Navigating Tomorrow at the FAA Managers Association Convention
Written by: Vera Medici
It Starts With Them
Management Concepts was pleased to return as a Bronze Sponsor to the Federal Aviation Administration Managers Association (FAAMA) 41st Annual FAAMA Convention and “Managing The Skies” Expo (FAAMA Convention). This year’s inspiring theme “Navigating Tomorrow – It Starts with Us!” was future-focused, stressing the need for leadership in action, and enabling Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) managers to implement the policies that will enable the FAA workforce to meet the needs of a workforce facing hiring and development shortfalls in the face of looming retirements amongst senior staff.
A Hero in the Skies
Amongst the serious topics discussed during business meetings and other technical sessions were the amazing stories shared by plenary speakers. One such standout was Captain Tammy Jo Schults, the Southwest Airline pilot who, in April of 2018, successfully landed a Southwest Boeing 737 after an engine exploded at a high altitude and blew out a hole in the structure of the airplane, resulting in only one fatality. This explosion caused multiple system failures and a rapid depressurization. Captain Shults quick thinking and bravery saved the lives of the 148 passengers and crew on board. What many may not also know, is that Captain Shults one of the first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots in the United States Navy. She talked about perseverance, navigating stress, and how to deal with emergencies – remaining cool and collected when under pressure.
Captain Schults thanked air traffic control specialists (ATCS) – also known as air traffic controllers in layman’s terms – for their quick actions in redirecting other planes scheduled to land in Philadelphia during the terrible 2018 incident, so she could make her emergency landing. While “all in a day’s work,” so to speak, let it remind us of the important and often exhausting work that ATCS do every day behind the scenes, which many take for granted.
Training Leaders
Management Concepts staff attended sessions and greeted FAAMA members at our booth in the exhibit hall. Staff highlighted our learning and human capital services at the organizational level, and how our in-house instructional design team and subject matter experts with experience at the FAA could customize solutions to accelerate the rapid but thorough growth needed at the FAA. We also included information on training and professional development at the individual level, including acquisition and contracting courses which have been vital to the agency during a time of investment in aging control tower infrastructure and technology throughout the United States.
At such a time of mounting pressure within the FAA, Management Concepts will continue to stand by our partnership with FAAMA, and we look forward to seeing members at chapter meetings and at the FAAMA Convention in 2023. View event photos on our Facebook page.
