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United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

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Jacki Holzman

Deputy Regional Administrator
Federal Aviation Administration, Alaskan Region

Jacki Holzman

Ms. Holzman leads a team of dedicated staff and represents the FAA and the Regional Administrator addressing aviation safety and efficiency. Ms. Holzman started with FAA in 1992 in the Environmental Compliance Section of Airway Facilities as an environmental engineer. In 1999, she moved to the Telecommunications System Management Section. As a general engineer, Jacki installed satellite communications facilities at 12 remote Alaska airports.

Ms. Holzman has worked for the Alaskan Region Regional Administrator since 2002 in several positions: Congressional liaison, regional planning officer, Process Improvement Integrator, Special Programs Integrator, and Senior Advisor. Jacki has worked extensively across FAA organizations and with external stakeholders focusing on aviation safety partnerships. She regularly briefs distinguished visitors from within and outside FAA on the challenges of managing an aviation system in Alaska.

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science.

Hobbies: Japanese taiko drumming, Zimbabwean marimba, yoga, swimming, photography, gardening, and exploring Alaska's beauty

David C. Suomi

Regional Administrator
Northwest Mountain Region

David C. Suomi

David Suomi is currently the Regional Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Northwest Region. In this capacity, he serves as the principal representative of the FAA Administrator and the senior FAA official in the region. He provides corporate leadership in cross-organizational matters and represents the FAA before industry, the public and governmental organizations. He also serves as the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Regional Transportation Coordinator (RETCO) designated to carry out critical functions for DOT in response to disasters as documented in the National Response Framework.

Immediately prior to his current role, He served as the Deputy Regional Administrator of the Northwest Mountain Region. Prior to that, he served as the national Manager of the FAA's Airport Improvement Program, a $3.5 billion annual infrastructure grant program that aids airport owners in financing critical aviation infrastructure. The program is funded through the Aviation Trust Fund. Mr. Suomi oversaw project identification, prioritization, eligibility and ultimate grant obligation for approximately 2,500 grants annually.

Prior to his FAA roles, Mr. Suomi served in a variety of senior executive roles associated with private and public-sector aviation management positions, and has represented interests before Federal, State and local governments. He was vice president of BAA USA, Inc., the US subsidiary of BAA plc, the United Kingdom private sector airport company that owned and operated London Heathrow, as well as other major aviation facilities around the world.

Mr. Suomi is an accredited aviation professional with a record of accomplishment of increasingly responsible experience in chief executive officer and chief operating officer roles at U.S. airports, ranging from small reliever fields to large hubs, including Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports. His primary responsibilities included liaison with governmental (executive and Congressional) officials, Airport Improvement Program oversight, facility safety, emergency preparedness and response, security and operations, community relations, and stakeholder relations and facility development.

An accredited executive with the American Association of Airport Executives, Mr. Suomi has served as officer and/or board member in various state aviation organizations, functioned as a university instructor in Airport Development and Operations, holds a pilot certificate, has written articles and papers on airport issues, and spoken on various airport/airline subjects around the country.

Mr. Suomi received a Bachelor's Degree in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and has completed graduate work at the University of Central Florida, State University of New York, University of Pennsylvania, and George Mason University.

Tamara A. Swann

Western-Pacific Deputy Regional Administrator

Tamara A. Swann

Tamara A. Swann was selected as the Western-Pacific Region (AWP) Deputy Regional Administrator in February 2015.

The Western-Pacific Region encompasses four states Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada and three U.S. territories which include Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Western-Pacific Region includes four of the nation's top ten busiest airports; Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

As the Deputy Regional Administrator, Tamara provides FAA leadership in cross-organizational matters, representing the FAA with industry, the public, in addition to regional oversight. She provides leadership and oversight for the daily operations and regional aviation activities including emergency planning, runway safety governance, Air Tour Management Program, and the Los Angeles Helicopter Noise Initiative.

Tamara's previous permanent assignment was with the Flight Standards Division as the Safety Analysis and Evaluation Branch Manager for the Western-Pacific Region. Tamara worked in Flight Standards for 16 years at various levels of management including; UAL CMO Assistant Manager during the CALA - UALA merger and as the Western-Pacific Associate Division Manager.

Tamara began her career with the FAA in 1998 at the Louisville Flight Standards District Office as an Aviation Safety Inspector. Tamara is a 2002 Graduate of the USDA Executive Potential Program. Prior to her career with the FAA, Tamara attended Pennsylvania State University. She brings valuable experience from the airline industry, serving in management positions with a national airline for five years. Tamara is also a proud veteran of the United States Air Force.

Contact Us

FAA Academy

Mark Woolverton, AMA-530 - Manager
Academy HQ Bldg. 14
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
6500 South MacArthur Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

Email:Mark Woolverton

Simulation Development & Support Branch

David A. Thompson, AME-530 - Manager
Simulation Development & Support Division
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
6500 South MacArthur Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

Email:David Thompson

Email:Question about SIGNAL

Raquel Girvin

Western-Pacific Region Regional Administrator

Raquel Girvin

Raquel Girvin was appointed Regional Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Western-Pacific Region in December 2018. Raquel serves as the principal executive representative of the FAA Administrator and the senior FAA official in the region. Western-Pacific Region encompasses the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Raquel has thirty years of multi-disciplinary experience in aviation. 

Raquel provides corporate leadership in cross-organizational matters and represents the FAA with industry, the public and governmental organizations. At the time of her appointment, she managed programs in the Office of Aviation Safety’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP). 

From 2013 to 2018, Raquel served as Deputy Director for Policy and Planning (APO) at FAA Headquarters in Washington, DC, where she advanced a wide-ranging portfolio of projects and crosscutting policy issues such as FAA Reauthorization, NextGen implementation, and integration of new users in the NAS. In 2016, she served as senior advisor to the Director of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office on international issues. Raquel joined the FAA in 2007 as Manager of the FAA’s Noise Division in the Office of Environment and Energy in Washington DC. 

Prior to federal service, Raquel worked in the commercial aerospace industry as an advanced design aerodynamics and propulsion engineer at Boeing-Southern California, and McDonnell Douglas Corporation. She also performed airfoil research at NASA Langley Research Center. 

Raquel holds a Ph.D. in the inter-disciplinary field of Transportation Science from the University of California, Irvine. She completed her dissertation on an economic analysis of aviation noise regulations. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City and a Master of Science degree in aeronautics from George Washington University.

Kerry B. Long

Kerry B. Long headshot, FAA's Regional Administrator for the Alaskan RegionMr. Long is the Regional Administrator for the Alaskan Region. Prior to joining the ARC senior management team, he served as the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) Designated Agency Ethics Official, responsible for establishing, maintaining, and carrying out the NTSB ethics program. Mr. Long is no stranger to the FAA, having previously served, by Presidential appointment, as Chief Counsel from 2007 to 2009. As Chief Counsel, he led 270 lawyers and staff and was responsible for all aspects of the agency's legal workings, including its regulatory program, administrative and judicial litigation, nationwide enforcement activities, legislation, alternative dispute resolution, ethics compliance, and legal relations with foreign civil aviation authorities.

Mr. Long served as a partner in the Washington law office of Fulbright and Jaworski L.L.P. beginning in 2001, focusing his practice on aircraft finance. He also served as an associate and partner at Perkins Coie L.L.P. in Washington from 1985 to 2000, also focusing on aircraft finance. He began his legal career as a corporate associate at White and Case L.L. P. in New York from 1980 to 1985.

Mr. Long received his law degree magna cum laude from Cornell Law School in 1980, and his bachelor's degree in political science from Colgate University in 1972.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Long served in the U.S. Navy aboard the frigate USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) as a division officer and navigator. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant and qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. Mr. Long was recognized for his role in the rescue efforts following the collision of USS Belknap (CG-26) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) in the Mediterranean Sea in 1975.

John Speckin

John Speckin headshot, FAA's Deputy Regional Administrator for the Central RegionJohn Speckin is the Deputy Regional Administrator for the FAA's Central Region encompassing the four States of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Mr. Speckin provides leadership for FAA programs including national initiatives on Airport Obstructions Standards, Succession Planning for the Regions & Center Operations, and Optimization, and works directly with aviation stakeholders, airport authorities, local and state government, and Members of Congress.

Mr. Speckin also served as the Aviation Logistics Organization (ALO) Acting Director where he provided executive oversight of the FAA's real and personal property assets. In that capacity, he assumed oversight for over 267,000 assets and a motor fleet of over 4,400 GSA and 218 FAA owned vehicles, 3,500 leases and led DOT's real property asset management with 62,000 assets. ALO also manages over 1.5 million square feet of administrative space and provides office design and construction.

Mr. Speckin began his career with FAA as an engineer in 1989, and was selected as the FAA's Regional St. Louis Program Manager in 1996 over the $2.6 billion expansion of the Lambert - St. Louis International Airport, integrating both FAA and Airport activities required to commission the new runway and other airfield improvements. In 2001, he was selected as the Terminal Planning Account Manager position with the Air Traffic Organization, where Mr. Speckin provided both tactical and strategic planning for all Central Region Terminal facilities. As Account Manager, Mr. Speckin's work involved national planning initiatives, development of sustainment models for ATCTs and TRACONs, and planning for NextGen control facilities including the larger East coast facilities. In 2007, he was selected for his current position as the Deputy Regional Manager, Central Region.

Mr. Speckin is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kansas.

Maria N. Stanco

Maria Stanco headshot, FAA's Deputy Regional Administrator for the Eastern RegionMaria Stanco is the Deputy Regional Administrator for FAA's Eastern Region. Her previous position was as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Regional Administrator. Maria came to the FAA in 2001 working on environmental issues, serving as the Environmental Program Manager for FAA Eastern Region Airports Division. Prior to coming to FAA, Maria spent eleven years at the Environmental Protection Agency in a variety of positions including, redeveloping Brownfield sites, coordinating regional compliance strategies and as an environmental scientist preparing air quality permits. While at EPA, Maria was awarded six EPA bronze medals for her work on several interagency workgroups. Maria has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, from Mount Holyoke College and a Master's Degree in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Terry L. Biggio

Terry Biggio headshot, FAA's Southwest Regional AdministratorTerry Biggio was appointed the Federal Aviation Administration's Southwest Regional Administrator in January 2018. He previously served in various leadership roles within the Air Traffic Organization, including as the Vice President of Safety and Technical Training, Vice President of Air Traffic Services, Vice President of Terminal Services, and Deputy Vice President for En Route Services.

Terry began his FAA career as an air traffic controller in 1981 at Minneapolis Center. A native of Long Island and second-generation air traffic controller, he progressed from the controller ranks at both Minneapolis and Boston Centers to roles as the Acting Air Traffic Manager at Boston Center and Air Traffic Manager at Atlanta Center.

In 2007, Terry represented the FAA on a one-year detail as the Senior Aviation Advisor, United States Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq. In this role, he provided leadership to the Aviation Team while serving as the principal aviation subject matter expert. Terry worked closely with the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority Director General by providing support in tactical and operational planning. Terry helped lead the effort to transition airports and airspace from United States military to Iraqi civilian control.

Terry has also served as a FAA Academy Instructor for En Route, as well as a Course Manager and Program Manager, while at the Academy. Terry's additional FAA management positions include Front Line Manager, Support Manager for Quality Assurance, Support Manager for Airspace and Procedures, Operations Manager, and Assistant Air Traffic Manager. While serving as an Operations Manager at Boston Center, Terry was the Operation's Manager-in-Charge on 9/11.

His education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Management and a Master of Science Degree in Applied Management. Terry is also a certified Private Pilot.