Sometimes careers can send one full circle, as is the case with Gary L. Powell, the new Division Manager for the Civil Aviation Registry. Gary is from the Washington D.C. area and he, like his brothers and father, opted for a career in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in economics and a minor in political science, he quickly signed up for Naval Aviation flight school in Pensacola, Florida. He served as a P-3 Pilot, basic jet flight instructor, handled Pentagon staff tours, served in the Executive Office of a Naval Air Station and retired from the Navy as a Commander. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Chapman University.
Gary then took to the skies as an airline pilot and holds type-ratings in the MD-11, B-737, A-319/20/21, Lear-Jet, and L-188. At one point, he flew for World and U.S. Airways. Gary says, “The events of September 11th were extremely unfortunate for our country and the airline industry as well.” Shortly thereafter he was laid off and promptly applied for work at the FAA. In 2002, he landed a job at the Aeronautical Center in Flight Standards Service – Flight Technologies and Procedures Division. He worked on Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) in AFS-420 in which Gary jokingly comments “it was great going from one TERPS [Maryland Terrapins] to another!” Eventually, the AFS organization split into two different sections and Gary became Manager of the Flight Procedures Implementation and Oversight Branch, AFS-460. Gary explains, “Prior to AFS-460, only the FAA had control over developing instrument flight procedures for use in our National Airspace System. We are the ones who create and design obstacle clearance standards, criteria, and policy regarding departures, en route, arrivals and approaches for all flight operations.” Well-suited for a managerial role, Gary experienced one of the most rewarding and challenging projects of his career. Working alongside his team of “460” experts, they qualified and certified two civilian companies to develop and flight check for Performance Based Navigation (PBN). This collaboration allowed both companies (Jeppesen and Naverus) to be become fully trained and qualified on behalf of the federal government to develop satellite-based Required Navigation Performance (RNP). These companies leveraged this FAA qualification obtaining business worldwide as well as domestically. “Providing the very first GPS approach to an airport in Tibet, China was quite an undertaking. It took about 18 months to get this accomplished. It was very challenging but equally rewarding,” Gary noted.
A later career move took Powell back to Washington D.C. to serve as the Deputy Assistant, and Assistant Division Manager for the Flight Technologies and Procedures Division, AFS-400. In June of this year, Powell accepted a position as Division Manager in the Civil Aviation Registry which brought him back to Oklahoma City at the Aeronautical Center. He’s quick to praise the hard work going on in the Registry. Powell maintains “We have 120 federal employees and 80 contractors here. When you look at the quantity of work being processed here on a daily basis, you quickly realize that this is a production facility and every employee has their nose to the grindstone all day, every day.” In his new capacity, Gary is responsible for his team developing, maintaining, and operating national programs for the registration of U.S. civil aircraft and certification of airmen. Well over 200,000 records exist for airmen and over 300,000 aircraft registrations are maintained at the facility. Gary already has a strong vision and strategy for the Registry in which he shared with staff members at a recent town hall. Gary stated, “Our simple goal is to provide uninterrupted airmen certification and aircraft registration services to industry and the flying public while continuing to be (now and in the future) the most efficient, effective, and ‘state-of-the–art’ Civil Aviation Registry in the world.”
As the new Division Manager, one of his first objectives is to ensure the Registry’s IT system is updated via an upcoming technical refresh. His team is already working in close and frequent collaboration with FAA’s Information and Technology (AIT) Office to explore the possibilities of moving toward a state-of-the-art system that’s digital, paperless, and cloud-based. Gary advocates “the work that goes on here is critical. We track everything from people to parts, to aircraft, to certifications. Everything we touch requires quality assurance, as every document has legal ramifications.” Additional ongoing discussions for the 700 team is the means for handling the ‘tsunami’ of records when and if all unmanned aerial system (UAS) require registration. Gary explains, “To date over 1,800 UASs have been registered. We are evaluating innovative ways of doing business especially with this influx of new aerial technology.” While the challenge is huge, he is excited about the task at hand, as well as moving back to Oklahoma.
Gary has been married to his wife Deena for over 32 years and has three grown daughters. He resides in Edmond, and is waiting for his first grandchild in November. When asked about the traits he admires most in others, he responds, “Honesty and integrity. This is what guides leaders to lead well and enhances communication. It’s about walking the walk and taking action when necessary.” When Gary is not working out at the gym, he enjoys taking care of their new home. Close friends tease him as being a horrible texter, one who doesn’t use spell check. While ironic, Powell notes that the best advice he ever received was To “think before you put your mouth in motion.” Gary explains, “Unfortunately, I have not often completely followed my own advice, folks tell me!” Welcome back, Gary!
