The National Air Transportation Association’s President and CEO, Thomas L. Hendricks, announced Friday he will resign on Aug. 31. Hendricks, who by then will have served about four years at NATA’s helm, joined the organization in 2012 from Airlines for America, where he was senior vice president of safety, security and operations. During his tenure with NATA, he joined leaders of other general aviation groups in speaking out on a variety of issues including airspace modernization, pilot medical reform and the recent debates in Congress on air traffic control privatization, which NATA campaigned against until the proposal was shelved in February.
The NATA board will designate one of its members to serve as interim president and CEO beginning Sept. 1. Two NATA senior vice presidents, William R. Deere and Timothy R. Obitts, will oversee daily operations. “It has been an honor to lead NATA through this period of significant change by greatly enhancing its position as the voice of aviation business on Capitol Hill, at the agencies, and in the states,” Hendricks said. “I am also pleased to have led the association’s move to downtown Washington, D.C., overseen the expansion of the association’s membership, and the development of new products and services to help our members operate safely and effectively in the marketplace. Having accomplished these initiatives, I now look forward to new challenges and opportunities.”
