Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, & Environment

Ms. Simone R. Pérez was appointed Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, & Environment in February 2025. As the Assistant Administrator, she is responsible for achieving U.S. international aviation objectives, formulating national aviation policies, requirements, and plans to implement agency goals and priorities, and developing and recommending environmental and energy policies. She is the principal counselor and advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator and other agency officials on policy, political, and economic matters that may affect U.S. international aviation objectives and policies. 

Before her appointment with the FAA, Ms. Pérez was the Policy Director, Aviation and Space on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. There, she was responsible for overseeing the drafting and negotiation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and conducted outreach to other Senate and House offices and industry stakeholders on implementing various provisions in the FAA reauthorization. She also served as the Senior Director, Civil Aviation at Aerospace Industries Association. She was responsible for managing the Civil Aviation Regulatory and Safety Committee and developing industry responses to proposed regulatory actions regarding safety and certification matters. 

Ms. Pérez also served as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation where she provided policy expertise to Member offices on various aviation topics and drafted and negotiated portions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 with stakeholders and Congressional offices. She also was a Professional Staff member at the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation where she contributed her policy expertise in the areas of general aviation, aircraft certification, air traffic control modernization, and international affairs. She also drafted and negotiated provisions of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, and the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act. 

Ms. Pérez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Skidmore College and a Master of Arts in International Commerce and Public Policy from George Mason University.