Trish Gilbert
Candidate for Executive Vice President
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Trish Gilbert was elected as the National Air Traffic Controllers Association's seventh Executive Vice President and began serving her three-year term in September 2009. She worked the previous 21 years as an air traffic controller at Houston Center.
Upon being hired by the FAA in 1988, she found her true calling as an air traffic controller and also as a Union activist within NATCA. In both roles, she has been fiercely dedicated to aviation safety, working to ensure that the air traffic control profession and the National Airspace System are held in the highest regard and function with the greatest integrity. She believes communication and collaboration are the keys to improving aviation safety professionals’ workplaces and being a part of the move to a true safety culture in the FAA.
Gilbert’s activism with NATCA began with the Quality-Through-Partnership (QTP) program in 1992. Two years later, she began the first of her three terms serving as Houston Center's Facility Representative. In 2001, Gilbert became Southwest Region Chair of the National Legislative Committee (NLC) and then in 2005 earned the position of National Committee Chair, which she held until becoming NATCA’s EVP.
In addition, Gilbert chaired the National Organizing Committee from 1996-1999. She also served as Vice President of the NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) from 1998-2000, and then led the Foundation as its President from 2001-2008. Working as a team with NATCA President Paul Rinaldi, Gilbert has helped lead and oversee NATCA’s comprehensive efforts to build a successful working relationship with the FAA and DOT, which has resulted in excellent progress on aviation safety. Her efforts include serving as the Labor Chair of the FAA Labor Management Forum, which was tasked with modeling collaborative behavior, providing leadership, sharing best practices and developing templates regarding pre-decisional involvement and cooperation.
Gilbert has worked with top administration and agency officials who have committed to restoring a productive working environment with its employees and recognize that a strong, respected and fully staffed workforce is essential to ensuring the safety of the system. Gilbert has led the union’s effort to emphasize professional standards and impart the message to the union membership that in order to advance safety, NATCA must not only identify problems but must also help craft solutions. Thus, current efforts include the design, construction and deployment of new technology and equipment, the redesign of airspace and an expansion of safety reporting systems that have been very successful in bringing safety issues to the forefront.
Gilbert also serves as a member of the AFL-CIO’s political committee, enabling her to continue her career-long commitment to the advancement and success of America’s working men and women through solidarity and their collective voice. Additionally, Gilbert serves as the Vice Chair of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Air Traffic Services committee.
