From TWO President | TechnicalWomen.org

From TWO President Vicki Wagonis

Message from TWO President, Vicki Wagonis,

Message from TWO President, Vicki Wagonis,

Hello TWO Members and Friends, Wow is all I can say about all that has happened this summer with the TWO/NAPA Conference, furlough fight, and the reauthorization bill signing delay. First, one word captures the TWO/NAPA National Training Conference in Sacramento, CA, the last week of June: SPECTACTULAR. Thank you to Maury Khon, TWO 2011 Conference Chair and Peter Ng, NAPA 2011 Conference Chair. What a team! We had an unusual way of presenting our program but it worked well thanks to the Program Committee, Della Triggs-Koch, Tony Delavega, and Cathy Hedglen. We highlight two mornings with dignitaries, the first morning we were welcomed by Mr. David S Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the US Dept of Transportation, and our own FAA local Technical Operations District Manager, Mr. Greg Massoud, Air Traffic District Manager Mr. Don Kirby from NCT, and Mr. Ken Reyes, GNAS Manager from Honolulu. AND a special THANK YOU to our own TWO founder Vianne Fowler for being a gracious hostess and a Mistress of Ceremony. You will have to read our next newsletter, ‘The Circuit”, for more in-depth articles on the speakers and training presented at the conference. Please read about inspirational speaker, Kevin Bush, Director, Teams and Leaders Co. and his unique presentation on leadership. TWO and NAPA presented a diverse program in many ways. The four strings in our training were to give everyone something to choose from, whether technical in the NAS and NextGen strings or more soft skills with the “Development and Leadership strings. The training was a win/win for everyone. Day two was opened with our keynote speaker, Randy Babbitt, FAA Administrator, followed by a very moving motivating speech by Nancy Kalinowski and the Senior Executive Panel who gave us insights into themselves and how they accomplished or reacted to situations in their lives. One person who made an impression on me was Jo Tarrh and her list of motivational books on leadership she gives her team, I say this because I am always reading and looking at ways to do things just a little better in myself or to react a little more positively. And the highlight for me was on day two, FAA Administrator, Randy Babbitt, agreed to an interview to put on the TWO website. I have to say I was impressed by his genuine desire to get to know all of us, whether you work in Washing DC or in the field at a small facility. Randy makes everyone feel important and he reminds us, that we, every one of us, contribute to keep the largest air traffic system in the world the safest. I have to give special accolades to all the TWO/NAPA Conference team that worked countless hours to put all the final touches on the conference and pulled together another wonderful conference. Both Employee Associations had wonderful photographers, Erin Trowbridge, Thong Vu, and Dani Knight. They captured all the highlights, look at both the TWO and NAPA websites. This summer presented many challenges for us all but I want to say thank you to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt for their work and fights on the Hill to get FAA employees back to work and not just the FAA but the domino affect of the contractors, airlines, and the flying public. I and the TWO members really appreciated all of their correspondence while letting everybody know what was going on. TWO was putting the emails and speeches on our website during the furlough and the reauthorization fight and debt ceiling, to keep our members informed, and yes, many of our members were furloughed. Please look at the website and help our fellow members in their time of need. I encourage everyone to reach out and help promote diversity within our worksites. Diversity comes in many forms and shapes, and we need to embrace the changes we are going through. The only thing constant in the FAA and life is CHANGE. Learn how to roll with it, grow from it and accept the changes in a positive way. These are not challenges but opportunities to grow!

Hello TWO Members and Friends, Wow is all I can say about all that has happened this summer with the TWO/NAPA Conference, furlough fight, and the reauthorization bill signing delay. First, one word captures the TWO/NAPA National Training Conference in Sacramento, CA, the last week of June: SPECTACTULAR. Thank you to Maury Khon, TWO 2011 Conference Chair and Peter Ng, NAPA 2011 Conference Chair. What a team!

We had an unusual way of presenting our program but it worked well thanks to the Program Committee, Della Triggs-Koch, Tony Delavega, and Cathy Hedglen. We highlight two mornings with dignitaries, the first morning we were welcomed by Mr. David S Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the US Dept of Transportation, and our own FAA local Technical Operations District Manager, Mr. Greg Massoud, Air Traffic District Manager Mr. Don Kirby from NCT, and Mr. Ken Reyes, GNAS Manager from Honolulu. AND a special THANK YOU to our own TWO founder Vianne Fowler for being a gracious hostess and a Mistress of Ceremony. You will have to read our next newsletter, ‘The Circuit”, for more in-depth articles on the speakers and training presented at the conference. Please read about inspirational speaker, Kevin Bush, Director, Teams and Leaders Co. and his unique presentation on leadership.

TWO and NAPA presented a diverse program in many ways. The four strings in our training were to give everyone something to choose from, whether technical in the NAS and NextGen strings or more soft skills with the “Development and Leadership strings. The training was a win/win for everyone.

Day two was opened with our keynote speaker, Randy Babbitt, FAA Administrator, followed by a very moving motivating speech by Nancy Kalinowski and the Senior Executive Panel who gave us insights into themselves and how they accomplished or reacted to situations in their lives. One person who made an impression on me was Jo Tarrh and her list of motivational books on leadership she gives her team, I say this because I am always reading and looking at ways to do things just a little better in myself or to react a little more positively.

And the highlight for me was on day two, FAA Administrator, Randy Babbitt, agreed to an interview to put on the TWO website. I have to say I was impressed by his genuine desire to get to know all of us, whether you work in Washing DC or in the field at a small facility. Randy makes everyone feel important and he reminds us, that we, every one of us, contribute to keep the largest air traffic system in the world the safest.

I have to give special accolades to all the TWO/NAPA Conference team that worked countless hours to put all the final touches on the conference and pulled together another wonderful conference. Both Employee Associations had wonderful photographers, Erin Trowbridge, Thong Vu, and Dani Knight. They captured all the highlights, look at both the TWO and NAPA websites.

This summer presented many challenges for us all but I want to say thank you to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt for their work and fights on the Hill to get FAA employees back to work and not just the FAA but the domino affect of the contractors, airlines, and the flying public. I and the TWO members really appreciated all of their correspondence while letting everybody know what was going on. TWO was putting the emails and speeches on our website during the furlough and the reauthorization fight and debt ceiling, to keep our members informed, and yes, many of our members were furloughed. Please look at the website and help our fellow members in their time of need.

I encourage everyone to reach out and help promote diversity within our worksites. Diversity comes in many forms and shapes, and we need to embrace the changes we are going through. The only thing constant in the FAA and life is CHANGE. Learn how to roll with it, grow from it and accept the changes in a positive way. These are not challenges but opportunities to grow!