Jane F. Garvey
|
As head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Jane Garvey ran an organization with 50,000 employees, a $13 billion annual budget, and critical impact on the nation’s economy. The FAA regulates and oversees aviation safety and operates the largest and most complex air traffic management system in the world. On any given day, some 50 percent of the world’s commercial aviation traffic flies in U.S. airspace and thus under the guidance of FAA air traffic controllers.
Nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate in August 1997 as the first FAA administrator to serve a five-year term, Garvey led the nation’s aviation system into the 21st century. Garvey’s legacy as administrator includes leading the FAA through one of the toughest chapters in all of our history, restoring America’s confidence in air travel, and strengthening airline safety.
During Administrator Garvey’s term, the FAA successfully navigated the Year 2000 transition, it established a risk management approach across the entire aviation community to improve aviation safety, and it achieved aggressive strides to expand the capacity and capabilities of the air traffic control system. Under the leadership of Jane F. Garvey, U.S. air travel is safer, more efficient, and the FAA is poised for continued success. Herb Kelleher, former President and CEO of Southwest Airlines, called Garvey “one of the finest administrators in the history of the FAA. She sees where you should be going, and she understands the steps you need to get there.”
Administrator Garvey became administrator at a challenging juncture in FAA’s history. In 1997, confidence in aviation safety and the FAA had been shaken by two major accidents the previous year. At the same time, there were doubts about the FAA’s ability to update its “antiquated” air traffic control system.
Garvey’s first big challenge was to successfully enter the 21st century. The FAA had more than 650 systems — millions of lines of code — that needed to be ready for the year 2000 changeover. In addition, as the world’s top aviation authority, the FAA had a critical leadership role to play to ensure that aviation systems around the world would make a smooth transition. Garvey championed the Y2K effort for U.S. aviation and led the charge for the international aviation community. The result: aviation’s seamless transition to the new century.
When Garvey arrived at the FAA, there was no industry-wide consensus on how to improve aviation safety. The FAA faced more than 1,000 safety proposals and no clear plan on how to proceed. Under Garvey’s leadership the aviation community developed a new data-driven safety model. Under this model — Safer Skies — government and the aviation community target their resources on making the changes that data shows will make the biggest difference in lowering the accident rate. Today, the fatal accident rate continues to decline in what is one of the safest forms of mass transportation. To expand the capabilities of the air traffic control system, Garvey discarded what she refers to as the “big bang” approach and successfully initiated a consensus-based and incremental building-block approach. Over the past five years the FAA has replaced, replenished, and renewed ATC hardware and software across the nation. The benefits include shorter flying times, lower fuel consumption, and better service for air travelers. Under Garvey’s direction, the aviation community came together in 2001 and agreed to a plan to expand the capacity of the nation’s aviation system by 30 percent by 2010.
Underscoring Garvey’s ability to foster collaboration, achieve consensus, and get things done, Senator John McCain said, “She’s reached out to a lot of segments of the industry and she’s done a good job listening to them.”
Prior to becoming FAA Administrator, Garvey was Acting Administrator and previously Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from 1993 to 1997. FHWA has an annual budget of $30 billion and works in partnership with states to maintain the safety and efficiency of the nation’s roads and bridges.
Among her accomplishments at FHWA, Garvey conceived and developed a new comprehensive initiative, called the Innovative Financing Initiative, to enable the states to use federal highway funds more effectively. Most of the funds-management methods tested by more than 30 states under this initiative were later enacted into law. One particularly successful innovation enables a state to pledge future federal highway revenues to repay a special debt instrument, designated a GARVEE (Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle) by the U.S. public finance market.
Before joining FHWA, Garvey was director of Boston’s Logan International Airport. From 1988 to 1991, she was Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mount Saint Mary College and a Master’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. After graduation, Garvey began her career as a teacher, at both the secondary school and collegiate level. She participated in the Fellowship Program for Public Leaders at Harvard. She holds several honorary degrees from institutions including Mt. Holyoke College and Cranfield University in England.
Ms. Garvey has received numerous awards and public recognition including the National Air Transportation Association’s Distinguished Service Award, the National Council of Public-Private Partnerships Leadership Award, the National Award of Excellence from the National Association from State Aviation Officials, the Leadership Award from the American Association of Airport Executives, and the Woman of the Year award from both Women in Transportation Seminar and Women in Politics. In 2002, the Association of Road and Transportation Builders Association presented Ms. Garvey with their highest annual award where Ms. Garvey joined the distinguished list of The Hundred Leaders in Transportation for the 21st Century. She also has been named to numerous boards and commissions throughout the transportation