David Grizzle
Chief Counsel
David Grizzle was appointed FAA's Chief Counsel, effective June 15, 2009.
Reporting directly to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, David leads the 300-person legal team, including nearly 200 lawyers responsible for agency regulation, safety enforcement and compliance programs, airport and environmental matters, personnel and labor law, as well as oversight of the legal offices in FAA's nine regions, the Aeronautical Center, and the Tech Center.
Before joining the FAA, he was with Continental Airlines and its affiliates for 22 years, retiring in 2008 from the position of Senior Vice President — Customer Experience. In this role, he led Continental to address persistent deficits in product delivery, improving the total travel experience for Continental's customers by building a culture of honesty, caring and simplicity throughout Continental and creating a new type of relationship between Continental and its customers.
Prior positions he held at Continental and its affiliates include General Counsel, Senior Vice President — Corporate Development and Marketing Strategy and Vice President of Legal Affairs.
During a leave of absence from Continental starting in 2004, David served for 14 months with the U.S. Department of State in Kabul, Afghanistan as Attaché, Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Transportation and Infrastructure.
In Kabul, he steered the American reconstruction effort in the areas of aviation, roads, power and communications. He advised the US Ambassador and four Afghan ministers and coordinated the efforts of the US Agency for International Development and other multilateral development banks. A major focus of his work was balancing the competing demand for immediate, visible results with the slower and less conspicuous process of developing Afghan human and institutional capacity necessary for sustainable progress. He witnessed first-hand the challenge of following good development theory in a highly politicized aid environment and was able to contrast the theory and practice of nation-building.
David is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He is married to Anne Grizzle, a private family therapist, author and poet. They have three sons.