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W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 N AT C A D A I LY D I S PAT C H 5 Awards Recap During yesterday's awards luncheon, some of NATCA's most dedicated members and volunteers were recognized for their work. Two new awards were also introduced: the Beacon of NATCA and the Region X Commitment to Safety. These new honors fill voids in NATCA's recognition program. For more information on each award, check out the first issue of the 2017 Daily Dispatch. For more information on the honorees, check an upcoming issue of the NATCA Insider. Beacon of NATCA Award Baton Rouge ATCT Dale Wright Award for Distinguished, Professional and Exceptional Career Service to NATCA and the National Airspace System Steve Abraham, New York-John F. Kennedy ATCT Helping Hearts Award St. Louis Lambert International Airport ATCT NATCA Charitable Foundation Cathy Meachum Volunteer of the Year Dina Earl, SkyOne Federal Credit Union NATCA National Professionalism Awards Aaron Rose, Western Service Area, Seattle Center Nate Holmberg, Central Service Area, Indianapolis Center Pete Slattery, Eastern Service Area, Charlotte ATCT Matt Sullivan, Eastern Service Area, Potomac TRACON Alan Stensland, Region X, Eastern Region Raytheon Controller of the Year Award Chrissy Padgett, Washington Center Region X Commitment to Safety Award Steve Rosenfeld, Engineer, Great Lakes Region James L. Oberstar Sentinel of Safety Award Christopher Hart, NTSB Member Steve Hansen Safety Advocate Award Jim McAllister, Potomac TRACON Team Excellence Awards Garth Koleszar, Professional Standards Jeff Richards, Professional Standards Andy Marosvari, Professional Standards Tim Haines Memorial Award of Honor and Distinction, "Timmy" Eric Labardini, Houston Center What are you most proud of during your term as Administrator thus far? Collaboration. By working more closely with our labor and industry partners, the agency has made significant progress on projects that are priorities for both the workforce and stakeholders. This is particularly evident with NextGen and a number of our safety initiatives. What is the value that a conference like CFS brings to make our system even better? The free exchange of information is one of the most important aspects of a safety culture that continues to improve itself. Aviation has never been safer, but we know that we can never stop searching for ways to further drive risk out of the system. Conferences such as CFS help us identify emerging issues and to stay focused on the ones we are already tackling. Of all the ways in which NATCA and the FAA are collaborating, is there one area that is working well and making our relationship better that you think our members might not be aware of? From my standpoint, the relationship with NATCA is vital to our overall safety efforts. Our procedures for sharing safety and technical information, as well as our working groups that involve air traffic controllers, all have a benefit to the agency and the traveling public. It has been a great honor to have you speak at the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards banquet. Can you talk about what those flight assists mean to you and the teamwork done at the FAA? I never ceased to be amazed at how FAA employees, both individually and as a team, rise to the occasion during a crisis. I think the Archie League awards bring that professionalism and teamwork into sharp focus. As I (will indicate) in my speech, every controller comes to work each day knowing that he or she may be called on to help save lives. Every controller in our workforce is one "save" away from winning this award next year. I find comfort in knowing we have the most talented group of professionals in our control towers and radar rooms. More recently, we established the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) modeled after the very successful NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC). NATCA is an active participant as we work to integrate these new users into the NAS. Is there anything you would like to add about your interactions and collaboration with NATCA during your term? I have consistently relied on the leadership of NATCA to diligently engage with its members and the FAA to thoughtfully consider the important issues that affect all of us. I think this is something that will serve us well as we engage in the upcoming discussions over how to best provide air traffic control services for our diverse group of stakeholders. Q& A with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta

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