Quick, Smart addition to FAA leadership
CONGRATULATIONS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION- aviation safety, technical competence, executive ability and knowledge of aviation MATTERS to this new leadership team, specifically Sec. Duffy. Your selection of CHRIS ROCHELEAU to IMMEDIATELY assume the position of Deputy Administrator shows that you recognize these priorities!!!
The Deputy Administrator (ADA-1) position is a non-career Presidential Appointment (“Schedule C”). While the Administrator (AOA-1) is subject to Senate Confirmation and holds a 5 year tenure, the second-in-command may be immediately installed.
[N.B. the Biden-appointed Administrator resigned before the inauguration though he had years remaining on his authority, Mr. Whitaker recognized that his ability to effectively manage the FAA would be diminished by having a Deputy with links to the new Administration.]
The instantaneous insertion second-in-command is brilliant in terms of assuring safety is assured. More significantly, the agency has an unhealthy number of “acting” positions.
These “acting” positions are highly technical in nature; their jobs are to implement the Administration’s goal within the narrow ministerial functions that they exercise. Credit again, to the Presidential Executive Placement team to identifying Mr. Rocheleau and offering the position to him. His 20 years at the FAA make him familiar with the requirements of the job and equally provide him with knowledge of likely candidates for these openings. Expeditiously filling these jobs with permanent leaders will contribute to aviation safety.
The quick selection of Chris bespeaks of the Secretary’s comfort with his skills and trust in his ability to manage the FAA. GOOD JOB!!!
PLACING SOMEONE SO WELL SUITED TO BE ADA-1 BODES WELL FOR AVIATION SAFETY AND THE FAA.
Former NBAA COO Chris Rocheleau Sworn In As FAA Deputy Administrator
CHRIS ROCHELEAU, a seasoned official of the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ), has returned to the regulator and assumed the role of Deputy Administrator.
Old yet new leadership
According to a report by The Air Current, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, Rocheleau was sworn in as the new Deputy Administrator of the FAA, replacing Mark House, who was the acting Deputy Administrator.
The FAA’s Administrator role remains vacant. However, it could be filled soon following the inauguration of Donald Trump, the new President of the United States, who picked Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation ( DOT ).
Photo: The Bold Bureau | Shutterstock
Congress, or specifically the US Senate, approved Duffy’s nomination during an almost three-hour hearing on January 15, with the new leader of the DOT being approved by Senators on both sides of the aisle.
Nevertheless, Rocheleau, whose most recent role was the chief operating officer (COO) at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), will return to the FAA, where he spent more than 20 years during his career.
In addition to the TSA, the FAA and DOT will have new leaders with the incoming Trump administration.
The new administration’s moves
Rocheleau became the first FAA official to be sworn in by the new administration. According to the NBAA, he served the FAAfor over 20 years in multiple roles, including as the acting associate administrator for aviation safety, chief of staff, assistant administrator for policy, international affairs and environment, executive director for international affairs, and director of the office of emergency operations and investigations.
Photo: FAA
He joined the NBAA’s ranks as the COO of the association in April 2022, replacing the retiring Steve Brown, who was with the NBAA for 18 years. Rocheleau’s role within the association encompassed activities related to aircraft and flight department operations and administrative, financial, and human resources functions.
In October 2022, Rocheleau was elected to the board of directors of the non-profit association Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), succeeding Brown as the NBAA’s representative on the RTCA’s board.
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Leadership void
Still, the FAA is without an Administrator, a role that Joe Biden’s administration struggled to fill.
… [long transition deleted due to its likelihood to inflict pain.]
In an interview with Reuters in December 2024, Duffy said that Trump would have a deputy to oversee the regulator on January 20. In his prepared remarks before his confirmation hearing, Duffy said that safety will remain the top priority in aviation, adding that the National Airspace System (NAS) needed more air traffic controllers (ATC).
“We must modernize our systems with cutting-edge technology. I will work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe.” In the past year, the American aircraft manufacturer has made headlines amid safety and quality concerns related to its manufacturing.
Before leaving for the NBAA, Rocheleau’s latest role was the acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety of the FAA, leading the effort to set safety standards and oversee all aspects of the aviation industry, including airlines, plane makers, maintenance organizations, advanced air mobility, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and aviation professionals.
