I am a retired air traffic controller working for Human Solutions Inc. (HSI) in Washington DC. I provide contract support for Terminal Standards and Procedures (AJV-82), Mission Support Services, FAA Headquarters. I started my FAA career in Oklahoma City in January 1992. I was in the very last input to go through the “old” controller screen process. When I got to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, it was busy with multiple inputs working their way through the process. By the end, we were the only class left and it was eerily quiet at the academy. After graduating from the academy, I went to my first facility in Peoria, IL. This was very close to where I grew up. I certified at the Peoria ATCT/TRACON. I requested an Employee Requested Reassignment (ERR) from Peoria, IL to Youngstown, OH. I moved to Ohio and certified at the Youngstown ATCT/TRACON. I worked as a controller and an on-the-job instructor at Youngstown from 1994-1998. In September 1998, I was picked up at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. I worked as a controller and on-the-job instructor at Cleveland ATCT/TRACON until I became a frontline manager at Cleveland in 2009. I worked as the acting Support Manager in Cleveland from 2012-2014. June, 2014, I started a detail at Terminal Standards and Procedures, Mission Support Services, HQ, Washington DC. When my detail ended, I went back to my facility in Cleveland, helped with moving into a brand new Tower/TRACON and then promptly retired on Halloween, 2015. I was retired for 2 months before starting in my current position with HSI.
I met my husband, Nathan, at the academy in Oklahoma City. While I went off to get certified in Peoria, Nate left for Cleveland Center in Oberlin, Ohio. Nate and I got married shortly after I moved to Ohio. I have one child, William. He is currently active duty with the US Navy. William recently returned from a 7 month deployment to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Eisenhower. Most of my immediate family lives in the central Illinois area. I have extended family scattered all over the country from New Jersey to Florida to California. My dad still lives on the farm I grew up on. My mom passed away a few years ago and I still miss her every day.
I didn’t know very much about PWC prior to starting my detail at headquarters. Then I met Patti Wilson. Patti was on detail at FAA HQs the same time I was. Patti’s passion for the organization inspired me to get involved. I had always known that the number of female controllers was small. This did not change much over the course of my career. I am enjoying working after retirement and look forward to promoting PWC’s mission and goals.