Regulatory Alert: FAA Leadership Set to Transition on Inauguration Day
FAA Leadership Set to Transition on Inauguration Day
January 16, 2025
With President-elect Trump set to take office on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to see several notable changes with its leadership team, and we wanted to provide an update on the latest with the ongoing transition.
FAA Administrator/Deputy Administrator. As announced in December, Administrator Michael Whitaker is planning to step down from his position on Inauguration Day. Whitaker has been serving as Administrator since October 2023. Katie Thomson, who was serving as FAA Deputy Administrator since June 2023, departed the agency last Friday. Mark House, who is the Assistant Administrator for Finance & Management, is temporarily serving as Acting Deputy Administrator.
There has been no official announcement yet who President-elect Trump may nominate to serve as the next FAA Administrator or who will be Acting Administrator after January 20. However, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Chris Rocheleau is expected to be named Deputy Administrator, as soon as next week, and serve as Acting Administrator until a permanent nominee is named and confirmed by the Senate. Rocheleau is currently the Chief Operating Officer for the National Business Aviation Association but previously served as FAA’s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety between 2021 and 2022. The report indicated that plans for Rocheleau have not been finalized and are subject to change.
FAA Office of Airports. In the Office of Airports (ARP), Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin, P.E., will be stepping down in the coming days. At the beginning of January, Wayne Heibeck was named Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports. Heibeck most recently served as Chief of Staff to former Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson. He is expected to be Acting Associate Administrator for Airports in the near term until a permanent appointee is named by the incoming administration.
There has been one other change in the Office of Airports. Elliott Black, who has been with ARP for many years, most recently as Director of Airport Policy, left the agency at the end of 2024. However, the three directors that report to the Associate Administrator for Airports are expected to remain the same for the foreseeable future: Danielle Rinsler, Director of Airport Planning and Programming; John Dermody, Director of Airport Safety and Standards; and Michael Helvey, Director of Airport Compliance and Management Analysis.
We continue to closely monitor the ongoing transition and any potential appointments and will keep our members up to date on any new developments in the coming weeks.
January 16, 2025
With President-elect Trump set to take office on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to see several notable changes with its leadership team, and we wanted to provide an update on the latest with the ongoing transition.
FAA Administrator/Deputy Administrator. As announced in December, Administrator Michael Whitaker is planning to step down from his position on Inauguration Day. Whitaker has been serving as Administrator since October 2023. Katie Thomson, who was serving as FAA Deputy Administrator since June 2023, departed the agency last Friday. Mark House, who is the Assistant Administrator for Finance & Management, is temporarily serving as Acting Deputy Administrator.
There has been no official announcement yet who President-elect Trump may nominate to serve as the next FAA Administrator or who will be Acting Administrator after January 20. However, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Chris Rocheleau is expected to be named Deputy Administrator, as soon as next week, and serve as Acting Administrator until a permanent nominee is named and confirmed by the Senate. Rocheleau is currently the Chief Operating Officer for the National Business Aviation Association but previously served as FAA’s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety between 2021 and 2022. The report indicated that plans for Rocheleau have not been finalized and are subject to change.
FAA Office of Airports. In the Office of Airports (ARP), Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin, P.E., will be stepping down in the coming days. At the beginning of January, Wayne Heibeck was named Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports. Heibeck most recently served as Chief of Staff to former Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson. He is expected to be Acting Associate Administrator for Airports in the near term until a permanent appointee is named by the incoming administration.
There has been one other change in the Office of Airports. Elliott Black, who has been with ARP for many years, most recently as Director of Airport Policy, left the agency at the end of 2024. However, the three directors that report to the Associate Administrator for Airports are expected to remain the same for the foreseeable future: Danielle Rinsler, Director of Airport Planning and Programming; John Dermody, Director of Airport Safety and Standards; and Michael Helvey, Director of Airport Compliance and Management Analysis.
We continue to closely monitor the ongoing transition and any potential appointments and will keep our members up to date on any new developments in the coming weeks.
