Paul Feldman

Chair

"Paul Feldman joined GAMA in 2008 as Vice President of Government Affairs. He is responsible for promoting the interests of GAMA’s members before the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch departments and agencies. Paul was formerly with APCO Worldwide, where he headed the company’s transport practice in Europe. Prior to joining APCO, Paul was the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, based in Brussels. In this capacity, he represented the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and FAA Administrator on all aviation issues for these regions and was the lead U.S. negotiator on the aviation safely bilateral between the United States and the European Union.

Additionally, during his tenure with the FAA, he was Acting Assistant Administrator for International Aviation and held positions in the offices of the FAA Administrator and FAA Deputy Administrator. He also served as Deputy Director of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission. Prior to his work with the FAA, Paul was a lead staffer on the Aviation Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has also worked in Congress as a chief of staff and legislative director, and has considerable experience with the Congressional appropriations process."

Michael Hawthorne

Vice-Chair

Michael Hawthorne is a Growth Executive for GDIT, providing innovative solutions to complex aviation problems. Michael has served on the ATCA Board of Directors since 2019 and has been involved with ATCA in numerous capacities since publishing his first paper in 1998. He began his FAA career in 1990 and spent the next 22 years researching, developing, and implementing large-scale, complex air traffic system development programs, initially at the William J. Hughes Technical Center, then at FAA HQ. Michael led numerous government/industry teams to collaborate and coordinate with technology developers, service providers, system users, and regulatory authorities. He led the Air Traffic Organization through its first Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program and served as the ATO’s liaison to ICAO and to other ANSPs. He left the FAA in 2012; he continues to foster the future of the aviation industry in the private sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from The Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in public administration from The George Washington University.

Dawn Amore

Director

"Dawn Amore is the CEO of Volanno, a technology company specializing in digital transformation and modernization for transportation agencies, including aviation, rail, and transit. Under her leadership, Volanno developed the nationwide digital repository for air traffic controller training records, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in recordkeeping. Volanno also built and maintains the FAA’s Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM), a critical tool for data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency in air traffic management.

Dawn is deeply engaged in understanding and addressing challenges across all modes of transportation, leveraging insights from aviation, rail, and transit to drive innovative, cross-sector solutions. She stays at the forefront of industry developments through active participation in trade associations such as ATCA, AAAE, the Flight Safety Foundation, Women in Transportation, and ITS America. A dedicated advocate for community impact, she is a breast cancer survivor and the top fundraiser for DC’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for three consecutive years. Dawn holds an MBA from George Washington University."

Kelly Caccetta

Director

"Kelly Caccetta serves as President & CEO of CSSI. In this role, she has the primary responsibility for the leadership, strategic and management direction and business results of the company. Kelly joined CSSI as Director of Human Resources in 2011, was Vice President of Corporate Services and also served as Executive Vice President.

Prior to joining CSSI, Kelly served as Vice President of Corporate Services and Director of Human Resources at ITA International, where she developed and implemented all aspects of business operations and human resources. She also served in two roles at the Department of Energy National Laboratory Systems: as the Deputy to the Director at Argonne National Laboratory and Associate Director of Administration at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility; and as a Human Resources Manager at Gateway, Inc. Kelly began her career as a teacher and registered emergency and trauma nurse. She has a bachelor’s degree from Radford University and is a licensed registered nurse. "

Amy Parish

Director

"Amy Parish is the Vice President of North American Programs at UFA, where she plays a pivotal role in delivering critical training systems designed to meet the complex needs of air traffic and airside training. A Navy Veteran turned aviation expert, Amy graduated as valedictorian of Daniel Webster College in 2012 with a degree in Air Traffic and Aviation Management. She then joined UFA, a leader in aviation safety solutions, serving as Project Manager, Program Manager, Director, and ultimately Vice President.
Throughout her career, Amy has supported product development, managed customer installations, and led impactful training initiatives. She has been a leader in the FAA’s pandemic-era initiatives, the replacement of critical simulator systems across Canada, and UFA’s groundbreaking delivery of its first ATVehicle airside driver training simulator in the Middle East. In addition to her professional achievements, Amy is a resolute mentor of the next generation of aviation professionals. She actively engages in STEM events and plays a key role in industry committees, including serving as the Chair of the ATCA Rising Professionals Committee. Amy also contributes to the aviation community through her position on the Board of Trustees for the University Aviation Association. An active member of ATCA since her senior year of college, Amy is committed to supporting ATCA’s vital role in advancing the aviation industry."

Sharon Pinkerton

Director

Sharon Pinkerton was named Senior Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy for Airlines for America (A4A) in February 2011, and leads policy development on legislative and regulatory matters, working with Capitol Hill and the administration. Sharon joined A4A as Vice President, Government Affairs in April 2006, where she was responsible for overseeing all aviation-related issues before federal, state and local governments.

Don Thoma

Director

"Don Thoma is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aireon since founding the company in 2011. Prior to Aireon, Don held various senior executive positions at Iridium Communications following his arrival in 2001, serving most recently as Executive Vice President of Marketing. As Executive Vice President of Marketing, Thoma was responsible for strategic marketing of Iridium’s products and services, corporate communications and leading corporate initiatives related to the company’s next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT.

Don currently serves as a member of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Executive Committee, which is accountable for the overall performance of CANSO and served as Chairman of the Hosted Payload Alliance (HPA), an industry trade group that works to advance the use of hosted payloads on commercial satellites.

Don served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Space Division and holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School."

James Eck

Director

"Jim Eck is vice president, strategy and business development for the Mission Networks sector within L3Harris Technologies’ Space and Airborne Systems segment. Jim is active in developing L3Harris' strategic relationships with federal agencies, the aviation industry and the U.S. airspace user community. He holds more than 30 years of leadership experience with the federal government supporting both the FAA and the U.S. Navy.

Prior to joining L3Harris, Jim served as the Assistant Administrator for NextGen at the FAA where he led the modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS). He previously held roles with the FAA focused on acquisition management, program development and program execution where he served as Vice President for the Program Management Organization. Jim holds a BSEE from Pennsylvania State University and an MSE, Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania."