ANCHORS AWEIGH! - pwcinc.org Anchors Aweigh! PWC’s 2017 National ... 29ederal Long Term Care...

A Publication of the Professional Women

Controllers, Inc.summer 2017vol. 11 no. 1

THE

women air traff ic controllers hot sheet

ANCHORS AWEIGH!2017 Training Conference Recap

03 VIEW FROM THE TOWER Celebrating the Milestones! /

2016 PWC Membership Corner Update

06 Pull Up That Anchor and Go Full Throttle — Amy Corbett

08 Unconscious Bias / Flight to Success: Overcoming Fear to Reach Your Goals

09 Taking Charge of Your Career / Training the Trainee for Success: A Human Performance-Based Approach

10 Next-Generation Technologies at Work

12 Building on a Record of Achievement — Michael Huerta

14 NATCA — Focusing on the Future / FAA Space Operations Office / NATCA 101

16 Red Zone/Blue Zone: Turning Conflict into Opportunity / Individual Performance Management: Holding Oneself Accountable

17 BlueCross BlueShield Service Benefit Plan’s Health Resources and Rewards

18 Anchors Aweigh! PWC’s 2017 National Training Conference

20 Exciting and Challenging Times — Tim Arel

22 NAVCanada’s Advanced Air Traffic Systems

24 FAA Executive Panel / Ten Health Tips for All Women

26 Finding Your Purpose: The Leadership Journey / Building Your Foundation and Moving Beyond

28 Launching Your Second Career: Finding a New Job Outside the Federal Government / Girls in Aviation Event / Americans with Osteoporosis Face an Increased Risk of Needing Long Term Care

30 Tax Planning for the Future

33 Farewell Patricia “Pat” Broderick Bynum / Jessica Earp Wins Major Safety Award / Alternate Dispute Resolution

34 PWC’s 2017 Scholarship Winners

36 40 Years of emPOWERing Air Traffic Professionals / PWC’s 2018 National Training Conference — Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence

ADVERTISERS

03 Harris Corp. / harris.com

11 SAIC / saic.com

15 NATCA / nacta.org

17 BlueCross BlueShield / fepblue.org

21 Sky One Federal Credit Union / skyone.org

23 NAVCanada / navcanatm.ca

25 GEHA / geha.com

29 The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program / ltcfeds.com/PWC

32 Livingston Federal Employee Retirement Planning / livingstonfederal.com

women air traffic controllers hot-sheet: a publication of the professional women controllers, inc.summer 2017 vol. 11 no. 1

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN CONTROLLERS, INC. [email protected] | www.pwcinc.org

VISIONProfessional Women Controllers aim to achieve a balanced workforce that reflects the demographics of society and creates a safe environment where all air traffic professionals have passion for their career, can excel and feel a sense of community at work.

MISSIONProfessional Women Controllers is a resource that provides support, training, encouragement and camaraderie for all air traffic professionals. PWC advocates balancing work and family life, recruiting and retaining excellent employees, developing people, enjoying work and maintaining a positive sense of community.

OFFICERSPresident, Patti WilsonVice President, Christina CalvertSecretary, Louisa OcasioDirector of Resources (Treasurer),

Lindsey KnoxMembership Director, Jenny Rubert

REGIONAL DIRECTORSAlaska Director, VacantCentral Director, VacantEastern Director, Kelley KohringGreat Lakes Director, Shawneise WrightNew England Director, VacantNorthwest Mountain Director,

Aimee Wright ShingletonSouthern Director, Micah FreemanSouthwest Director, Jennifer LemmonWestern-Pacific Director, Meagan Garmon

APPOINTED OFFICERS, PROGRAM MANAGERSWeb Page Administrator, Jennifer LemmonWATCH Editor, Patty SwenorCommunications Director,

Amy MagstadtHistorian, Judy NobleParliamentarian, Constitution & By-laws,

Robin RushNational Conference Chair, Kurt ProctorEducation & Career Development

Program Manager, Jamie FegerMembership Director, Jenny Rubert Sales Coordinator (PWC logo items), Pat Tiner2018 Conference Co-Chairs,

Trish Gilbert and Vanessa Shinners2019 Conference Co-Chairs,

Christine Johnson and Robin Rush

PUBLISHERKathleen Cummins Mifsud

MANAGING EDITORPatty Swenor

CONTRIBUTORSPatti Wilson, Marcy Soto, Amy Corbett, Christina Calvert, Louisa Ocasio, Shawneise Wright, SAIC, Michael Huerta, Lindsey Knox, Kelley Kohring, Nikki James, Jenny Rubert, Aimee Wright Shingleton, BCBS, Jennifer Lemmon, Micah Freeman, GEHA, FLTCIP, Michael Livingston, Glenn Livingston, Nal Almosa, Darla Gerlach, and Karen Pontius.

PHOTOSPhotos by Jon Ross (www.jonrossphotography.com).

DESIGNSagetopia, 703.726.6400, www.sagetopia.com

The WATCH, a benefit of membership in the Professional Women Controllers, Inc., is published quarterly. To become a member, go to www.pwcinc.org.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed to be the opinion of the Professional Women Controllers (PWC). Suggestions and opinions expressed in The Watch are not necessarily endorsed by PWC. Nothing in these pages is intended to supercede operator’s or manufacturer’s policies, practices or requirements, or to supersede government regulations.

© 2017 Professional Women Controllers, Inc. All rights reserved.

COVER IMAGEIntroducing your 2017-2018 PWC Board of Directors:

Front Row, L-R: Louisa Ocasio, Secretary; Christina Calvert, Vice President; Patti Wilson, President; Lindsay Knox, Director of Resources; and Jenny Rubert, Membership Director.

Back Row, L-R: Jennifer Lemmon, Southwest Director; Aimee Wright Shingleton, Northwest Mountain Director; Micah Freeman, Southern Director; Shawneise Wright, Great Lakes Director; Kelly Kohring, Eastern Director; Meagan Garmon, Western-Pacific Director; and Robin Rush, Parliamentarian.

PWC BOARD OF DIRECTORSGood morning. I would like to start by introducing your 2016-2017 Board of Directors (BOD) — these are the leaders of PWC who are working for you:

• VP: Christina Calvert, Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC)

• DOR: Lindsey Knox, Jacksonville (ARTCC)

• Membership Director: Jenny Rupert, Northern California TRACON (NCT)

• Secretary: Louisa Ocasio, Manassas Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT)

• Eastern Regional Director (RD): Kelley Kohring, Air Traffic Procedures, AJV-82, FAA Headquarters (HQ)

• Southern RD: Micah Freeman, Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control (ARTCC)

• Great Lakes RD: Shawniese Wright, Chicago (TRACON)

• Southwest RD: Jennifer Lemmon, Houston InterContinental (ATCT)

• Northwest Mountain RD: Aimee Wright-Shingleton, Salt Lake (ARTCC)

• Western Pacific RD: Meagan Garmon, Las Vegas (TRACON)

We often are asked whether men can be members of PWC. The answer is yes. We are all in this together, and, to continue

improving the FAA, we need to support each other. Clearly our mis-sion applies to all air traffic controllers and not just women.

We help create a successful National Airspace System (NAS) workforce that is full of respect and understanding. A great way for us to be successful is to understand the path our sisters and brothers walk.

VIPS ATTENDING PWC 2017Now is also the perfect time to mention some Very Important Persons (VIPs) attending:

• National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE) — President Paquita Bradley

• Technical Women’s Organization (TWO) President — Vera Fortman

• National Supervisory Committee (SupCom) — Chair Karen Illg

• National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President — Paul Rinaldi

• NATCA Executive Vice President — Trish Gilbert

• FAA Managers Association (FAAMA) Director, Corporate Relations — Mark DePlasco

Welcome and thank you for your sup-port. The Employee Associations (EAs) also have a booth, along with other FAA offices and sponsors.

VIEW FROM THE TOWER

Since many of you could not attend, I thought I would start this article with how I opened the 2017 National Training Conference in Portland, Maine:

Celebrating the Milestones!Patti Wilson, President, PWC, Inc.

4 the WATCH summer 2017

SPEED NETWORKING OPPORTUNITYWe are very excited to present you with great training and networking opportunities this week. One event I’ve told you about is the casual afterhours Speed Networking event on Thursday, from 7-9 pm, once again sponsored by Harris Corporation.

You will have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with leaders within the FAA and NATCA for a short period. I say short, because we want everyone inter-ested to have an opportunity to interact with them. You will rotate through every 10 minutes and, yes, you must move; you do not get to monopolize one person.

PWC’S CONFERENCE IS ABOUT YOUOn a serious note, I would like this conference to be about YOU. Often, we think about the behavior of those around us, often placing accountability and judgement on others. I’m asking each of you to think about the accountability of your words and actions.

PROFESSIONALISM AND PWCAlso, I want to follow up on a topic I mentioned at last year’s General Busi-ness Meeting (GBM), professionalism. As we move through this week, I ask you to self-assess how YOU handle yourself when you interact with people.

This is not just about the work environment but about YOU as a whole person, because you do not leave professionalism at the office; you take it with you everywhere. Ask yourself this question, “Do your actions reflect your words?”

And gentlemen, please don’t feel excluded when I ask this next question, because I know it is a topic of conversation among you. Ladies, please ask yourself, “How do I treat other females?” I have heard women say, in the work environ-ment, “Probably shouldn’t put any more women in this area/specialty, because you know women can’t get along.”

What have we said? We have just said out loud an entire gender cannot conduct themselves professionally. By the way, this truly reinforces the “idea” that women are “catty”. This is a tough conversation we MUST have, because we are the crabs in a bucket, if we behave this way. Instead of lifting each other up, we are pulling each other down.

Right now, I would like you all to do one more thing for me. Please look around you. This is your air traffic fam-ily. We all have many different back-grounds, titles, and goals, but, at the end of the day, we are humans who need to interact with each other, support each other, and care about each other.

This is the beauty of the PWC BOD; each member is an equally-valued participant, regardless of job title. The public does not see us as management or NATCA; to the public there’s only one FAA. PWC is very much like that: a group of professionals coming together to learn, inspire, reflect, encourage, and serve.

As we move forward this week, ask yourself: Am I collaborating to build a bridge to help support the greater whole like the ants? Or am I the crab? Actions always speak louder than words — do your actions reflect what you say?

This conference will give you some unique opportunities to receive feedback. If you didn’t do the survey, I highly encourage you to take it. This is a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with Andrew Trawick during the conference.

Now, I can report that Andrew Trawick met one-on-one with many people throughout the conference, and conducted team building with the BOD during our Saturday meeting. This is something I am committed to continu-ing with the PWC BOD; teamwork is critical in all Lines of Business, even more so when the group is all volunteer. We need to know where we’re all com-ing from, and this is a positive step in the right direction.

The conference was awesome. You will read articles throughout this edition of The WATCH, highlighting our speakers. As usual, we asked for feedback from the hotel, and they said we are their favorite group — not just this year, but their favorite group EVER!

I am going to skip to the General Business Meeting (GBM):

MEMBERSHIP 4TH QUARTER TOTAL: 474• Active: 386• Alumnus: 23• Associate: 28• International: 5• Honorary/Charter: 19• Student: 13• Total New Members for

Year 2016-2017: 58

2016-2017 PWC GOALS

Paid Family Leave

• Worked with NATCA and Federally Employed Women (FEW) on Letter of Support (LoS)

• PWC sent LoS to the FAA Administrator and to AHR-1

• A joint LoS signed by: PWC, NBCFAE, National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NHCFAE), TWO, Native American/Alaska Native (NAAN), National Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees with Disabilities (NCFAED), National Asian & Pacific American (NAPA), and Federally Employed Women (FEW)

Increased PWC Visibility

• Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Ads

• Monthly meeting with Chief Operating Officer (COO) and meetings with other FAA executives

• Article written and published in FAAMA magazine, Managing the Skies

• Planning to discuss a possible EA ad with the National Employee Forum (NEF)

Support 12 ACE/STEM — Exceeded! PWC has our own event scheduled for September 16, 2017 at Merrill Field, Alaska. And, we look forward to seeing you at the PWC 2018 conference in Alexandria, Virginia!

PWC STEM EVENTS/AVIATION CAMPSDATE LOCATION ATTENDEES2016 DC 402016 Torrance, CA 702016 Las Vegas, NV 1206/27 - 7/1/16 Cleveland, OH 7/11 - 15/16 Chicago, IL 167/11 - 15/16 DuPage, IL 1209/16/16 Oakland, CA 809/24/16 NW Mtn. Rgn 2502/27/17 West Jordan, UT 803/4/17 Orlando, FL 3003/8/17 San Carlos, CA 203/18/17 Udvar Hazy, VA 30004/21 - 22/17 Opa Locka, FL 2504/27/17 Atlanta, GA 754/28/17 Torrance, CA 405/20/17 Oakland, CA 46

WEBSITE IS AWESOME!If you haven’t spent time on it, I highly encourage you to check out the resources page, women of influence, and just the whole thing. FAA AHR-1, Annie Andrews, has shared with us HR contacts for those of you not quite ready to discuss family leave planning with your supervisor. Our website administrator, Jenn Lemmon, has done some amazing stuff with the PWC store and “PWC Goes Pink.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Lactation Rooms — Still educating this issue. Added HR Points of Contact (POCs) to our website for those who may not want to initially talk with your manager about options.

• Building relationships with our Sponsors; we recognize we cannot do this without their support, and we are dedi-cated to an ongoing relationship, not just annual contact.

• Building relationships with NATCA, EAs, FAAMA — I am committed to attend Communicating for Safety (CFS) and FAAMA conferences

• Building relationships with private industry: HSI, JMA, CGH, Mitre, CSSI, Lockheed Martin

• PWC Mentor program is still around but only for the D.C. area

• Trademarking PWC name in progress

• International Membership: Canada, Nigeria, and Ghana

• 501c3 status update — PWC Foundation, in progress

• Vacant position — Alaska RD, New England RD, Central RD, and numerous committee positions

• Future Projects: STEM-ACE camps of our own, working with SWA outreach programs, and pairing with other aviation days to promote air traffic control (ATC)

Also, we appointed Judy Noble as the PWC Historian, and Trish Cummings will be shadowing Karen Pontius as the scholarship chair.

Already looking forward to next year and celebrating PWC’s 40th anniversary! ✈

PWC Membership Corner UpdateMarcy Soto, Past PWC Membership Director/Corporate Chair

For those of you who attended our 2017 National Training Conference in Portland, Maine, you will agree we had a great week of speakers, profes-sional enrichment, and camaraderie. Plus, memories were made that we will hold tight for months and years to come.

It has been my great pleasure to serve as PWC Membership Director for the last four years. Beyond what I accomplished for PWC, being Membership Director also gave me innumerable rewards — to name just a few — personal and professional growth gained by stepping outside my comfort zones to seize new potential. And, friends for a lifetime — I won’t say names, because they know who they are. Without being asked, these PWC members also became my mentors for different avenues in navigating work and life.

Introducing Jenny RubertSo now, I’m excited and ready to pass the torch to Jenny Rubert, PWC’s new Membership Director. Jenny and I met for the first time exactly five days before this Conference, but it did not take long to see Jenny has a heart to serve.

We jumped in to begin the work for a smooth Membership Director transi-tion. Late nights, long lunches. and laptops with long battery life helped us begin our journey. We became fast friends, and I look forward to sitting back and observing as she carries the torch forward.

Welcome PWC New Members: February to June 2016!!

1. Evelyn Angmortey

2. Chris Bakke

3. Lydia Baune

4. Lisa Bercher

5. Julie Coleman

6. Mitch Herrick

7. Kathleen Keith

8. Charolette Kimerly

9. Catherine Lovetro

10. Julie Lytle

11. Oralia Martinez

12. Tracy Moreno

13. Albert Olsen Jr.

14. Andrea Orr

15. Shaun Patten

16. Erin Pitts

17. Melisha Reese

18. Brittany Roberts

19. Michelle Salcedo

20. Jennie Sandland

21. Joshua Santiago

22. Danielle Seedhouse

23. Christina Shelly

24. Christopher Walsh

25. Michaela Waters


W elcome to the New England Region! And welcome to the great state of Maine!

Somewhere in a math class long, long, ago, I was told that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. As a pilot, I can tell you — that’s not only true, but it’s preferred. Career-wise, however, the shortest distance was not my preferred route…

Now, I may be from Boston, but I’m a country music fan — there’s a lot of good advice in some of those lyrics.

Whether you’re talking about equality in furthering women’s careers, or life in general, we all need inner strength and perseverance.

When you’re in a tough spot in your life, in your career — facing roadblocks or hurdles or a devil of a boss, WHAT do YOU do?

I like Rodney Atkins’ lyrics: If you’re going through hell, keep on going, don’t slow down. If you’re scared, don’t show it.

Don’t misunderstand me — my FAA employment has decidedly not been hell. Yet, there were times when the only way to get through it was to just keep on going. You can have all the charm and grace on the outside, but to get where you want to go, you’d better develop an inner strength and determi-nation — or you’ll be left behind.

No group in history ever reached their goals without persevering. We don’t get what we want without stand-ing up, speaking out, and going after it. But it takes more than dogged perse-verance. And, it is easier said than done — I know.

Here’s some of what worked for me in my career. At 21, I had just graduated from college, married, and begun my career as an 8th grade English teacher

in Wilmington, Massachusetts. That was many, many years ago — and the world was different.

For women then, the career choices typically were teacher, nurse, or secre-tary, but that was definitely beginning to expand. I don’t have a heart-wrenching story for you of overcoming staggering obstacles. On the contrary.

But, we all have our own story, and, in large part, we make our story. I believe it’s what we do with what we have that makes all the difference. The opportuni-ties we create and the decisions we make give direction to the lives and careers and successes we have.

The women in my life invested in themselves. My mother and all five of my aunts earned college degrees in the 1930s and 40s. They valued education and never stopped learning. • My mother worked on her master’s

degree — after she was married with six children.

• One aunt traveled the world. • Another earned a PhD and became

a college president.

To this day, they stay current. Those still living are in their 90s now. They have laptops, email each other, and they Google everything. They won’t be left behind. They are involved in and stay current in life as it is now. And, they continue to invest in themselves.

I grew up loving and admiring these women and expecting to become like them — but, of course, with my own story. I taught for seven years, and earned a master’s of science in education degree, right here at the University of Maine.

In those days, the late 70s, when I was teaching, I didn’t know any pilots. I’d never met one, but I did know for sure — I wanted to fly. And so, I did.

The first step was opening The Yellow Pages to find a flight school. I got a night job hostessing in a restaurant to pay for my flying lessons. And, I became a cer-tificated pilot! Nothing will measure the thrill of achieving this.

I made it happen. It is something I had thought about

since my first flight, at age 12, from Boston to Midway, when I sat there thinking I want to go in that cock-pit. Becoming a pilot mattered to me — So, I made it happen.

Then, I left my tenured teaching position to do something else I’d had in the back of my mind for a while. Some thought that was high risk behavior, so I distanced myself from them, sur-rounded myself with positive supporters, and went to law school.

I can’t emphasize enough the signifi-cance of keeping yourself in a positive, good-energy environment. Look to see who you’re surrounding yourself with. Are they encouraging and supporting you? Or, are they undermining you? Criticizing you? Holding you back? Being an anchor instead of a sail?

Get away from them. Avoid their negativity. Distance yourself from any-one who is a downer or a drag on you and your ambitions. Bottom line: we don’t know what we’re capable of until we put ourselves out there.

So, I began my first year of law school — with the plan to become an Aviation Attorney. By my second year in law school, I sought and started an internship in the Office of the Regional Counsel of the FAA, and I’ve never left the Agency! The FAA hired me as a staff attorney following graduation in 1981.

There are about 45,000 FAA employees worldwide. Our Mission is to provide the safest, most

Pull Up That Anchor and Go Full ThrottleAn address by Amy Corbett, FAA New England Regional Administrator, at PWC’s 2017 Annual Training Conference; Marcy Soto, Past Membership Director, PWC

the WATCH summer 2017 7

efficient aerospace system in the world. Everything we do is geared toward aviation safety. What a Mission — it is an enormously motivating one for the passionate people of the FAA.

I was the first female attorney in that small legal office, and, the only pilot. That gave me the credibility I needed as a female attorney in those days. I had more than the required credentials.

The Regional Counsel and his Deputy were incredible role models and mentors — wonderful guys. From them I learned things like: • You can fight vigorously in the

courtroom, and then go to lunch with opposing counsel.

• Take your work very seriously, but not yourself.

• Learn the facts, stick to the facts, — and use the facts.

While they taught me everything about becoming an effective attorney, I taught them some things too. I had to. There was a lot of change in the workplace as more women came into previously all-male professions, like law and air traffic control, and everyone needed to become aware and make adjust-ments. The gentlemen in the office and I needed to work though this, and we did.

Here’s the context of those days: Like my female counterparts in

law firms, I wore prim navy blue or charcoal grey suits with little silk scarfs tied around my neck, mimicking professional menswear. While that has changed, it remains important to dress appropriately for your profession, if you want to be taken seriously.

By the mid 80s, I’d had my third child in four years, but no way could their pictures be on my desk. That could come years later. Baby pictures would just scream out that I was really focused on being a mother — and not on my work. It didn’t matter that men had their kids’ pictures out.

But there were more difficult aspects to equality and advancement issues in the workplace, too. I had to constantly decide what to endure and what to directly address — in a way that would not alienate me. I sought, then as now, to respond to difficult situations with calm and fairness, and to build and pre-serve relationships.

Although I was an attorney, in my thirties, married with children, the head of our Security Division would only refer to me as “That Girl Lawyer.”

In those days, it was all about giving no indication that the quality of my work was anything but equal to, or bet-ter than, the other attorneys’ and that I was there for the duration. That meant insuring that my work actually was equal to, or better than, theirs. And, I can assure you, no one worked harder than I did.

At any point in your career, to pre-pare for the next step up, it’s good also to look horizontally for growth oppor-tunities. I sought several detail assign-ments in the FAA for several months each, including at HQ Legal and as the 501, Deputy Division Manager in the New England Air Traffic Division. To stand outside your position and your office to see the pressures and issues of others is eye-opening.

I volunteered to do anything large or small, saw the importance of being a team player, and waited my turn, but not one minute longer…

At some point, I observed that the technical legal work was being distrib-uted between the three male attorneys in the office. The subtle, prevailing attitude was that only men could han-dle the technical work of the Engine & Propeller Directorate. In those days, technical meant male. We got past that, too.

Good thing I pushed for it and con-vinced them to let me handle that work, because, without that technical experi-ence, I would not have been selected in 1988 to be Regional Counsel.

As Regional Counsel, I ran an office that grew to eight attorneys, three parale-gals, and an administrative officer. The responsibilities were very broad. The legal issues included the Enforcement of the Federal Aviation Regulations, which involved initiating and trying cases against pilots, mechanics, airlines; airports and environmental issues; labor and personnel matters; ethics; and gen-eral legal advice.

For the next 13 years, I remained fascinated by the unending variety of work and continued to seek out courses, training, and programs the FAA then sent me to. I loved it. I became a general-ist in some areas and a bit of an expert in others. There was no reason to ever leave that challenging position.

Then, in 2002, a retiring mentor encouraged me to bid on the FAA’s New England Regional Administrator position. After more than 20 years in the legal world, leaving the law would be a personal hurdle for me. I listened to my gut as well as to my mentors and decided to pursue it.

Many of my skills were readily transferable, and the position has been a great opportunity for both profes-sional and personal growth.

For almost 15 years, I have repre-sented the FAA Administrator in New England as the senior Agency official here. That covers a wide range of mat-ters. My chief responsibilities include outreach to airport sponsors, industry, academia, and elected officials includ-ing governors, mayors, the 34 members of Congress and their staffs, and the 10 tribal nations that attach religious or cultural significance to geography of New England.

It also involves speaking on behalf of the FAA Administrator at numer-ous events, and providing horizontal integration. That is, pulling together representatives from the various lines of business to tackle issues where each has a piece so that the result is an inte-grated and complete solution.


Like many, my career is a big part of my life. And just like I did, most of you will have hurdles you will have to overcome. In our careers, as in our lives, it is necessary to find good role models and mentors who support and guide us — to invest in ourselves, to never stop learning, to stay current, and to seek growth opportunities.

None of us, alone, can figure out the best way to assess situations or handle things. Mentors and confidential sound-ing boards can help us immensely to see the big picture and find the wise path.

I like the concept of having a plan, but there is nothing like keeping your mind open to finding opportunity and innovation, in careers and in life.

A few years ago, my daughter and I were flying commercially, going out to the huge air show at Oshkosh, when she turned to me with a big smile and said, “You know, Mom, the last time we flew together, we jumped out of the plane!”

Shortly before this flight, we had parachuted together — the first time for both of us. I was over 60!

Take a leap — be willing to leave your comfort zone to seek growth opportunities to become the best you can be. You have everything to do with whether your life and career are fulfilling. This is your journey. You call the shots.

So, pull up that anchor, and go full throttle! ✈

K arlene Petitt was a great speaker to have on the first day of confer-ence: she motivated us, made us

think, and encouraged us to face our fears. She put her experience into writ-ing, as an author of six books.

Ms. Pettit has an extensive back-ground in aviation, having worked for eight different airlines. She spoke of her own fears when starting over in a new airline and when her first book was published.

By categorizing fears in her B357 model, Ms. Petitt gave us a tool to analyze and overcome our fears.

B 357 NO FEAR

(year-old) “What if ?” Fear

(year-old) “I can’t” Fear

(year-old) Action Fear

FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE!She encouraged us to push ourselves beyond our fears. As women, we are hesitant to put ourselves in a position in which we are unsure of what we are doing — we have a need to feel fully confident. “Before we can be truly great, we must trust in our-selves.” Ms. Petitt gave us three steps for fighting our fears:

1. Don’t worry — it’s wasted energy.

2. Push through those “I can’t” fears.

3. Ask yourself: if the worst hap-pens, what are the consequences?

A truly motivational speaker, Ms. Pet-tit encouraged us to “Face Everything and Rise!”

Flight to SuccessOvercoming Fear to Reach your GoalsSummary by Christina Calvert, PWC Vice President

Dexter Brooks from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commis-sion (E.E.O.C.) spoke about uncon-

scious bias. You may be asking, “What is unconscious bias?”

It’s how unconscious mental asso-ciations systemically distort the way we perceive others. It’s also called Implicit Bias or Implicit Association. Here’s a defini-tion: “Because the inferences…are provided automatically by (our) underlying machin-ery, any knowledge or understanding of the illusion we may gain at the intellectual level remains virtually powerless to diminish the magnitude of the illusion.”

Unconscious association is common and natural, resulting from cultural knowl-edge (stereotypes) we acquire during devel-opment. When we attribute stereotypical beliefs, about a group, to an individual, we engage in unconscious association.

People tend to favor what is familiar — it’s an Us vs. Them categorization which aids in identifying danger, provid-ing in-group favoritism plus a sense of belonging and affiliation.

Implicit bias affects employment decisions. Two fascinating studies are: (1) University of Chicago/ MIT study “Are Emily and Greg More Employable than LaKisha and Jamal?

A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination;” and, from Harvard, (2) an Implicit Bias test using word association and pictures to determine unconscious bias (https://implicit.harvard.edu).

To help overcome these biases, employ-ers must provide equal access by having neutral job-related criteria, open access to relevant information, and constant evalua-tion of the process. Employers should use uniform, consistently-applied standards, sup-plying equal opportunity for work assign-ments; performance evaluations; training and constructive feedback; workplace networks; and pay, discipline, and discharge. ✈

Unconscious Bias Summary by Aimee Wright-Shingleton, PWC Northwest Mountain Regional Director


A s a mentor for the PWC Mentor-ship Program, I was pleased with the title of this career planning

session: “Taking Charge of Your Career”! Many times, individuals wait for others to tell them what the next step in their career should be, and, although you may find encouragement in managers, peers and subordinates, the only person who can draw the path to your future career goals is you.

Ms. Gaynell Dudley, ATO Career Services Program Manager, provided us with a great overview of how to take charge, because, as she said in her presentation, “A goal without a plan is just a WISH.”

IMPORTANCE OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IDP)Ms. Dudley reminded everyone they are the most important and crucial part of their own development, and a great tool to use is an Individual Development Plan (IDP). An IDP is an ACTION plan you develop to describe your short and long-term goals. It is a tool used to

identify your career interests and assist you in finding resources you will need to pursue your goals. It is not fixed in stone but changes with your interests.

A method Ms. Dudley recommends for planning your goals is “Career Flight Plan”. The Career Flight Plan is an assess-ment of your current situation, and it charts a path to setting realistic goals.

Once you have identified your goals and have charted your plans, you con-tinuously collaborate with your man-ager to balance both your needs with the organizational needs. She describes a five-phase process for this:1. Pre-Planning: Where you are and

where you want to be2. Employee/Manager meeting:

Feedback session with your manager3. Create an IDP: Draft your career

goals and plans to achieve these4. Implement your plan:

Execute your IDP5. Evaluate your outcomes:

Reflect on accomplishments and update your IDP

So if you are ready to TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CAREER, go to www.pwcinc.org/Education-Career/ATO-Career-Planning for the complete presentation with additional resources you can use to Take Flight! ✈

Taking Charge of Your CareerSummary by Louisa Ocasio, PWC Secretary

Jason Demagalski, Human Perfor-mance Manager, ATO Safety and Technical Training, delivered an

engaging presentation on providing on-the-job training for air traffic control-lers and learning styles.

The term, “learning styles,” speaks to the understanding that every student learns differently. An individual’s

learning style refers to the preference for how information is absorbed, pro-cessed, and retained.

As an on-the-job training instruc-tor, does your learning style affect your trainee’s ability to succeed? Jason explained: “You will naturally teach the way you, as a learner, will want to be taught. If you have a different style of learning than your trainee, you will find some issues where you are unable to get the information through to them.”

Knowing the learning style of your trainee, and delivering information to them in the style they learn best, may increase their probability for success.

During the session, Jason referred to one specific learning styles assessment. If you are curious to learn your learn-ing style and would like to take the assessment, the questionnaire can be found at: www.webtools.ncsu.edu/ learningstyles ✈

Training the Trainee for Success:

A Human Performance-Based ApproachSummary by Shawneise Wright, PWC Great Lakes Regional Director

“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” — Ignacio Estrada

“A goal without a plan is just a WISH.” — Gaynell Dudley


F or more than 30 years, Science Applications International Corporation, better known as

SAIC, has helped the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fulfill its mission to provide the safest, most efficient airspace in the world.

As a technology and engineering company that provides full life-cycle services and solutions across multiple domains, it has been a good fit. We have developed a deep understanding of the FAA and its vision for next-generation technologies, and have delivered diverse and specialized solutions that contribute to mission success.

IMPROVED OUTCOMES THROUGH TRAINING AND DATA ANALYTICSSAIC is a full-scale training services provider, instructing the nation’s current and future air traffic controllers at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, OK, and at more than 200 FAA facili-ties located across the nation.

Our instructional design teams are collaborating with the FAA to enhance existing curriculum materials by making them more engaging and user friendly. SAIC is also making sure enough instructors are in place and ready to teach new hires so that the FAA can keep pace with the requirement to hire approximately 1,500 new controllers, annually, over the next few years.

We are working jointly with the FAA to identify areas for innovations and upgrades to meet the demands of today’s students and improve skills development. Through data analytics, for example, SAIC can help the FAA better understand the length of time it takes for students to obtain their con-troller certification.

Equipped with metrics, our experts can work with the FAA to analyze and identify where there are gaps and

pressure points in the training. Then, they can create solutions to address these issues, such as interactive and adaptive training modules and the abil-ity to perform hands-on skills practice outside of the classroom. These inno-vations will enhance training efficiency and improve learner engagement, comprehension, and performance.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND RICH EXPERTISEAs a leading technology integrator, SAIC provides full life-cycle systems, safety, and logistics engineers who customize, install, and train users to become familiar with critical com-munication, navigation, surveillance, weather, and automation systems.

These engineers helped explore and refine the requirements for some of FAA’s next-generation technologies, including Airport Surface Detection Equipment — Model-X. This surveil-lance system collects data from a variety of sensors and alerts air traffic control-lers to runway surface movements and potential conflicts between aircraft and ground vehicles.

To date, SAIC has installed 35 of these systems at the busiest U.S. airports, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. Our engineers also support Runway Status Lights, a safety advisory system designed to provide air crews and vehicle opera-tors with situational awareness through accurate and timely indication of runway usage. We have supported the installation of this particular system at 15 of the busiest airports in the country, and five more are planned over the next few years.

SAIC employees know how aircraft operate in the national airspace. They are retired FAA controllers and pilots with military, commercial airline, and

general aviation experience. For more than 15 years, they have augmented FAA staff and provided their subject matter expertise to help FAA develop and publish new rules, policies, and strategies.

Their particular insights on systems operations and how new requirements will be viewed by operators help the FAA achieve the right outcome. They also support FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety to help oversee the safety of our national airspace, the world’s largest and most complex aviation network.

NO LIMITSAs an enterprise information tech-nology (IT) services provider, SAIC brings full life-cycle IT services to the FAA as well as many other federal civilian and defense agencies who uti-lize the FAA contracting vehicle.

We are fully integrated into a shared services environment, where hundreds of employees help customers with software and application develop-ment, cybersecurity, and system admin-istration — whatever is necessary for customers to operate and maintain their back-office IT infrastructure. SAIC’s experts also install and migrate IT systems, conduct testing, and provide training for customers through this shared contracting vehicle.

SAIC has a passion for FAA’s mis-sion and its dedication to improving the certification process for air traffic controllers. We have a long history of delivering full life-cycle services and innovative solutions across the technical, engineering, and enterprise information technology areas.

If there is a tough problem to be solved, we bring all of SAIC’s expertise to bear on the solution. This is our legacy and our continued commitment to the FAA and all of its stakeholders. ✈

Next-Generation Technologies at WorkProvided by SAIC

We are proud to be an FAA training partner, helping air traffic controllers keep the skies safe by delivering training services across the nation.See how we are Redefining IngenuityTM at saic.com.

I N G E N U I T YH A S Y O U O N O U R R A D A R.

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W hen I started thinking about how I wanted to kick off my remarks today, I considered calling one

of my colleagues from the Maritime Administration for a few boat-related puns that could fit in with the confer-ence’s “Anchors Aweigh” theme.

I’m generally equipped in airplane jokes — and didn’t want to appear out of my depth. But I know there’s one topic on everyone’s mind, so I’m just going to dive into it.

RESTRUCTURING HOW WE PROVIDE ATC SERVICESWith the release of President Trump’s “skinny budget” a few weeks ago, a lot of attention has been focused on a recom-mendation that we develop a long-term plan for restructuring how we provide air traffic control services. This has under-standably raised a number of questions amongst our employees. What would it mean for the FAA? What would it mean for our controllers?

We don’t have a lot of answers yet. There’s still a lot that needs to be consid-ered and discussed. But I’m confident the Administration will work with the FAA and all of our stakeholders to address our interests and concerns in a holistic way. I’m happy we’re starting a dialogue about the FAA’s long-term needs. Now is the right time to be having it.

Make no mistake: our safety mission is as important as ever. But the world around us is changing. More users than ever are eager to fly in our nation’s airspace.

We need to have a meaningful and thorough discussion about the best way to deliver air traffic services to our entire aviation community. And we

need to make sure that the conversa-tion we’re having is rooted in where our agency is today — not where it was five or 10 years ago.

Thanks to the hard work and dedica-tion of employees like you, the FAA is smarter and more nimble than it’s ever been before. Of course, we’d often like to move faster. But any fair review of the past few years makes clear we’ve accom-plished a great deal.

Look at the work we’ve done on NextGen, unmanned aircraft, aircraft certification, and compliance — to name just a few. I know this is an uncer-tain time, but we must continue build-ing on this momentum and stay focused on our mission.

That’s particularly important for all of you — our ATCs. When it comes to the safety of our airspace, you’re on the front lines every day. And we want to make sure you have the support and resources you need to succeed.

HIRING NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSIt’s no secret that the FAA has faced some hiring challenges over the last few years. We haven’t been able to bring on controllers as quickly as we want. So, we plan to hire more than 7,400 new controllers over the next five years to help keep pace with workforce turnover and air traffic growth.

This includes more than 1,700 new ATCs in Fiscal Year 2017 alone. And thanks to changes we’ve made, these positions will be filled by the best and brightest candidates available. By open-ing up our ATC application process to all Americans, we’re able to select from

a much larger and more diverse pool of qualified candidates. We believe this is the fairest way to hire people. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue such a fulfilling career.

But it’s not enough to hire the best people. You also must treat them well once they get here. I truly think of our team at the FAA as a family. I never want people to come to work and just think of it as a “job”. I want this to be a place that you’re excited to be at that gives you every opportunity to succeed.

TOTAL REWARDS — A NEW PROGRAMOne way we’re doing this is by improv-ing the benefits we offer. Later this year, we’ll be rolling out a new program called Total Rewards. Through Total Rewards, we’re boosting the child care subsidy available for FAA families and increas-ing the household income limit so more people can take advantage of it. We’re planning to create a leave bank program. And we’re looking into ways we can revamp our tuition assistance program.

INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP LEADERSI also want our employees to feel like they can climb the ladder inside the FAA. That’s why we support a number of initiatives that develop leaders within our ranks — like the Program for Emerging Leaders and the Senior Lead-ership Development Program. I hope you’ll consider looking into these and seeing if they might be right for you.

The FAA Leadership and Learning Institute is another terrific resource you can take advantage of. The Institute’s website offers monthly leadership

Building on a Record of Achievement An address by Michael Huerta, FAA Administrator, at PWC’s 2017 Annual Training Conference

“Each one of you has an opportunity to be an influential leader.”


“ Thank you for the work you do every day to help make America’s aviation system the safest in the world. If there’s one thing I know, it’s this: good work doesn’t go unrecognized.”

topics you can use to build your own discussion groups and help each other grow your skills.

Whenever I talk to a group of employ-ees, I focus on the importance of leader-ship a lot — because I believe it’s essential to achieving our mission now and in the future. In my experience, there are two types of leaders. There are positional lead-ers, who manage through their job titles. You know the ones: I’m the boss, you work for me. You need to do what I say and not ask too many questions.

Then there’s a second type of leaders — I call them leaders through influ-ence. These individuals can be found at any level of an organization. But these influential leaders share one quality in common: they can command respect and motivate their teams through the force of their personality and their ideas. Each one of you has an opportunity to be an influential leader.

Let me tell you a quick story about a guy named Herb Kelleher. You may have heard of him. He founded a little business called Southwest Airlines. Herb was once asked: why are Southwest employees so happy? The rest of the industry has near constant battles between labor and management — what makes Southwest special?

Here’s what he said: “On paper, these people work for me. In reality, they think they work for themselves. This is their airline. So, they treat the airline, each other, and their customers the way they’d want to be treated. When they go

out of their way, they aren’t doing it for me — they’re doing it for themselves, and they’re doing it for each other.”

Herb’s answer boils down to one simple idea: empowerment. When people feel like their contributions are making a difference, they’re motivated to contribute more. I want you to feel that same sense of empowerment.

COLLABORATIONOne of the reasons our air traffic mod-ernization efforts are working is because of collaboration — not only with our stakeholders but inside the FAA. Nobody knows a controller’s job better than the people who sit at their radar screens or look out on busy airfields from their control towers.

So, when it comes to finding ways to make our system even safer and more efficient, some of the best solu-tions have been offered by you and your colleagues. It’s not just our agency benefitting from your ideas — it’s also the traveling public.

Our shared successes are proof that, now more than ever, we need strong leadership across the FAA.

And we all have an opportunity to show that leadership — every day, and from any position on the organiza-tional chart.

You’ve already taken an important step by being here today. You’re think-ing about your careers, and the best ways to develop your skills, and the legacy you want to leave behind.

So, let me close today by simply say-ing: thank you. Thank you for the work you do every day to help make America’s aviation system the safest in the world. If there’s one thing I know, it’s this: good work doesn’t go unrecognized. And by working together toward the mission we all share, I know we’ll keep building on the record of achievement we’re all so proud of. ✈


A s always, Paul Rinaldi and Trish Gilbert had another great exchange with PWC members. They spoke

about privatization, drones, and the fam-ily leave policy. Paul began with some powerful words, “We need to focus on the future and realize that we are all in this together.”

Paul and Trish informed us about their meeting with the FAA leaders and Congressman Bill Shuster to ensure our pay, work rules, and benefits would remain the same or improve if the FAA were to become private. NATCA worked with Congressman Shuster and his staff for almost a year to ensure approximately 70 pages of his bill had language that protected the workforce.

Although privatization is not happen-ing now, Paul and Trish believe it may

happen in our future, as the FAA needs a reliable source of funding. Privatization must ensure we continue to be the safest air traffic system in the world, and the protective language in last year’s proposal also protects the employees. NATCA is working to ensure any future proposal has the same protections.

Trish is currently serving on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). This committee provides the FAA with advice on key Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) integration issues, by helping identify challenges and priori-tize improvements.

In January, a work group was put together to address budget concerns and to get the project off the ground. Drones definitely have made an impact on the National Airspace System

(NAS). The amount of UAS registra-tions on the FAA website are numerous and are increasing each year. Receiving proper funding, as well as being aware of the impact of increased workload, is a high priority.

One of the last things discussed before the question and answer session was family leave. NATCA and PWC both have been working with the FAA to secure an “industry standard” for family leave. Instead of a family leave policy, the FAA has been working to come up with a “rewards program” in the form of a leave bank. Instead of focusing only on the birth or adoption of a child, it would cover a family illness as well. While this program is beneficial to all employees, a family leave policy still needs to be addressed. ✈

NATCA — Focusing on the Future Summary by Lindsey Knox, PWC Director of Resources

NATCA/PWC Question & Answer

Q: What would NATCA do to protect the people if the FAA is privatized and there is another funding issue?

A: As with the last time the wheels were in motion to become private, NATCA was invited to sit with Congressman Shuster and develop a plan/agreement that will focus on a funding stream that is stable and a more reliable source. Something that may come out of the status quo is requiring more of a contribution for retirement and possibly “the high three” becoming “the high five”.

Q: What is stopping the private sector from taking our pay, benefits, and pension?

A: Not to scare anyone, but there is no certainty anywhere. We have never been, nor will we ever be, fully protected. Please know if NATCA is supporting it, our pay and ben-efits will not decrease but will be the same or better. Toward the end of the session, a gentleman stood up to deliver a very warmhearted message and acknowledge his previous coworker. He said he has known Trish since

the beginning of their careers, and remembers when Trish was at Houston Center and how hard she fought for the people. And, even now, he was encouraged and stunned by the way she still continues to fight for the people. Paul finished by saying how shocked he was no one asked why he was wearing an “ATC New Zealand” shirt the previous day. He wore it for us. He wore it because 40% of air traffic controllers in New Zealand are women. This is a far cry from the 16.3% the United States has currently. Now, PWC asks, what can we do to close this gender gap?


R ick Garceau, Manager of Airspace, Procedures, and Space Operations, FAA, spoke about the challenges

faced by the Space Operations office which was proposed in 2013 following release of the President’s Space Trans-portation Policy and the Administrator’s order for the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) to partner with Office of Com-mercial Space (AST) to integrate space vehicles in the NAS.

Since 2016, the number of sched-uled commercial space vehicle operations has doubled. This led to development of processes to mitigate risks for all involved. The space operations office receives notice of launch or reentry operations, conducts a pre-operation analysis, and develops an airspace man-agement plan (AMP).

In the plan, AST coordinates with all affected facilities, determines impact on the NAS, and develops traffic manage-ment initiatives to allow safe and efficient operation. Mr. Garceau’s passion for his work was evident as he shared his knowl-edge of space vehicles and space operations (including video!). This was his second time speaking at a PWC conference, and we would welcome him back again! ✈

NATCA provides its members with a variety of classes at NATCA Academy. NATCA trains its mem-

bers to help with everything, from know-ing the history of NATCA to helping someone through a training review board and everything else in between.

NATCA 101 classes are offered online on the 15th and the 30th of every month in the “member’s portal”. If you would like to take other classes, please login to the website and find dates and locations. NATCA 101 teaches how NATCA was formed and the strength of the organization.

This class should be seen by all members, as it provided NATCA’s existence. If you haven’t had the time to participate in NATCA Academy, definitely make the time. ✈

National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) 101Submitted by Lindsey Knox, PWC Director of Resources

FAA Space Operations OfficeSubmitted by Christina Calvert, PWC Vice President


Individual Performance Management:

Holding Oneself AccountableSummary by Nikki James, PWC Member

T he 2017 PWC conference keynote speaker was Andrew Trawick, Presi-dent, Truvian Group. Mr. Trawick

specializes in business leadership and development and has provided these services not only to the private sector but to the U.S. and foreign governments as well. Conference attendees had the benefit of learning about how to identify and deal with conflict situations.

Do you find yourself or a co-worker being loud and very vocal about a partic-ular subject? Have you/they entered the Red Zone? When dealing with conflict, it is important to identify when someone goes beyond discussion and enters a state that is emotionally driven and contrib-utes little to no value to the discussion.

Very little can be accomplished when emotions take over and the goal is lost.

Being able to recognize this behavior can afford the opportunity for some-one to diffuse the situation. If you find yourself in a situation where you are entering the Red Zone, take a step back, regroup, and refocus on the goal.

Mr. Trawick also is consulting with the PWC BOD to facilitate development of their leadership skills. Each member completed a questionnaire to identify each of their top five talents, as discussed in the book “Strength Finders”.

These strengths help identify how we interact with others.

Do we prefer to work things out on our own or seek discussion with others? Do we work best when someone else is either pushing or pulling on us, or do we prefer to find that motivation from inside? Knowing these talents can help the Board work together and better promote the PWC goals.

Thanks very much to Andrew Trawick on a very informative and entertaining presentation. ✈

A ndrew Trawick shared career devel-opment tips based on individual performance management (IPM).

We can be happy with what we do in our jobs for the rest of our lives, if we take the time to accomplish IPM and hold ourselves accountable.

The first step in the process is get-ting to know ourselves. We need to understand our strengths, how we’re able to perform better, and our values. Know those traits you are 100% sure you possess.

When it comes to performance, under-stand how best you take in information. For example, it can be through reading or listening. Also, understand how best you process information, whether through writing, talking, or by doing.

Finally, know which work environment you’re able to thrive in, whether it’s work-ing on your own versus in a team, in small organizations versus large organizations, or working as an advisor versus being the decision maker.

Another suggestion is to write down your values and your organization’s val-ues, and then compare them. You’ll be happier, if there’s an overlap in values.

Also, you may experience different levels of engagement at your work-place, and these can be categorized into five stages:

1. Inception: When you’ve started something new.

2. Resignation: Where you show up, do your work, and go home.

3. Deception: Where you feel a com-pany has tried to deceive you.

4. Identity: When you like what you do and enjoy it!

5. Alignment: This is your perfect zone; finding what you can do for the rest of your life and being happy with it.

It’s important to note we may not always see ourselves as others do. That’s why it’s a good idea to check with PWC’s BOD, made of family, friends, and col-leagues, to gain a complete assessment of ourselves. Once we understand what we can offer through our strengths, performance, and values, and find alignment in the workplace, we can positively impact the world. ✈

“ If you find yourself in a situation where you are entering the Red Zone, take a step back, regroup, and refocus on the goal.”

Red Zone/Blue Zone:

Turning Conflict into OpportunitySummary by Kelley Kohring, PWC Eastern Regional Director


F ederal employees with health cover-age through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan have

access to online tools and resources for improving or maintaining their health.

Available for use through MyBlue®, the tools feature wellness, education, health promotion, and disease prevention resources, with a strong focus on pro-moting a healthy lifestyle and managing chronic conditions. The tools are seam-less, simple, safe, and secure to use on computers, tablets, and mobile devices.

Service Benefit Plan members have access to the Blue Health Assessment (BHA), which helps them learn about their health risks. After completing this simple questionnaire, members receive a personalized report with action steps to improve their health.

Members can take the BHA multiple times throughout the year as members track their progress. Members can earn $50 on a health debit card to use for qualified medical expenses the first time they take the BHA in 2017.

Another tool is the Online Health Coach, which provides members with tailored activities and encouragement for achieving personalized goals related to physical and emotional well-being, as well as managing conditions. Members can earn up to $120 more for achiev-ing three eligible goals with the Online Health Coach.

Through the Personal Health Record (PHR), members have easy access to their health information at home or on the go, from their com-puter, smartphone or tablet.

Health information is automati-cally entered in a member’s PHR when claims are processed and when a mem-ber completes the BHA.

Members can enter additional infor-mation, as well, to have their complete health record at their fingertips.

Other tools and resources include the 24/7 Nurse Line, which gives mem-bers reliable health information from knowledgeable, registered nurses; and the Online Symptom Checker, which mem-bers can use to research possible causes for various symptoms.

Healthy Families aim to get the entire family involved in health by offering tips and ideas for a healthy lifestyle. Members also have access to educational and medi-cal resources, which help members better understand their own health issues.

For more information visit fepblue.org. ✈

We proudly support Professional Women Controllers, Inc. (PWC) and the 2017 National Training Conference.

With all of our healthy benefi ts, online tools and incentives,no one does more to help you get the most out of life.

FEARLESS ISGETTING MORE OUT OFEVERY MOMENT.

www.fepblue.org

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan’s Health Resources and Rewards

Anchors Aweigh! PWC’s 2017 National Training Conference

PWC’s 2017 National Training Conference


Exciting and Challenging TimesSummary by Jennifer Lemmon, PWC Southwest Regional Director

PWC is always thankful for the sup-port we receive from all levels of the FAA. At this year’s Anchors Aweigh

Conference, Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) Tim Arel took time to speak with us on behalf of Chief Operat-ing Officer Teri Bristol, who was in Vietnam representing the agency at a CANSO meeting.

Mr. Arel spoke to the fact we are in an exciting and challenging profes-sion and in exciting, but challenging, times. With many things going on in the agency today, those challenges can seem like larger obstacles or distrac-tions each day.

Mr. Arel spent time going over the state of our profession and our organiza-tion, and how we as an agency intend to navigate our present challenges. Mr. Arel believed this appropriate given the theme of this year’s conference...Anchors Aweigh; preparing for endless possibili-ties...preparing for the future.

Throughout our time listening to Mr. Arel, he spoke of the exciting times, and, once again, aviation is front and center in the revolution of technol-ogy and services. UAS and commercial space are presenting incredible oppor-tunities for science, public safety, and services to the community.

We are navigating through these complex issues, as we continue to modernize the NAS through the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGEN), while also managing legacy equipment and procedures on a daily basis.

People are the most precious and effective resource in accomplishing our mission. As controllers working and managing the system, our involve-ment in the development and deploy-ment of NextGEN programs, and the eventual integration of UAS and com-mercial space into the NAS, is crucial. Attention to detail and professionalism is critical, as we ensure both new and old procedures or technology provide the highest level of service each day during these transformational times.

Mr. Arel spoke to the staffing chal-lenges faced over the last few years, most notably in the wake of sequestration in 2013. That one-year shutdown in the hiring and training of new controllers and technicians is being felt, as we would have seen those folks fully certified by now.

The good news is we have the solution in our buildings. The agency exceeded the hiring numbers last year, and we are well on our way to doing so again this year. These people are excited and motivated to be joining our profession, and now they need our help growing into Certified Professional Controllers (CPC).

The agencies national release policy has ensured we are moving our existing CPCs where they are needed, and it is allowing our staffing to improve as a system. Some

complain they are faced with two-year release dates and/or their current staffing is not as good as it should be.

Under the old system, short-staffed facilities remained short staffed, most had one-and-one-half to two-year release dates, and each facility acted independently and inconsistently in how it managed staffing. Now, the agency handles staffing in a transparent, consis-tent, and collaborative process and in a centralized manner. It’s working.

Mr. Arel noted the solution is in your building, and he challenges each of us to make sure we are doing everything we can to provide quality training, to encourage a positive work environment, and to act as worthy role models. It will benefit you, your facility, and our profession.

As you may have heard, Congress appears to have agreed upon a budget deal for the remainder of fiscal year 2017. This bodes well for the FAA, in the short term, but many challenges remain ahead in the out years, starting with fiscal year 2018, just five short months away.

Balancing budgets, with changing or increasing operational demands, is noth-ing new, but, more and more, we find ourselves having to continually repriori-tize our resources to meet the mission. Each of you may see areas we should put more money into or work that may or may not appear to be important.

Mr. Arel wants to assure all of us the NAS is incredibly complex, and it takes a tremendous amount of effort, across several lines of business and service units, to make it function each day. If you


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have questions or concerns, please speak with your managers, leaders, and others to learn more about different aspects of the operation, and gain context around our programs and initiatives. It’s easy to criticize or complain, but, as true pro-fessionals, the hope is you will seek to gain understanding and provide insight toward possible solutions along the way.

Another issue is talk and debate about potentially privatizing the air navigation service provision of the FAA. We know such an initiative was discussed in com-mittee last year, but Congress chose to extend our current reauthorization until October this year. Chairman Shuster has indicated he will introduce a similar bill this year, and the current administration has stated support for such a measure.

We know there are many different versions of this action being discussed, but no one knows what the final out-come will be or if the measure will pass.

We can all debate the merits of such a plan, and we all know there are issues with our current funding structure which is limiting the efficient deploy-ment of NextGEN.

What we need to do now is keep focused on running the NAS safely and limit distractions in the operation. We have plenty to concentrate on in training our new personnel, developing new procedures, and implementing new technology. And, we all are the key to our success.

Mr. Arel took time to speak with us about some concerns/questions we had, some of which included: UAS opera-tions and education getting out to the

communities; academy success/failure rates and how the application process is working; collaboration with NATCA and how the relationship has evolved; and the development of the Front-Line Manager Recruitment/Retention Program, to name a few.

PWC is honored and grateful to DCOO Tim Arel for taking time out of his extremely busy schedule to speak with us at the conference, as well as talk with us during breaks. We appre-ciate fully his and the agencies support! As Mr. Arel stated in the beginning, these are exciting but challenging times, and he believes we are prepared for the endless possibilities. ✈

“ Now, the agency handles staffing in a transparent, consistent, and collaborative process and in a centralized manner. It’s working. ”


A t this year’s annual conference, Rob Cook and Alexandra “Sandy” Officer spoke to us about NAV

Canada Technology. Sandy is on the Operational Systems Requirements Team at NAV Canada and started as an ATC in 1999. Rob Cook is the Vice President of the Business Devel-opment for the NAVCAN Air Traffic Management (ATM) division of NAV Canada and has held several roles within the company.

NAV Canada is a private, non-share capital company, the second larg-est Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in the world. NAV Canada covers 18 million square kilometers (over 5 million square nautical miles) of airspace and is still regulated by the federal government on safety perfor-mance. NAV Canada employs 4,800 employees across the country, in 193 facilities, and performs services such as, Air Traffic Control, Weather Briefings, Aeronautical and Flight Information, Electronic Navigation Aids and Airport Advisory Services.

Their mission statement is to be a world leader in the provision of safe, efficient, and cost-effective air naviga-tion services on a sustainable basis, while providing a professional and fulfilling work environment for their employ-ees. They discussed Vision 20/20, Collaborative Decision Making (CDM), Flow Management, Common Hardware Integrated Platform (CHIP), and Aireon with us during lunch.

VISION 20/20 Vision 20/20 is the Integrated Controller Working Position. It would be available for all operational positions and is architected for real time operations. It is adaptable, local/remote capable and allows for a robust, flexible and scalable infrastructure.

It is a way to streamline movement between facilities to ease the transition; the system is essentially the same, but the workstation is specific to your discipline. It is a multi-functional system that can be used in Enroute or the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), with the functionality to see ground and air radar simply by zooming in or out. It reduces operating costs and is the “iPad” of the ATC world, in terms of how easy it is to use and its design.

COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING (CDM)CDM is a web browser with secure access where information is shared for key stakeholders such as airlines and air-ports. This tool is used by Air Canada, WestJet, and Canadian Airport Authori-ties and is used in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Dubai, and Hong Kong and is currently being tested in Ottawa.

ONTIME FLOW MANAGEMENTONTIME is the Flow Management Tool used to predict delays, produce flight duration and gas needed, reduce environmental footprint and increase collaboration of all systems. It makes an ongoing assessment by taking into account things like the airport configura-tion, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), Weather, Aircraft Performance, Ground Delay Programs (GDPs), and Special Use Airspace (SUA). Tools like this help NAV CANADA move 12 million aircraft through their airspace.

COMMON HARDWARE INTEGRATED PLATFORM (CHIP)With the installation of CHIP software, upgrades were simplified; 40% of servers were removed from the operations and redundancy was increased. It functions like an “ATC Cloud” and, thus, provided cost

savings, system growth, performance and opportunities for future functionality.

AIREONAireon is a joint venture between Iridium Communications, NAV CANADA, ENAV (Italy), Iris Aviation Authority, and Naviair (Denmark) to reduce aircraft separation minima using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broad-cast (ADS-B) via Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites. This venture will provide the first ever complete pole (north) to pole (south) coverage, enhance safety, decrease congestion, save fuel, reduce emissions and environmental impact and increase the capacity and efficiency of air operations.

There are 10 LEO satellites currently in orbit, and the coverage was better than expected; the rest of them will be deployed in a series of seven launches and should be fully operational in 2018.

ALERT and GlobalBeacon Services are offered with Aireon. ALERT is the free Aircraft Locating and Emergency Response Tracking service and works with ADS-B and is accessed by rescue agencies and ANSPs.

GlobalBeacon is the real time global tracking service of ADS-B aircraft that helps airlines become compliant with ICAO Aeronautical Distress Safety System standards. Services like these could have helped with flights like Malaysia 370.

It was eye-opening to see how advanced air traffic systems can be. These systems would greatly improve the way FAA ATCs do their job. It was a privilege and honor to witness this presentation and speak personally with Rob and Sandy about NAV CANADA. I look forward to visiting one of their facilities in person. ✈

NAVCanada’s Advanced Air Traffic SystemsSummary by Micah Freeman, PWC Southern Regional Director

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ANNIE B. ANDREWS, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, FAA Ms. Andrews spoke of her military experience and her goal of taking care of FAA employees and their families. When asked if she found working for the FAA much different than her experience in the military, she replied it was not different, “If we take care of families, we can take better care of our people.”

Ms. Andrews has spent the last 18 months building communication within the organization. She organized a cam-paign that introduces Human Resources to people in the field, making it more accessible to frontline employees. She encouraged us to continue to educate ourselves on programs within the FAA.

She also reminded us to move out and set sail; “Sometimes the wind is behind you, and sometimes it’s against you.” She reminded us we have the quality and skills it takes to be leaders. She also discussed a new program called “Total Rewards”. This will be a voluntary leave bank to support employees with health issues or employees who have family members with health issues.

ANTHONY FERRANTE, DIRECTOR OF AIR TRAFFIC OVERSIGHT SERVICE (AOV), FAAMr. Ferrante spoke of his family and his first job doing landscaping for Lock-heed. While working on landscaping at the terminal, he asked for a tour of the tower. He was impressed with the con-trollers and upon learning most of them were in the Air Force, he decided to join the Air Force and be a controller.

He spoke about the start of AOV in 1997 and educated us on the mission of

AOV: to provide oversight on air traffic rules, regulations, and directives and to make sure we have a safe, functioning system. This organization is instrumen-tal in identifying the annual top five risks through air traffic audits.

TERRY BIGGIO, VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFETY AND TECHNICAL TRAINING, ATO, FAA Mr. Biggio spoke of a recent discussion with a controller about September 11th. He acknowledged the challenges we faced on that day and how our workforce operated flawlessly as a team.

Mr. Biggio talked about the state of the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP). ATSAP had over 16,000 reports last year. Issues would not have surfaced without this program. He encouraged us to report everything.

He also talked about recent visits to the FAA Academy with Steve Hansen, NATCA National Safety Representa-tive. They talked to students about safety culture with the expectation these students will hear about it again from the Air Traffic Managers and Facility Reps at their facilities.

Mr. Biggio also promoted the program “Complete the Picture”, done collaboratively with NATCA, which promotes safety issues.

MAMIE MALLORY, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, FAA Ms. Mallory acknowledged our organi-zational volunteers by talking about her past as President of the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees and how it was one of the more reward-ing experiences in her career. Ms. Mallory

covered current race, national origin, and gender statistics in the FAA (see below).

National Civilian Labor Force in 2010 (Represents both Male & Female)Hispanic/Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.96%Black/African American . . . . . . . . . 12.02%Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.90%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander . . . 0.14%American Indian/Alaska Native . . . . 1.08%Two or More Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.54%White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72.36%

FAA Race and National Origin End of FY 2016 (Represents both Male & Female) Hispanic/Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.63%Black/African American . . . . . . . . . 10.73%Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.66%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander . . . 0.38%American Indian/Alaska Native . . . . 1.53%Two or More Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.44%White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.61%

FAA organizations are working to do broad outreach and recruitment. While the FAA hiring process is fair, the numbers are not changing. Ms. Mallory encourages involvement in science, technol-ogy, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, especially for young children. More outreach should be done both in high schools and elementary schools.

Ms. Mallory also spoke on the increased Equal Employment Oppor-tunity (EEO) diversity training being completed by FAA managers and the strides we made in creating a Model Work Environment. When asked about the status of Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools, Ms. Mallory said they are here to stay, with 36 currently active. ✈

FAA Executive PanelSummary by Christina Calvert, PWC Vice President

Annie B. Andrews, Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management; Anthony Ferrante, Director of Air Traffic Oversight Service (AOV); Terry Biggio, Vice President of Safety and Technical Training; and Mamie Mallory, Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights, shared a little about themselves and provided updates on current activities and projects.


Between work and everything else you do each day, it can be challeng-ing to focus on ways to live health-

ier. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it may not be as hard as you think. Here are 10 health tips to get you started:

1. Get regular preventive care screenings. Preventive care exams can help you keep tabs on your overall health, catch potential health issues early, and establish a relation-ship with your health care provider. Regular mammograms and Pap tests are the most effective way to catch breast cancer or cervical cancer early, when they are easier to treat.

2. Eat well. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to sup-port good health, ensure your body functions at maximum capacity, and help prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

3. Get more sleep. Insufficient sleep can wreak havoc on both your physi-cal and mental well-being. Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

4. Reduce your stress. Prolonged elevated stress levels can lead to heart disease, digestive problems, and depres-sion. Becoming mindful of your stress level and identifying coping strategies, like meditation, is essential to keeping your health in balance.

5. Be active. Aim for at least two-and one-half hours of moderate intensity activity each week. Walking, run-ning, swimming, dancing — whatever you choose. It will strengthen your muscles, prevent illness, and help improve your mood.

6. Limit alcohol. Drinking too much can cause serious damage to your overall health. The Centers for Dis-ease Control (CDC) defines moder-ate drinking as up to one drink per day for women. One drink equals:• 12 ounces of 5% ABV beer• 5 ounces of 12% ABV wine• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor

7. Care for your heart. Heart dis-ease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Keep your heart healthy by eating right, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight — and have regular blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. Regular screenings offer the best chance of catching heart disease early, before it leads to a serious medical condition.

8. Keep your bones healthy. Women have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to be weak and brittle. The best ways to prevent osteoporosis are to ensure you get enough cal-cium in your diet by eating low fat dairy, get plenty of vitamin D, eat healthfully, be active, limit alcohol, and avoid smoking. If you are age 50 or older, talk to your doctor about whether you should get a bone density test.

9. Drink more water. Water lubricates your joints, helps eliminate bodily waste, keeps your cells and tissues nourished and protected, and helps regulate your body temperature. Drinking an adequate amount of water every day is important for keeping your body and brain func-tioning at peak performance.

10. Be social. Not only can our friends bring us happiness, emotional sup-port, and often a lot of laughter, research has shown they also can help keep our minds sharp. A study published by the American Journal of Public Health shows that women with a larger personal network of friends reduced their risk of dementia by 26 percent, and those who contacted their friends and family every day cut their risk by nearly half.

GEHA provides health, dental, and other benefits designed exclusively for federal employees. Learn more at geha.com. ✈

Ten Health Tips For All WomenBy GEHA

OR-ADS-0517-001 VF PWC AD.indd 1 6/1/2017 2:55:47 PM


Finding Your Purpose: The Leadership JourneySummary by Lindsey Knox, PWC Director of Resources

Take the time to find your purpose, your joy and your uniqueness. Ms. Laurie G. Lachance got our attention immediately. She was inspiring, honest and genuine.

A fter welcoming us to the great state of Maine and introducing herself as the first woman President at

Thomas College, Ms. Lachance told us how she prepared for this presentation. In an attempt to understand and connect with her audience, she did what anyone would do, she googled “characteristics of an Air Traffic Controller”. Her search rendered we are “super human”.

No pressure, right? She talked about our many other traits as well, mentioning we have exceptional spatial awareness, excellent memory, and simultaneous capacity, but “super human” was what we all smirked and laughed about.

After learning this, she was perplexed at how she would relate to us or what she could say that could possibly inter-est or inspire us. Ms. Lachance has met thousands of people but has only known two ATCs in her life. One was her father and the other a dear friend and member of PWC. Both, she believed, had super-human characteristics.

Ms. Lachance spoke about the vari-ous ways her life unfolded and how she discovered her purpose. After losing both her parents, she felt much like an orphan. The loss in her life left a void. She learned through her pain, if you want to be fulfilled, you must press pause and reassess to find the strength to try something new.

After the passing of her father, she became the first woman of Maine to be a State Economist. Eleven years later, her mother passed away, and she again expe-rienced a profound loss. It took time for her to process the new emptiness.

Because of her journey, she had the strength and tenacity to accept the Chief Executive Officer of the Maine Development Foundation, once again becoming the first female to hold such a position. She said her unintentional path led her to her current position in leadership, and this was when she finally realized her purpose.

On September 22, 2012, Ms. Lachance was inaugurated as the fifth President of Thomas College. Her previ-ous positions and experience had earned her the merit and knowledge to be able to accept the challenge of leading the future of education at Thomas College.

Ms. Lachance is from a very small town in the center of Maine called Dover-Foxcroft. Neither of her parents attended college. They enjoyed a modest life, but they understood the value of education. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Bowdoin College.

When she was told at an early age she would not be promoted without an advanced degree, she pursued her Master of Business Administration at Thomas College. There she served on many boards, prior to becoming president, because she believes Thomas College is a place that serves the very heart of Maine.

The vast majority of the graduates stay and work in Maine to help the communities and the state grow. She said, “Thomas teaches humility, hard work, and gives you a ‘can-do’ attitude.” Statistics show 70 percent of all Thomas College students are the first generation to attend college. Most students work several jobs to pay their way.

Ms. Lachance encouraged us to write out our lives, to see all the ups and downs, and to realize the challenges we had overcome. This should be a very curvy line with many peaks and valleys.

She asked us to lead from behind. Meaning we shouldn’t forget where we came from. I laughed and agreed when she said, “There is a place in hell for

women that don’t inspire women.” She believes everyone can be a leader. You must nurture that path and know your purpose, because leaders are not born, they are made.

You must know yourself. Take every assessment you can to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Study the results to have better communication or better personality traits. Take care of yourself. Write a gratitude journal. Remind yourself of all you have, not what you have missed.

Exercise, eat healthy, and don’t miss out on too much sleep. Invest in yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Challenge yourself to expand your horizons. Read everything.

Never stop educating yourself. Inspire yourself. Take time to reflect. Choose a word that will help you focus and guide you each year. Thrive to achieve, and the possibilities are endless.

At the end of her inauguration ceremony in September 2012, a woman came on stage to sing a song called “Nia”, meaning purpose. This was her revelation. Ms. Lachance was born to give hope to young people from humble roots, particu-larly young women.

She wants everyone to know with education, all things are possible. She encouraged us to “dare to dream big and seize those opportunities when they arise.” ✈

I have the great honor to give my synopsis of speaker Barbara J. Smith’s motivating and inspirational topic, “Building your foundation and Moving Beyond”. First off, I would like to talk about this incredible lady

named BJ Smith. BJ is an alumnus member of PWC — I first heard BJ speak during our 2014 National Training Conference in Orlando, Florida. I found her captivating then, and, this year, her words continued to do so, and much more.

Her FAA career of more than 30 years helped define her legacy, but she did not stop there. Since retiring, she has held positions with multiple government FAA contract companies and in various capacities including: Washington Consulting Group, Lockheed Martin, and currently SAIC in Oklahoma City at Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.

Summarizing a great inspiring speaker like BJ is like trying to catch a lightening bug, meaning not impossible but requiring attempts from different angles. So, this is the angle I observed.

Barbara J. Smith loves life and has a passion for spreading that love. It is apparent to anyone around her that her love for life comes from many places within herself. These places include pride of being a woman in ATC, love for family, and adoration for the purpose and goals of our organization, PWC. She spoke on the legacy of self and in PWC.

BJ touched on developing yourself, noting that we should not rely on others or on the FAA to do so. She encouraged each of us to invest in ourselves. Investing in yourself by doing things that make you stand out shows confidence in yourself.

She used PWC as an example of one way we can invest in ourselves, while investing in others around us. As BJ pointed out, PWC is built upon the collaborative energy and synergy of its members. She reminded each person in the audience just how unique and rare an ATC is statistically.

Plus, we should all be proud of ourselves in our profession and in PWC. One way is by always paying it forward, i.e., volunteer, train, donate, or help recruit the next generation to ATC. And, spread the mission and message of PWC, wherever you go. She emphasized for all of us to: • Be strong, and work through what bothers you. • If there is something you don’t like, change it. Be a survivor. • Once you get that door of possibility open, be proud! • Then, pause there for a second; stick your foot in that

threshold, and hold that door open for someone else. • Focus on bringing other people up with you by investing in

others whether that be through being a mentor, an On-the-Job-Instructor (OJTI), a leader, a supervisor, or a friend.

Building Your Foundation and Moving BeyondSummary by Marcy Soto, Past PWC Membership Director/Corporate Chair

“ If you have a desire to be something, become that ‘something’ before you get the title.” — BJ Smith



Launching Your Second Career:

Finding a New Job Outside the Federal GovernmentSummary by Kelley Kohring, PWC Eastern Regional Director

M any ATCs have either reached minimum retirement age or are quickly approaching minimum

retirement age. They are young (50 is the new 40), ready and willing to work and still have something to offer. However, there are only so many support specialist jobs. Management may or may not be the right fit, and only so many jobs are available. Where does one go to look for a new direction?

The answer could very well be con-tract work. Numerous companies are seeking qualified, eager, retired ATCs. Many of these jobs are in Washington D.C., as well as across the country. How does one find these jobs? How do they apply? Who do they talk to? There are so many questions.

Kelly Caccetta, Executive Vice President, CSSI, answered these ques-tions and many more. Ms. Caccetta joined CSSI 2011 as Director of

Human Resources. She began her career as a teacher and registered emergency and trauma nurse which shows that where you start is certainly no indica-tion of where you might end up.

The first step to finding your next job is to update your resume. There are many online resources where you can post your resume. Just be certain your resume speaks to the qualifications a company is looking for in a job applicant.

When companies review resumes, they spend very little time reviewing them which is why your qualifications must stand out. Use your contacts when looking for a job to know when oppor-tunities become available. Go through the appropriate process to apply, but follow up with your contact to let them know you’ve applied.

When a job offer comes in, your first instinct may be to immediately accept. But wait, it’s time to negotiate.

Discuss all aspects of the job offer at one time. Do not settle on a salary, accept the position, and later discuss time off. Be sure to bring up potential perks of the job (parking, Metro ben-efits) when negotiating. This is why it’s important to take a minute after an offer comes in before you accept.

As a retired ATC, I speak from personal experience. I worked 18 years as a controller, a frontline manager for four years, an acting support manager for two years, and did 15 months on detail at headquarters. I retired in 2015 and started my second career with Human Solutions Inc. (HSI). Currently, I work in Terminal Standards and Procedures, Mission Support Services, Headquarters, enjoying my second career and finding the work interesting and fulfilling. ✈

On March 4, 2017, I attended Girls in Aviation Day, held in conjunc-tion with the Women in Avia-

tion International (WAI) conference. Approximately 300 young girls attended this event, ranging from middle school age to high school seniors.

There were stations where girls could build airplanes made from Styrofoam and/or paper; some were powered. There was a matching magnetic station with parts of airplanes to familiarize them with what the parts look like, where they go, and how they work.

There was a station where they learned, by making bracelets, about being safe when it came to wiring. There was a

station where they built an airport and were given a guide to teach airport markings and signage.

I worked at two stations: The Smart Skies simulator, an ATC simulator where you can manipulate flight path or speeds to keep the aircraft from crashing. The other station was a flight simulator where you’re flying an airplane, keeping it within circles and landing at the airport. The cool thing about Smart Skies is there’s an app for your phone that’s called Sector 33. Access it at www.atcsim.nasa.gov.

And, of course, there was a station dedicated to drones. Last, but not least, there was a table where Girl Scouts

could pick up their very own Aviation Girl patch for attending the event.

Being able to attend this event was amazing! It was remarkable to be sur-rounded by young, positive minds who are excited about their future, to talk about ATC to people, and to network.

In addition, there was a panel of women from various aviation back-grounds (astronaut, mechanics, ATC, airline captain, etc.). Each panelist gave her story, and the girls asked questions. I encourage everyone to find out about events like this, because they can be life-changing. ✈

Girls in Aviation EventBy Micah Freeman, PWC Southern Regional Director


Osteoporosis, which causes thin and weakened bones, is a progressive disease that is a major health threat

for our aging population. In fact, 54 mil-lion Americans have osteoporosis or low bone mass today.1

Studies show that half of the female population and 25% of the male popula-tion older than age 50 will suffer a frac-ture due to this disease in their lifetime, often without symptoms until a fracture occurs. Women are at a higher risk due, in large part, to the drop in estrogen pro-duction after menopause. By age 75, the risk is the same for both men and women.2

CAUSES OF THE DISEASE AND HOW TO FIGHT ITWithout proper prevention and treatment, a person suffering from osteoporosis faces the possibility of a dramatically altered lifestyle. The human body produces any-where from 85% to 90% of its bone mass by the time a person is 18 to 20 years old.

At that point, new bone generation begins being outpaced by bone loss.2 Hormone levels, calcium and mineral retention, exercise, and other factors all play a role in determining the likelihood that osteoporosis may become a reality for you or your loved ones.

ASSESSING YOUR RISK FOR OSTEOPOROSIS If you are 50 years or older, it may be a good idea to speak with your health care professional about your potential risk for this disease. Your doctor may want to evaluate your risk factors by asking ques-tions about your diet, height and weight, lifestyle, family bone health history, and use of certain medications.

A fracture is the most common symp-tom of osteoporosis. Should a fracture occur, there is a significant possibility that physical independence and overall mobility could be limited. In these cases, the need for long term care is often a sudden reality.

THE FLTCIP CAN HELPThe Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) offers comprehen-sive long term care insurance coverage for care services in a variety of settings and your choice of caregiver. Care may be provided at home by informal care-givers such as friends, family members, and other private caregivers, as well as formal care by licensed caregivers. Infor-mal caregivers cannot have lived in your home at the time you became eligible for benefits, but they can live in your home after you become eligible.

In addition, the FLTCIP’s care coor-dination services offer you and your quali-fied relatives information about long term care resources as well as valuable support to your family as you manage the condi-tions of osteoporosis.

Many members of the federal family are eligible to apply for FLTCIP cover-age. To find out if you or a loved one is eligible to apply, visit LTCFEDS.com/eligibility. For personalized assis-tance, call 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) TTY 1-800-843-3557 to speak with a program consultant.

MORE ABOUT THE FLTCIPEstablished by an act of Congress in 2000 and overseen by the U.S. Office of Person-nel Management, the FLTCIP is designed to meet the specific needs of the Federal family. The FLTCIP provides industry-leading benefits and offers flexible options that allow enrollees to tailor coverage to meet their needs.

Certain medical conditions, or combi-nations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for cover-age. You need to apply to find out if you qualify for coverage under the FLTCIP.

FLTCIP is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, issued by John Hancock Life & Health Insur-ance Company, and administered by Long Term Care Partners, LLC. ✈

Americans with Osteoporosis

Face an Increased Risk of Needing Long Term Care

FLTCIP8092

You’ve reached retirement, and now it’s time to enjoy the next chapter of your life. But should unforeseen circumstances arise—such as the possible need for long term care—do you have a plan to help ensure your hard-earned savings are protected?

Including the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)—designed specifically for the federal family—as part of your retirement plan can help safeguard your savings and assets should you ever need long term care.

Note: Certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You need to apply to find out if you qualify for coverage under the FLTCIP.

Start Planning Today1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) TTY 1-800-843-3557 LTCFEDS.com/PWC

Retirement: What’s

Your Plan?

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, insured by John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, and administered by Long Term Care Partners, LLC.

1. National Osteoporosis Foundation. “What Is Osteoporosis and What Causes It?,” nof.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis (accessed March 2017).

2. University of Maryland Medical Center. “Osteoporosis,” umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/osteoporosis (accessed March 2017).


A s we move into an economy gov-erned by a new president in 2017, tax strategies will inevitably change

for future tax years. Fortunately, this past year brought positive trends, such as increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) output1, unemployment claims at a 43-year low2, and more, meaning our next president will inherit a more robust economy. Though we won’t know precisely what the 2018 tax environment will be yet, you can still create efficiency in your tax planning this year.

Here are some tips you can do today to address your tax planning needs. Before you act on any strategies in this report, we encourage you to consult with your tax professional about the options that are right for you.

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2017?The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced its inflation adjust-ments for the 2017 tax year, which we summarize below.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

Contribute Maximum Amount to Retirement Accounts

Contribute your maximum amounts to your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) accounts. The sooner you contrib-ute the money, the sooner the amount can start growing tax deferred. Making deductible contributions also reduces your taxable income for the year.

In 2016 and 2017, you can contribute a maximum of $5,500 per person, plus an extra $1,000 if you’re 50 and older. You can split this limit between a tradi-tional IRA and a Roth IRA, if you desire; the combined limit is still $5,500, or $6,500 if you are over 50.3

CHECK YOUR IRA DISTRIBUTIONSFollowing the year you turn 70 1/2 years old, you are required to take minimum distributions from your traditional IRA by April 1. So, if you turned 70 on August 10, 2016, you’ll turn 70 1/2 on February 10, 2017 — and you will need to take your first Required Minimum Distribu-tion (RMD) by April 1, 2018.

Thereafter, you’ll need to take your RMD by December 31 each year. Not distributing enough money triggers a 50% excise tax on the amount you should have withdrawn. This amount is based on your age, life expectancy, and the account’s balance at the beginning of the year.4 Keep in mind that if you wait until April 1, 2018, you’ll still need to take a RMD for 2018, by the end of 2018.

IMPORTANT TAX ISSUES AND UPDATES FOR 2017

Social Security Tax Caps

The 2016 Social Security tax cap is at 6.2% for most employees. In 2017, however, the maximum taxable earnings amount will increase from $118,500 to

$127,200. The IRS estimates that this increase will see 12 million people pay-ing more into Social Security as a result of this change.6

MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTIONS Age 65 and older used to be exempt from the 10% rule, but starting this year all taxpayers must claim 10%.8

ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX (AMT) IN 2017In 2013, Congress permanently indexed the AMT for inflation. For 2017, the IRS raised the AMT exemption amount to $54,300 for individuals and $84,500 for married couples filing jointly.9

FATTEN YOUR EMPLOYER-SPONSORED PLANTax-deferred investing is a smart choice because you grow your money tax-free until you withdraw it. Maximize your 401(k), 403(b), 457, and Thrift Sav-ings Plan (TSP) contributions, which are limited to $18,000, or $24,000 if you will be age 50 or older in 2016.11

Tax Planning for the FutureProvided by Michael Livingston and Glenn Livingston, Livingston Federal Employee Retirement Planning

The simple word “taxes” can make people squirm as they think about all the details they need to address. But, with some forward-looking planning, managing your taxes doesn’t have to be as difficult as it can seem.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX BRACKETS

2016 2017

25%Single $37,651 – $91,150 $37,951 – $91,900

Joint $75,301 – $151,900 $75,901 – $153,100

28%Single $91,151 – $190,150 $91,901 – $191,650

Joint $151,901 – $231,450 $153,101 – $233,350

33%Single $190,151 – $413,350 $191,651 – $416,700

Joint $231,451 – $413,350 $233,351 – $416,700

35%Single $413,351 – $415,050 $416,701 – $418,400

Joint $413,351 – $466,950 $416,701 – $470,700

39.6%Single $415,051+ $418,401+

Joint $466,951+ $470,701+

SOURCE: IRS.gov

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FSARemember that you can take tax-free withdrawals from Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for qualified medical, dental, and child care costs in 2016 and 2017. This is also the time of year when you might need to specify how much salary you’ll contribute to your FSA. In 2017, the annual limit for employee contributions to sponsored health FSAs is $2,600.13

BE CHARITABLEIf you itemize deductions, a gift to a qualified organization may entitle you to a charitable contribution deduction against your income tax — so the tax savings reduces the actual donation cost.

For example, if you are in the 33% tax bracket, the effective cost of a $100 donation is only $67. As your income tax bracket increases, the real cost of your charitable gift decreases, making contributions more attractive for those in higher brackets.

For a person in the highest tax bracket (39.6%), the actual cost of a $100 dona-tion is only about $60. Typically, chari-table donations are capped at 50% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), though lower limits may apply in some cases.15

This time of year, many people choose to donate items to charity instead of mak-ing a monetary contribution. Not only can donations prevent perfectly good items from getting wasted, but you can deduct them from your taxes as long as you have written documentation of the donation. Here are a few things you need to know about donating items:16

You’ll need a written acknowledgment from the charity for any donated item valued over $250.• If you claim a deduction for an item

worth over $500, you may need to include a qualified appraisal or be able to show that the item was in good working condition.

• If you donate a car, boat, or airplane to charity, special rules apply.

GIVE A GIFTEach year, you can also pass money to loved ones tax free. You can give up to the annual exclusion amount — $14,000 in 2016 and 2017 — to as many people as you like every year, without facing any gift taxes. Recipients never owe income tax on the gifts.17

In addition to the annual gift amount for 2016, the IRS allows you to give up to $5.45 million during your lifetime or as part of your estate without paying taxes. In 2017, the estate and gift tax exemp-tion will rise to $5.49 million.18 The IRS indexes this limit to inflation, and it will continue to rise each year, increasing the amount that you can gift to your loved ones without owing estate taxes.

FUND AN EDUCATIONThe IRS offers taxpayers several credits and deductions to help offset the cost of education. The American Opportunity Tax Credit was extended through 2017. This credit allows you to claim qualified expenses up to $2,500 in 2016.19

A tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar, the government will give you up to $2,500 per year for each qualifying col-lege student in your family. The Lifetime Learning Credit allows you to claim quali-fied expenses up to a maximum of $2,000 per tax return.20

Keep in mind that income restrictions kick in for these credits, so check with your tax professional to see if you qual-ify. Also, the IRS now requires taxpayers to submit a Form 1098-T to show the amount paid in qualified tuition and expenses to claim education credits.21

MANAGE YOUR MEDICARE TAXESIf you use Medicare, you will also have additional taxes to manage beyond what’s automatically taken out of each paycheck by your employer. High-wage earners will have to pay an additional 0.9% on earned income above the thresholds of $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for joint filers.

Footnotes, Disclosures, and Sources

Registered Representatives of INVEST Financial Corporation member FINRA/SIPC. INVEST and its affiliated insurance agen-cies offer securities, advisory services, and certain insurance products and are not affiliated with Livingston Federal or any government agency. INVEST does not provide legal or tax advice. #145896-040618

This material is for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security.

Investing involves risk including the potential loss of prin-cipal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.Consult your financial professional before making any

investment decision.Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice

and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial advisor for further information.

These are the views of Platinum Advisor Marketing Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative, bro-ker/dealer, or investment advisor and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named broker/dealer nor the investment advisor gives tax or legal advice.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial advisor for further information.

By clicking on these links, you will leave our server, as they are located on another server. We have not independently verified the information available through these links. They are provided to you as a matter of interest. Please click on the links below to leave and proceed to the selected site.

1. “GDP hits 2.9% in biggest gain in 2 years.” MarketWatch www.marketwatch.com/story/gdp-hits-29-in-biggest-gain-since-mid-2014-2016-10-28 [Accessed November 23, 2016]

2. “Jobless Claims in U.S. Decline to Lowest Level in Four Decades.” Bloomberg. www.bloomberg.com/news/arti-cles/2016-11-17/jobless-claims-in-u-s-decline-to-lowest-level-in-four-decades [Accessed November 23, 2016]

3. “Retirement Topics: IRA Contribution Limits.” IRS. www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retire-ment-topics-ira-contribution-limits [Accessed November 21, 2016].

4. “Retirement Topics: Required Minimum Distributions.” IRS. www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-required-minimum-distributions-rmds [Accessed November 22, 2016]

5. “Important Tax Deadlines and Dates.” TurboTax. turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Planning-and-Checklists/Important-Tax-Dates/INF12059.html [Accessed November 22, 2016]

6. “6 Social Security Changes Coming in 2017.” U.S. News. money.usnews.com/money/blogs/planning-to-retire/articles/2016-10-18/6-social-security-changes-coming-in-2017 [Accessed November 22, 2016]

7. “If you don’t have health insurance: How much you’ll pay.” Healthcare.gov www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/ [Accessed November 22, 2016]

8. “Deducting Medical Expenses for a Major Illness or Injury.” TurboTax. turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/Deducting-Medical-Expenses-for-a-Major-Illness-or-Injury/INF12016.html [Accessed November 22, 2016]

9. “IRS Announces 2017 Tax Rates, Standard Deductions, Exemption Amounts, and More.” Forbes. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2016/10/25/irs-announces-2017-tax-rates-standard-deductions-exemption-amounts-and-more/#57daa509387a [Accessed November 22, 2016]


You also could have a 3.8% Medicare tax on income generated from invest-ments such as capital gains, dividends, and taxable interest.22 These brackets are not indexed for inflation, so they will affect more taxpayers each year. If you’re in the affected income brackets, speak with your investment representative and accounting professional to discuss how the taxes will impact your tax burden this year.

WHY RECEIVING THE BIG TAX REFUND ISN’T GREAT NEWSMany tax refund recipients put the money to work. Approximately 1/3 of taxpayers getting a refund expect to save or invest, while nearly three in 10 will pay down debt, according to Bankrate.com.

The bad news is, if you receive a huge check this spring, it means you have over-paid on taxes throughout the year, which isn’t the best use of your cash flow.

Know your withholding, on your W-4 you make note of your spouse, dependents and filing status; these are your personal allowances, the more allowances you have the less tax withheld.

Some read the form and think, “ I’m married and have three kids,” said Cari Weston, director of tax practice and ethics at the American Institute of Certified Pub-lic Accountants (CPAs). “They end up with five allowances and owe substan-tial taxes at the end of the year.”

Use the IRS calculator to figure out your correct withholding. https://apps.irs.gov/app/withholdingcalculator/

The safest course to avoid owing a large amount at tax time is to fill out your W-4 as “single” or “married”, but withhold at a higher “single rate”, and take no personal allowances. But this could lead to a larger return which isn’t good also.

Tailor your tax load, evaluate your withholding, and make sure it is right for you.• Review your W-4: Striking a balance

for withholding will be based on your salary, spouse’s earnings, tax bracket, and your deductions. If you decide to withhold less for taxes, be smart with your money.

• Compare your tax returns: How did your tax load shape up last year? Unless you had a major change in your life, your deductions are similar year to year.

• Talk to your accountant: The right amount of tax to withhold will vary from one family to the next. Calculat-ing your withholding is complicated if you have multiple sources of income; distributions from retirement accounts or cash from a rental property. In those cases, you will need to make estimated quarterly tax payments.

• Avoid tax arbitrage: If you withhold less in taxes because you have bigger plans with your paycheck, bear in mind you will owe Uncle Sam next year. Don’t gamble with your cash. ✈

10. “2017 Some Tax Benefits Increase Slightly Due to Infla-tion Adjustments, Others Are Unchanged.” IRS. www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/in-2017-some-tax-benefits-increase-slightly-due-to-inflation-adjustments-others-are-unchanged [Accessed November 22, 2016]

11. “How Much Salary Can You Defer If You’re Limited to More Than One Retirement Plan?” IRS. www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/how-much-salary-can-you-defer-if-you-re-eligible-for-more-than-one-retirement-plan [Accessed November 22, 2016]

12. “Morningstar’s Year-End Tax Planning Guide.” Morn-ingstar. news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=780164. [Accessed November 22, 2016]

13. “2017 FSA Contribution Limit Rises to $2600.” Society for Human Resource Management. www.shrm.org/resourc-esandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/2017-fsa-contribu-tion-limits.aspx [Accessed November 21, 2016]

14. “Cut Taxes With Early Mortgage Payment.” Bankrate. www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/cut-taxes-with-early-mort-gage-payment-1.aspx [Accessed November 21, 2016]

15. “Charitable Contribution Deductions.” IRS. www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contribution-deductions [Accessed November 22, 2016]

16. “Eight Tips for Deducting Charitable Contributions.” IRS www.irs.gov/uac/eight-tips-for-deducting-charitable-contributions [Accessed November 21, 2016]

17. “Frequently Asked Questions on Gift Taxes.” IRS www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-gift-taxes [Accessed November 22, 2016]

18. “The IRS Announces 2017 Estate and Gift Tax Limits: The $11 Million Tax Break.” Forbes. www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2016/10/25/irs-announces-2017-estate-and-gift-tax-limits-the-11-million-tax-break/#7f6d69a43fa1 [Accessed November 22, 2016]

19. “American Opportunity Tax Credit.” IRS. www.irs.gov/individuals/aotc [Accessed November 22, 2016]

20. “Lifetime Learning Credit.” IRS www.irs.gov/individuals/llc [Accessed November 22, 2016]

21. “American Opportunity Tax Credit: Questions and Answers.” IRS www.irs.gov/uac/american-opportunity-tax-credit-questions-and-answers [Accessed November 22, 2016]

22. “The Medicare taxes and you.” Fidelity. www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/personal-finance/new-medicare-taxes [Accessed November 22, 2016]

23. www.cnbc.com/2017/03/27/heres-why-that-big-tax-refund-isnt-great-news-for-you.html

CAN YOU AFFORD TO RETIRE? Specializing in the Federal Government TSP, FEGLI, FERS, CSRS

Investments Life and Long Term Care Insurance Estate Planning

Registered Representatives of INVEST Financial Corporation member FINRA/SIPC. INVEST and its affiliatedinsurance agencies offer securities, advisory services, and certain insurance products and are not affiliated withLivingston Federal or any government agency. INVEST does not provide legal or tax advice. #128828-070716

COMPLIMENTARY BENEFITS ANALYSISTo learn more: 800.752.8992www.livingstonfederal.com

Jessica Earp Wins Major Safety AwardSupplied by NATCA

F lying with her father in his Cessna 185 when she was a junior in high school, Anchorage Center (ZAN) ATC Jes-

sica Earp recalls the moment she heard a voice on the other end of the radio after they landed at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

“I said, ‘Dad, who’s that lady on the radio? I want to do that job,’” Earp said. Her father did everything he could to support his daughter’s intense interest in aviation and ATC. “His passion for avia-tion is beyond measure, and he instilled that in me.”

In 2008, Earp began her own ATC career at ZAN. Last year, she used her years of experience, situational aware-ness, and calm professionalism to help U.S. Marines Capt. J.A. Simmermon find the runway on tiny St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, after he declared an emergency and needed a place to land his F-18.

“I was preparing to go swimming that afternoon, and I was not looking forward to it,” Simmermon said, recalling the possi-bility of having to ditch the aircraft. “I will never forget the cool, calm, collected voice which politely recommended we consider making a landing at St. Paul. I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing I had delayed my impromptu meeting with the Bering Sea.”

For her efforts, Earp was awarded the 2017 Alaskan Region Archie League Medal of Safety Award.

After receiving her award on March 22 at NATCA’s Communicating for Safety conference, Earp paid tribute to her parents. She told the audience that her mother, who passed away a year-and-a-half-ago after a difficult eight-year-long battle with cancer, gave her tremendous inspiration.

“She showed me a woman can do anything,” Earp said, “even in a field that’s dominated by men where only 16 percent of 2152s are women. Without her, I wouldn’t be here today, so, thank you, Mom.” ✈

Our friend and colleague, Patricia “Pat” Broderick Bynum lost her courageous year-and-one-half battle

with kidney cancer on April 4, 2017. I remember when she shared she had been diagnosed (October 2015), because it was just one week prior to when she had planned to retire.

She went to the emergency room because she thought she had kidney stones, and, unfortunately, they dis-covered something much more seri-ous, Stage IV cancer! She had a kidney removed and then later chemotherapy treatments. She would check in with me every month or so to see how my sister was doing, since they had the same dis-ease; that’s the kind of person she was, very caring and thoughtful. Once you were her friend, you were friends for life.

Pat started her career in the U.S. Navy and served as the PWC Great Lakes Regional Director in the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s, while working at Detroit, Michigan ATC Tower. She later served as Air Force Representative for the ATO based in FAA Headquarters, working for Nancy Kalinowski.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary Bynum (June 2014) and grandson, Gage Broderick and survived by her son, Jay Remsberg; daughter, Angela Morris; and Yorkshire Terrier, Louie. She retired from the FAA in December 2015, and, in April 2016, moved from D.C., to Canton, Michigan.

I remember spending time with Pat and Gary at the FAA Managers Association Convention in 2013; they were having such a fun time and in great

spirits. You never know when it will be the last time you get to spend with some-one, so enjoy all the “little” moments with your friends and family.

Pat and Gary purchased their motor coach in 2013 and enjoyed numerous adventures traveling around the country, sometimes in conjunction with work assignments and just for the fun of travel-ing. After Gary’s passing, Pat entertained all on Facebook with her travels in her RV with companion, Beary.

That was how Pat lived: a crazy, fun lady to the end. Here’s a quote, “Show some love for those close to you, and do what you need to do, and make the best out of what you have. It’s all over before you know it; so live life, have fun, and love, love as much as you can.” Rest in peace, dear friend, rest in peace. ✈

Farewell Patricia “Pat” Broderick BynumBy Darla Gerlach, PWC Member

CAN YOU AFFORD TO RETIRE? Specializing in the Federal Government TSP, FEGLI, FERS, CSRS

Investments Life and Long Term Care Insurance Estate Planning

Registered Representatives of INVEST Financial Corporation member FINRA/SIPC. INVEST and its affiliatedinsurance agencies offer securities, advisory services, and certain insurance products and are not affiliated withLivingston Federal or any government agency. INVEST does not provide legal or tax advice. #128828-070716

COMPLIMENTARY BENEFITS ANALYSISTo learn more: 800.752.8992www.livingstonfederal.com

Alternate Dispute ResolutionSummary by Jenny Rubert, PWC Membership Director

Bruce McMillian, promoted to Alter-nate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program Manager, Southern Region

in 2001, was responsible for a media-tion program that met all guidelines under Management Directive-110, mandating each federal agency has one. The agency must agree to mediation 70% of the time — if they don’t want to mediate, they must submit a letter stating the reasons.

If you go to mediation, this is how you should prepare: Focus on solving the problem, think creatively about settlement options, allow sufficient time (4-8 hours), prepare a positive opening statement, know how you would like the problem solved, bring relevant docu-ments (brief and concise), and expect a positive outcome. Also, tell your story, because this is probably not the first time it has happened in the FAA.



AMANDA HANSMANNAmanda Hansmann wins a PWC Family Member Scholarship, sponsored by GEHA. Amanda is member Glen Hansmann’s daugh-ter. Her goal is to become a Pediatrician. She’s currently completing her first year at Univer-

sity of Minnesota, Morris, in a pre-med program, on the Dean’s List with a 4.0 GPA. Amanda hopes to use the scholarship to participate in Gap Medics, a medical internship program in Latin America, Thailand, or Europe.

Amanda is active in her church, and, last summer, went on a mission trip to Guatemala. Her involvement in college includes being a horse handler in Saddle Club; doing community service with ‘Students Today, Leaders Forever; the Alpine Club; and intramural soccer. She volunteers at the Morris Academic Center for Enrichment, at the Stevens Community Medical Center, and at the nursery at her church.

Her letters of recommendation describe Amanda as thought-ful, committed, hard-working, determined, an excellent student leader, and very involved in both schoolwork and her community. It’s great to know PWC is contributing to such a bright future!

KARL ATLAGOVICHKarl Atlagovich wins a PWC Family Member Scholarship, sponsored by SkyOne. Karl, member Connie Atlagovich’s son, will be attending Kent State University in the fall, studying computer security; his goal is

to work in cybersecurity and UAS. He has already completed 18 college credits, while in high school.

His letters of recommendation describe him as compas-sionate; a team player; a camp counselor with good judgment, patience and kindness, able to work with others of all ages. Karl supports diversity in all aspects of life; he says it builds stronger communities and better work environments. In Karl’s essay, he wrote about how much he’s learned from his mother’s ATC career and her involvement with PWC. It’s beautiful to realize the impact PWC is having on so many generations!

ROBERT LOHLEINRobert Lohlein wins a PWC Family Member Scholarship. Robert is member Maria Hofbauer’s son. He’s already earned a B.S. in Health Science and is almost halfway through a year-long accelerated nursing

program that will be a B.S.N., Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Robert says he’s an introvert who dislikes the spotlight, yet realized he needed to challenge himself and overcome social hesitations, so he took it on, joining both the debate team and wrestling team for four years of high school.

In college, he chose nursing as a career path, becoming a Nursing Assistant and First Responder while working on his degree. After his first B.S., he took a job with the Telemedicine Company, working in his field of study with doctors around the world, connecting them with doctors in the United States which monitor and assist with real-time surgeries using com-puter screens and state-of-the-art technology. Robert’s long-term goal is to work with veterans at a Veterans Administration (VA) hospital, giving back to them, as they have inspired him to move forward in spite of obstacles.

His letters of recommendation paint a picture of a man whose life is dedicated to service. Robert wrote in his essay, “From what I understand, PWC is an organization whose main focus is giving people an opportunity to accomplish things otherwise not possible. This may be PWC’s moment to assist me, but one day it will by my turn to give back to PWC and others.” That’s what our scholarship program is all about, Robert!

KRISTY HARMISONKristy Harmison wins a PWC Recruitment Scholarship. Kristy will begin her college career at Middle Tennessee State University, in August, studying Aerospace (Flight Dispatching)

and ATC. She’s ready; she’s been involved in her community throughout high school, volunteering at church, a member of the National Honor Society, playing Varsity soccer, building with Habitat for Humanity, and working two restaurant jobs all at the same time.

Kristy’s long-term goal is to work at Atlanta tower (ATL — can someone get her a tour?). Her letters of recommendation describe her maturity, strength, and commitment; in her work with children, she is patient, kind, and an excellent communica-tor. One wrote, “Kristy’s ability to manage multiple activities, academics, part-time employment, athletics and volunteering in a pleasant and responsible manner has been outstanding.” It sounds like she is a great candidate for ATC!

PWC’s 2017 Scholarship WinnersCompiled by Karen Pontius, Scholarship Chair, PWC

TY’NIYAH HARRISTy’Niyah Harris wins a Jacque Smith Burdette Scholarship for a Career in Aviation. Ty’Niyah will start at Embry Riddle in the fall in a dual enrollment program to earn a bachelor’s and master’s

degree at the same time. Her goal is to become a professional pilot. African-American women make up about one percent of women pilots in the United States. Ty’Niyah is going to change that percentage — she speaks at Girls in Aviation Day and volunteers with Aviation Career Education (ACE) camps as a peer counselor. She just earned her private pilot’s license on 2/27/16 — congratulations!

If we could include her entire application here, you would agree this young woman has what it will take to achieve ANY goal she desires. She’s in the top 10 percent of her class; she works with the Atlanta chapter of WAI; she’s a peer counselor in the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals; she is a sign lan-guage interpreter; she is a member of the Debate Team; she is on the Varsity volleyball team and track and field; she has attended the Tuskegee Airmen Aviation Career Training Program; she is a member of the Robotics Team (she was Cost & Mass Estimator for the team, which designed, 3D printed, and constructed an actual CubeSat prototype, the first ASTRO (Aerospace Summer

Training and Research Opportunity) team to create a fully functioning model, which was then used to gather atmospheric data from 30,000’); she was awarded a Boeing Scholarship for Embry-Riddle’s “Astronautics Track” Aerospace Engineering summer program; she was awarded the Captain John Bailey Believers Award, “in recognition of her dedication and enthu-siasm displayed in achieving her dreams”; Ty’Niyah has been featured in several aviation publications; she speaks English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.

She could fly a plane before she could drive a car. She is 17. Her email handle? “thestatusquowontfly”! One letter of recommendation says, “She can be trusted in word and action, in planning and implementation, and in professional and personal dealings all to the highest standards.” Another describes her passion for aviation; another writes: “She is a leader, a calm and trustworthy personality who attracts others. Her positive attitude and joyous spirit engages oth-ers and is infectious. Her commitment to building bridges and spanning oceans is an inspiration to all who know this talented young woman.”

Ty’Niyah is a worthy candidate who embodies the vision our co-founder, Jacque Smith Burdette, had when she created this special scholarship. THIS girl WILL fly! She will be a wonderful airline captain! ✈

Many thanks to our wonderful PWC corporate sponsors, SkyOne and GEHA, who provided two of our scholarships this year!Thanks also to our volunteer Scholarship Committee: Karen Pontius, Chair; Jamie Feger, works at FAA headquarters (HQ), is a private pilot, vice president of the Capitol Region Women in Aviation (WIA) chapter, and PWC Education and Career Development Program Manager; Diana O’Connell, recently retired from Patrick Henry Field (PHF); Louisa Ocasio, PWC Secretary; Amira Richardson, Wilmington Airport (ILG) and participant in FAA HQ Mentor Program; Claudia Buchsenschutz, Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAB) and 2015 PWC scholarship winner; and Carol Best, not a controller or PWC member, but brought a lot to the table — she’s a high school counselor with lots of scholarship program experience. She gave us lots of pointers to add to our program for next year!

So, how do we fund this program? PWC’s Board of Directors maintains a line item in the budget. This year, it was $4,000, with the balance coming from donations; next year, we’ll hopefully have more! Occasionally, one or more of our corporate sponsors donates to the fund, as they did this year. And, each year, a raffle is held at our conference for one or more unique and beautiful quilts, created by Charter member Kate Beebe, often with help from others. Conference attendees have been very generous buying raffle tickets, and all the money raised goes to the PWC Scholarship Fund.

Another source is outright donations: YOU can donate to the PWC Scholarship Fund! Once we attain 501(c) 3 non-profit status for the Scholarship Fund, expected later this year, your donation will be tax deductible! Your donations will have a major impact on the educations of our members, their family members, and women training to become the next generation of air traffic controllers!

Application season is October 1, 2017 to February 15, 2018. More information and applica-tion forms are on our website, www.pwcinc.org. Karen Pontius, PWC Scholarship Chair, [email protected]

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In 2018, plan to join your PWC colleagues to celebrate

40 Years of emPOWERing Air Traffic Professionals

2018 PWC National Training ConferenceHilton Alexandria Old Town | Alexandria, VA

April 23-26, 2018★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Old Town with a New Twist

You’ll experience the reinvented Hilton Alexandria Old Town, which recently completed a top-to-bottom modern renovation of guest rooms, restaurant, lobby, and meeting spaces.

Nestled in the heart of historic Old Town Alexandria, the hotel is just two King Street Metro stops from DCA airport and only minutes away from Washington DC.

Located on vibrant King Street, it’s a quick stroll to experience the boutique shops, waterfront restaurants, and unique architecture of historic Old Town Alexandria.

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Hilton Alexandria Old Town received the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award, an honor awarded to establishments that achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.

Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds

At the 4.0 Star Hilton Alexandria Old Town, guests get the best of both worlds. You’ll love its peaceful location in the heart of Old Town Alexandria and appreciate that Washington, DC is only a short Metro ride away.

Guests praise the Hilton’s comfortable rooms, and enjoy the charming outdoor red-brick courtyard. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby as well as the KingStreet Tavern, where American comfort classics are served alongside a variety of beers and wines.

For up-to-date 40th Anniversary PWC National Training Conference information, go to: www.pwcinc.org/Conferences/2018-Washington-DC-Conference

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