New FAA Administrator

November 10, 2008, 2:18 pm
Reid Aide Emerges as a Candidate for FAA

Christopher Conkey reports on the FAA.

Robert Herbert, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, has emerged as a candidate to be President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to run the Federal Aviation Administration, according to people familiar with the matter.

In Washington, Herbert is director of appropriations and senior policy adviser on transportation, military and veterans affairs to Reid, and before that had run Reid’s Las Vegas office. In Nevada, Herbert serves as deputy commander of the Nevada Army National Guard, reporting to commander Frank Gonzales, a brigadier general.

Herbert, 51 years old, was previously director of aviation at the Nevada Army National Guard, where he oversaw a staff of roughly 250 and a budget of about $750 million, according to Gonzales. The Nevada Army National Guard is involved in overseas deployments as well as domestic missions such as firefighting and search-and-rescue operations.

“The positive part about Bob has always been he’s able to work with people to get things done,” said Gonzales, Herbert’s commander in Nevada. “More importantly, he’s been really great at delivering results, and that’s what we need.”

It is early in transition, and it remains unclear who Obama will ultimately choose to head the agency. Clearly, the selection of Herbert would be a friendly gesture toward Reid, who will play a key role in pushing Obama’s agenda through Capitol Hill.

Reid’s office confirmed that Herbert is being considered for the FAA post, now held by Robert Sturgell, a Republican. Obama’s transition office did not respond to a request for comment.

It’s been a stormy year for the FAA, which was rocked in the spring by disclosures that a Texas office let Southwest Airlines Co. operate jets without performing mandatory safety inspections. The agency is also locked in a long-running feud with the union representing its air traffic controllers; the union is counting on a Democratic FAA head to agree to more favorable work and pay rules.

Perhaps the biggest question confronting the next FAA chief is how to rollout a new satellite-based air traffic control system, which may be the best bet for reducing delays and reducing airlines’ fuel bills. The new system won’t be fully in service until 2020. Obama may look to speed up the schedule.


All I can say is we need a change. And change needs to start at the top. Any Lackeys brom the Blakey era need to be given the boot.

Sounds positive, lets hope we get the right person in and they move fast.

Does anyone know anything about this dude?

i still feel that barack will accept the incumbent administrator and leave him in his post until his time has run out. the precedent has been that exact thing. i would be surprised to see barack make a change here before the time is up. i'm hoping he does, but would still be surprised.

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No Way he will stand pat on the current administrators. It will be a clean sweep with the exception of Patreus. As far as the FAA is concerned he has no choice to replace them as they bail faster then you can blink. Have you been reading the daily announcements of the perssonel leaving? BUB BYE we wont miss you..........

Saturday, November 16, 2008

Do You Speak EEL?:
REMOVE BOBBY STURGELL FROM THE FAA: Do You Speak EEL?: Translating FAA Bobby Sturgell

Blue-Ice Sturgell: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall:
REMOVE BOBBY STURGELL FROM THE FAA: Bobby "Blue-Ice" Sturgell, The Failed FAA Head: "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"

Malaysian Fatwa Bans FAA Management:
REMOVE BOBBY STURGELL FROM THE FAA: Malaysian Fatwa Bans FAA Management

THE CASE FOR FAA HEAD STURGELL'S INDICTMENT
HIT THE BOBBY STURGELL "EJECT" BUTTON
REMOVE BOBBY STURGELL FROM THE FAA

nah the precedent has already been set. at least 12 years. barack will not change. sturgell is only an acting administrator so it could be possible. but i doubt it. i sure hope so though.

who oh who could it be? change is bliss

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Breaking News today....good news for ATC.

AVwebFlash Complete Issue

Former FAA Chief Jane Garvey Next Transportation Secretary?

Jane Garvey, who served as FAA administrator from 1997 to 2002, will accept a position on the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama, it was announced on Wednesday. She will leave her current post as a board member for Bombardier, where she has served for about a year. "I would like to thank Jane Garvey for her sound advice and guidance during her tenure," said Bombardier Chairman Laurent Beaudoin. "We wish her great success." Garvey will take charge of reviewing transportation agencies' decisions and policies for the Obama transition team, according to the Montreal Gazette. She is also widely considered to be a top candidate for Secretary of Transportation in the new administration, which takes office in January. When she was appointed by President Bill Clinton, Garvey was the first woman to head the FAA and the first to serve a five-year term.



Garvey, 63, lives in Maine. Before joining the FAA, she was acting administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. AVweb's Liz Swaine spoke with Garvey in 2002 as she prepared to step down from her FAA post; click here for that exclusive report.

Garvey was the one who negotiated controllers the Green Book.

While I don't think we will go back to the green book, or get people back pay, I see a pay raise in the horizon. w00t.

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Stuck in training at ZID
Missouri Air National Guard ATC
Gonna go to the sandbox for awhile