Director 
Medical Specialties Division

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Federal Aviation Administration

Dr. Penny M. Giovanetti, D.O., is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Director of the Medical Specialties Division in the Office of Aerospace Medicine.  She provides expert advice and technical knowledge to the Federal Air Surgeon, Deputy Federal Air Surgeon, Director of the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, and to other physicians and professionals throughout the FAA and the Department of Transportation.  She directs aerospace medicine policy development, manages the medical appeals process, administers the FAA’s employee drug and alcohol testing programs, and is responsible for the evaluation and management of complex psychiatric cases and issues.  She is responsible for developing policies and standards with respect to the Air Traffic Controller Health Program, overseeing aerospace medicine research projects, and representing the Federal Air Surgeon with governmental and non-governmental organizations on a variety of national and international aerospace medicine activities and projects.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Giovanetti was Manager of the Medical Officer Branch at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, in Oklahoma City, OK, where she supervised nine medical certification physicians.

Previously, Dr. Giovanetti retired as a Colonel after a distinguished career in the United States Air Force (USAF), where she served on the staffs of the Tactical Air Command Surgeon and USAF Surgeon General, as well as Cadet Clinic Commander at the USAF Academy, CO; Group Commander at McGuire Air Force Base, NJ; Ramstein AB, Germany; and USAF Medical Center at Wright Patterson AFB, in Dayton, Ohio.  She was also the Vice Wing Commander of the 311th Human Systems Wing at Brooks AFB in San Antonio, TX.  She logged over 1,000 flight surgeon hours in a wide variety of military aircraft and is a licensed private pilot.

Dr. Giovanetti is board certified in Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Biology from Stanford University; Master of Science in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine from the University of Iowa; Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College, Washington D.C.; a Doctorate from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines University, Iowa.  She also holds a certificate in health care management from Georgetown University.