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National Air Traffic Controllers Association - We Guide You Home NATCA FACEBOOK PAGE POLICY (adopted by the NEB Nov. 2022)

1. Understand and follow all rules.

The NATCA Facebook (FB) page was created to encourage open discussion about issues important to NATCA and its members. We require that you read and agree to abide by the rules here.

2. No offensive content/language tolerated. Users should not post material which is a violation of the NATCA National Constitution and/or the NATCA Code of Conduct, which prohibits discriminatory, offensive, obscene,

libelous, threatening, harassing, or intimidating messages.

3. Not a reporting forum for inappropriate behavior. This is not a forum to report inappropriate behavior, Code of Conduct violations, or harassment or mistreatment. To report such incidents, please contact the NATCA Chief of Staff, the NATCA General Counsel, or your NATCA Regional Vice President.

4. No sharing of private information and copyrighted materials. Sharing of sensitive personally identifiable information is not allowed in this group, nor is content infringing on a person’s or entity’s copyrights, including but not limited to other web sites, media, etc. NATCA will not indemnify or hold harmless any user for copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property infringement.

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6. Use of content disclaimer. When content is shared or uploaded to our channels, you agree to grant NATCA a non-exclusive license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, and publicly perform or display the content in conjunction with NATCA business.

7. Removal from the group. Failure to adhere to those rules may result in being blocked from posting and commenting on our channels.

06/09/2026

After a pilot suffers an unexpected mishap when he loses his his glasses mid-flight, controllers from Philadelphia ATCT (PHL) work together to ensure the plane’s safe landing.

06/08/2026

The NATCA Historical Committee (NHC) met from April 30 to May 1, 2026 at the National Office in Washington, D.C. The committee is charged with the exclusive purpose of cataloging, documenting, and archiving the official history of the Union.

“2027 will be a very important year for this union,” said NHC Chair Ryan Herrick (Minneapolis TRACON, M98), “With the 40th anniversary of NATCA in June 2027 and the 21st convention back in Chicago where the first NATCA convention happened, we have been busy getting items ready for the membership to view throughout 2027.”

Along with 2027 items, the committee worked on updates to the timeline displays members may have seen at national events and catalogued items we have received over the past year from members, both retired and current. The NHC also reviewed books created from previous years of newsletters (these were debuted at NATCA in Washington) and finalized a solicitation for new members to the committee. Look for that in the coming weeks if want to join us!

The committee took a field trip to the National Archives to see how they catalogue, archive, and display items to the public and see what we can do for our Union’s history.

You can find more historical information, including archived newsletters and previous NATCA Convention history here https://www.natca.org/nhc/.

Attending the NHC’s most recent committee meeting were Committee Chair Ryan Herrick (M98), Committee Vice Chair Kristena Jones (Washington Center, ZDC), and Don Schmiechel (Engineer/Northwest Mountain Region, ENM). Committee members unable to attend include Della Swartz (Engineer/Alaska Region, EAL retired), Kristen McTee (Kansas City International ATCT, MCI), and Kelly Moeller-Milch (Chicago Center, ZAU).

06/07/2026

The CFS Planning Committee met for two days at the NATCA National Office in Washington, D.C. on May 18-19, 2026. The group reviewed the conference agenda, exhibit hall layout, and discussed upcoming deadlines. There was also a discussion about this year’s Archie League Medal of Honor Banquet. Prior to the meeting, this year’s keynote speakers were approved, and they will be announced soon.

NATCA Safety Chair John Murdock (Philadelphia ATCT, PHL), Homer Benavides (Engineer/Great Lakes Region, EGL), Rachel Gilmore (Indianapolis Center, ZID), Erin Murdock (Philadelphia ATCT, PHL), Sam Navarro (Seattle ATCT, SEA), Katie Peltz (Minneapolis Center, ZMP), Bridget Singratanakul (Dallas-Fort Worth ATCT, DFW), and Michael Taylor (Columbus ATCT, CMH) participated in the committee meeting. They were joined by Director of Public Affairs Thom Metzger, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for Events Jill Blimline, Meeting Planning and Events Representative Alicia Jordan, Events Marketing and Technology Representative Meagan Roper, Safety and Technology Administrator Brianna Deaver, and Training and Events Administrator Matthew Rosenberg.

Registration to attend this year’s event is now open. If you would like to attend the premier aviation safety event, please visit natca.org/events/cfs.

06/06/2026

Air traffic controllers and aviation safety professionals work around the clock to protect our national airspace. From inspection to flight, these highly trained professionals are managing the world’s most complex transportation system, driven by the commitment to getting passengers to their destinations safely.

06/05/2026

NATCA Vice President Emeritus Trish Gilbert and NATCA Program Management Office Representative Dan Hamilton (San Francisco ATCT, SFO) recently represented NATCA at the annual ATCA Tech Symposium in Atlantic City, N.J., held April 28-30, 2026.

The focus of this year’s symposium included how emerging technologies may enhance safety protocols and operational efficiency, artificial intelligence’s role in predictive safety measures, and the critical safety frameworks needed for airspace integration into the National Airspace System (NAS).

During the three-day event, Hamilton spoke on a panel titled, “Evolving Human Performance and Human-System Integration,” which focused on how human performance considerations are integrated into system modernization, training, and safety assessments to preserve situational awareness and manage cognitive workload in evolving operational environments. Please click here to learn more about the conference and other panels held during the three-day event.

06/04/2026

The NATCA Convention Planning Committee met again in May in Chicago at the Sheraton Grand, the site for our Union’s 2027 Convention. During this committee meeting, the group finalized the conference logo, met with the audio/visual production crew, and discussed both plans and budgets for off-site events .

During the meeting, the National Executive Board (NEB) approved charities associated with the 2027 Convention. An announcement of the approved charities is forthcoming.

At this meeting NATCA Great Lakes Region Regional Vice President Dean Von Almen (NGL) joined NATCA members Corrie Conrad (Portland TRACON, P80), Sarah Ezell (Chicago TRACON, C90), Vanessa Gurrola (Chicago O’Hare ATCT, ORD), Mary Hernandez (Aurora ATCT, ARR), Dave Lysen (Chicago Center, ZAU), Jen Rivera (Indianapolis Center, ZID), and Drew Stewart (Seattle Center, ZSE) in attending the committee meeting. NATCA National staff members Director of Public Affairs for Events Jill Blimline, Meeting Planning and Events Representative Alicia Jordan, Events Marketing and Technology Representative Meagan Roper, and Training and Events Administrator Matthew Rosenberg also attended.

06/03/2026

Several NATCA members and staff recently attended the 2026 Women in Aviation Luncheon honoring U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, the Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation. The event was hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and was held May 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The event brought together aviation and aerospace leaders to recognize and celebrate the achievements, leadership, and advancement of women in aviation.

NATCA members Kristi Hopson (Tulsa ATCT, TUL), Vanessa Gurrola (Chicago O’Hare ATCT, ORD), and Jerah Kavoosi (Minneapolis ATCT, MSP) were joined at the luncheon by NATCA National staff members, including Chief of Staff Dean Iacopelli, Special Counsel to the President Eugene Freedman, Senior Political and Legislative Representative Annie Chavez, and PAC and Political Coordinator Joanna Satterly. NATCA Vice President Emeritus Trish Gilbert also attended the luncheon.

06/02/2026

By the time passengers settle into their seats, teams of air traffic controllers and aviation safety professionals have already been at work to protect the journey ahead.

From constructing the runways to managing the airspace using specialized technology, we’re helping ensure flights are safe from gate to gate.

05/29/2026

The NATCA Onboarding Committee welcomes and thanks all new NATCA leaders who have recently taken office for their terms as FacReps at their local facilities.

Great Lakes:
Garrison Simpson (Columbus Municipal FCT, BAK)
Chad Self (Springfield ATCT, SPI)

Northwest Mountain:
Alexis Hill (Boeing ATCT, BFI)
Zachary Lorden (Paine ATCT, PAE)

Southwest:
Jonathan Weaver (Ardmore ATCT, ADM)
Vincent Caruana (Roswell ATCT, ROW)

Southern:
Evan White (Raleigh-Durham ATCT, RDU)

Western Pacific:
Christina Fergot (Ontario ATCT, ONT)
Michael Cox (Reno ATCT, RNO)

05/27/2026

The NATCA Communications Committee met in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, May 7, 2026, discussing best practices and upcoming NATCA events. The committee spent the day discussing the best strategies and practices to keep NATCA members informed about both regional and national events.

The committee received a briefing from NATCA President Nick Daniels and Executive Vice President Mick Devine on the National Executive Board’s expectations as well as how to best integrate the Communications Committee with the new NATCA Council structure. The committee also discussed the NATCA website with Information Technology Chair Jason Doss (Jacksonville Center, ZJX). The day concluded with Noel Kingston (Prescott ATCT, PRC retired) briefing the committee on Campaign 2026.

Members who were able to attend in-person or virtually included Great Lakes Regional Vice President Dean Von Almen (NGL), Committee Chair Shannon Lyman (Boston ATCT, BOS), Vice Chair Sarah Simek (Grand Forks ATCT, GFK), Anita Johnson (Albuquerque ATCT, ABQ), Amanda Clinefelter (Anchorage ATCT, ANC), Lisen Minetti (Engineer/Aeronautical Center, EAC), Ariana Seimas (Fresno ATCT, FAT retired), Eric Goldman (Pensacola ATCT, PNS), Bryan Martini (Sioux Gateway ATCT, SUX), Jaymi Steinberg (Washington Center, ZDC), and Thom Thompson (Indianapolis Center, ZID retired). The committee was joined by Public Affairs Deputy Director Galen Munroe and Public Affairs Administrator Kevin White.

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