It’s been a long time coming, but the Aeronautical Center will soon welcome the return of many who have been working remotely. As you know, we are transitioning back into the workplace; one that is more flexible but with new rules and policies that better reflect a hybrid working environment. Since we are in the business of keeping people safe, we will continue to follow the medical science and adjust whenever it is necessary. To stay up to date, please visit Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) Reentry (faa.gov) as policies continue to evolve.
This month, we are saying farewell to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson after his 43 years of service in aviation, and three years with the FAA. We are grateful for his service and dedication. Billy Nolen has been named the acting FAA Administrator and has already been leading the Office of Aviation Safety. He is an experienced and accomplished aviation safety professional and former airline captain. We welcome his leadership and oversight.
On a local level, we welcome Tamala Barnes to the Aeronautical Center’s Leadership team. Tamala has recently been appointed Director of the Enterprise Services Center. Tamala has 20 years of experience with the FAA, and we welcome her expertise in information technology, financial management and executive proficiencies.
We just recently celebrated our spring Town Hall meeting where over 1,000 employees attended virtually. We were delighted to have so many special guests with us, including Polly Trottenberg, the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Steve Dickson, FAA Administrator giving insight about the theme "Building the foundation of safety today for tomorrow’s technologies."
As a reminder, all MMAC vehicle parking decals expired on January 31st of this year. However, the deadline has been extended to June 30th, 2022. Be sure to get your decal updated as everyone transitions from mandatory telework status to being on the Center.
Congratulations to the True Sky Credit Union who just celebrated their 75th Anniversary as well, as they just hosted their Annual Meeting at the new Oklahoma City Convention Center. We are proud to have them on site and to be a vital, contributing partner.
On March 30th, we participated in Aero Oklahoma at the State Capitol. It was a great time to reconnect with many Oklahomans who are involved in the Aviation and Aerospace industry, all in one location. Our industry is a major economic driver for our state and this event helps us to have a unified voice when meeting with state legislators and other elected officials. It helps to remind them about our state’s strong aviation heritage, and how together we can solidify our leadership roles in the industry.
We hope that you will mark your calendars for our quarterly MMAC Tech Talk, which is scheduled for the morning of May 4th. The topic is Human Automation and Energy, and we’ll be looking at ways to create more efficiency, timeliness, and savings, thanks to augmenting capabilities while off-loading repetitive tasks.
We look forward to seeing you in person soon.
Michelle Coppedge
Director, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
