Earlier this year, NBAA expanded the regional representative program to include several individuals whose primary function is to represent the association at the local, state and regional level
NBAA’s regional representatives are the eyes, ears and voice of the association in every corner of the country. Earlier this year, NBAA expanded the regional rep program to include seven individuals whose primary function is to represent the association at the local, state and regional level: everything from member assistance on a tax issue, to testifying at hearings, to speaking to students about careers in business aviation. From high-profile issues like the battle to save California’s Santa Monica Municipal Airport, to staffing an NBAA booth at an aviation career day, the association’s regional representatives are involved.
The regional program’s newest representative is Phil Derner, who, upon the retirement of Stacy Howard, now represents the Western region, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico.
“I’ve hit the ground running, and I want every NBAA member in the Western region to know that I’m here, ready to work with them,” said Derner. Not surprisingly, Santa Monica is at the top of Derner’s priority list, as NBAA and other aviation interests continue their efforts to prevent the city of Santa Monica from closing down the important Los Angeles reliever airport.
A former JetBlue dispatcher who also held operational, dispatch and logistics positions at North American Airlines, Derner brings a unique background to his new position. Notably, he was the founder and president of the respected worldwide aviation news and consulting organization NYCAviation. He has served as an analyst during coverage of aviation-related news stories for local and worldwide news outlets, including CNN, Fox News and BBC.
Most recently, Derner joined the on-demand charter operator JetSuite as interim co-director and duty manager, where he oversaw six departments within the operation’s “mission control” center, which is responsible for scheduling and dispatching the company’s fleet of business aircraft.
“Phil’s in-depth knowledge from across multiple segments of the aviation industry make him a great addition to NBAA’s regional representative team,” said Steve Hadley, NBAA’s senior director of regional programs and Southwest regional representative. “Our members in the Western U.S. will be well served by his expertise, energy and passion for aviation.”
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