As recently discussed in our Town Hall meeting, there are five strategic priorities for the Aeronautical Center and they are directly linked to the current priorities and activities for AMC organizations at the Center. These priorities include: Accomplish Mission: Achieve Business Excellence Through Effective Process Management; Build Customer Partnerships: Establish AMC as a partner in achieving customer (FAA) goals, not simply a service provider; Build AMC Workforce, Capabilities, and Infrastructure to meet future mission requirements; Improve Employee Engagement Across AMC; and Create an environmentally friendly and safe workplace. We acknowledge that these are challenging times for us as federal employees, yet there is much critical work to be accomplished. Success with these priorities will move the Center forward to be the most effective and efficient organization providing logistics operations, technical training, and IT and financial services to our customers across the government.

One of the major challenges on-going is FAA’s current reauthorization. FAA is currently operating under a reauthorization extension that is set to expire September 30, 2017. Reauthorization provides the FAA the authority to operate, and gives funding levels for FAA’s various operating accounts to include Ops and F&E budgets. In the past, the FAA would receive a multi-year reauthorization. However, the last reauthorization passed by congress was for only 14 months. Both the House and Senate have put forth reauthorization bills. On the House side, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo introduced the Aviation, Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act legislation that establishes an independent, not-for-profit corporation, outside of the federal government, to modernize and provide U. S. air traffic control services. On the Senate side, a reauthorization bill that does not include provisions for an independent, not-for-profit corporation has been introduced. Regardless of what final version of reauthorization passes, across Government, and the aviation and technology industries in particular, we will continue to experience change. Here at the Center we provide the best value for our customers and the Government, bolstered by our talented team and reasonable cost of living in OKC. We must become adept at embracing and adapting to change, and communicating our value to our stakeholders in order to maintain our competitive advantage, and remain providers of choice for our customers. The most important thing that each of us can do is to stay focused on the mission and continue to improve our day-to-day operations.

In the interim, we will continue to extend our corporate partnership efforts, nationally and locally, to reinforce the significance of the critical services provided by the Aeronautical Center. In a recent gathering of Congressional staffers, we had the opportunity to show them first-hand, the expertise we use to operate and supply the busiest, safest, and most complex aerospace system in the world.

Across the Center, employees remain vigilant to meeting the mission. The Academy continues to meet significant numbers in training air traffic controllers, while being upfront about many of the hiring barriers that have been presented. Employees in the Logistics Center have a strong commitment toward improving the Logistics Center Supply System (LCSS) with major supply chain progress being seen on a monthly basis. The Center is providing data in support of a financial audit from the firm of KPMG, and the Enterprise Services Center is in the final stages of the FY17 Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) System and Organization Control (SOC) 1 Engagement.

Lastly – I would like to extend congratulations to all of our Pathfinder Award nominees and winners. Special thanks to Victor Bird, Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission for being our keynote speaker, and reinforcing the importance of how the aerospace industry is critical to the state of Oklahoma and our Nation.

Thanks to each of you for your persistence during these trying times. The work that you do is exceptional, your commitment is undeniable, and your expertise is unmatched. I am grateful to work with so many talented individuals that are diligent in helping make the government more efficient, effective, and accountable.

Kindly,

Michelle Coppedge
Director, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center