The National Business Aviation’s (NBAA) chief operating officer Chris Rocheleau has joined the board of directors for the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA).

Rocheleau will advise the association on flight safety issues and “advance the nation’s ATC network”, according to ATCA.

ATCA, which serves as a forum for ATC providers, manufacturers and users to address safety issues, has elected Rocheleau and five other industry representatives to serve as directors-at-large on the ATCA board. They will take on the positions in November for a three-year-long term.

The introduction of air traffic management (ATM) systems which support uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) for business aviation use will be a focus for Rocheleau. He aims to engage with the Department of Transportation and FAA to ensure these new technologies are safely and responsibly rolled out.

Rocheleau added that these discussions can help “drive legislation and government policy, foster transparency and communication throughout the regulatory process and strategically leverage existing airports and other assets to bolster infrastructure development”.

With more than 20 years’ experience working in various roles in the FAA, including deputy associate administrator of Aviation Safety, Rocheleau took on the role of chief operating officer at the NBAA in June this year. He has previously served as an officer and special agent with the US Air Force and was among the first leaders of the Transportation Security Administration as senior policy advisor between 2002 and 2005.

The other new appointments include:

• Jim Eck, vice president of Strategy, L3Harris Corporate
• David Ford, president, Ford Aviation Solutions
• Michael Hawthorne, senior vice president for Development and Engineering Services, Objective Area Solutions
• Melissa Rudinger, president, EastView Aviation Consulting
• Rachel Seibert, director of Business Development, General Dynamics Information Technology