheffield and Kristen Lewandowski (who has since transferred to Portland TRACON) were honored this week by ATCA. They won the Andy Pitas Memorial Award for their great flight assist earlier this year. QQ Houston Center (ZHU) FacRep Andrew LeBovidge calls the Houston OAPM procedures "the culmination of approximately two years of intense collaborative efforts by dedicated representatives from NATCA, the FAA, and industry. The controllers handled this dramatic change in procedures with their typical aplomb and cool professionalism." Adds Steven Prichard (Houston TRACON), who volunteered for the Metroplex team, "It was a lot more in-depth and challenging than I thought it was going to be. But that also made it enjoyable." The OAPM team then moved up to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, where procedures are currently being implemented. Look for coverage soon in the NATCA Insider. QQ ARVP Ric Loewen (DFW) is nearing his 25th anniversary. From the very start, he says, "I saw the value of a strong union protecting employees' rights and fighting to improve our working conditions. Clearly my peers cared more about my success than my employer did." James "JC" Cain worked at Monterey, Calif., Tower (MRY) for 20 of his 25-year FAA career. He was a NATCA member for that time as well. His MRY brothers and sisters, led by FacRep Kendall Scott, gave him a memorable retirement sendoff on the beach (pictured), presenting him with a watch and a plaque that read, "In gratitude for your unwavering standards of excellence." QQ A new San Francisco Tower (SFO) is rising above the airport. Its completion will come none too soon for SFO members Rob Shelton and Fred Naujoks, who were working the mid on Aug. 24 when the Napa earthquake shook the tower. "The whole building sounded like it was cracking and creaking," Naujoks says. Over at Oakland, FacRep Juan Serna-Spuler was working the mid but realized the "rollers" on which the new tower was built had done their job and absorbed the impact. Meanwhile, Napa controllers continue to work out of a temporary trailer while damage to their tower is repaired. QQ Phoenix TRACON's (P50) Aaron Katz, on the most rewarding part of being FacRep: "Always fighting the good fight and standing up for those who can't or simply don't know how to go about it is very rewarding." NATCA and the FAA have implemented the Airport Voluntary Reporting System (AVRS) that allows Airports BUEs to elevate safety concerns to Agency headquarters without fear of retaliation. The Airports office offered a similar program to the airport certification safety inspector workforce several years ago. "It is nice to share the Office of Airports' vision for a safety reporting system that is collaborative and will directly and comprehensively address the safety concerns of both FAA and NATCA," says Regional Vice President Mike MacDonald. "Removing the fear of retaliation is an important step forward." QQ One of the many positive things about the recent open season and The NATCA Difference campaign was putting a spotlight on the great safety professionals we represent. One example: Atlanta-based Logistics Management Specialist Tisa Barnett (pictured). She has Master of Business Administration and Master of Human Resource Management degrees. She was featured in our "I am a professional, I am Union, I am NATCA" poster series. QQ AIR-100 Member Anthony Vilante, on why it is important that NATCA represents him and his fellow bargaining unit members: "Strength in numbers. Unionized professionals have more power as a cohesive group than as individuals. What you gain is the muscle of collective action." SOUTHWEST REGION SOUTHERN REGION NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN REGION WESTERN PACIFIC REGION REGION X

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