Tiered Responsibilities and Vast Resources: Training ALPA’s New Local Leaders

Every year, incoming elected local council leaders gather for the Association’s premier educational event, the ALPA Leadership Training Conference, where they learn more about their job responsibilities and the many union resources available to help them perform those duties. This year’s event took place on February 3–5, with 74 local executive council (LEC) officers, including 54 status representatives, in attendance at ALPA’s headquarters in McLean, Va.

The conference offers ample opportunity for these frontline officials to meet and establish relationships with their peers from across the Association’s 42 Canadian and U.S. pilot groups.

“Every minute we spend together here is an opportunity to build a network of leaders that you can lean on regardless of what logo is on their uniforms,” said Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA’s president. “Mainline or regional, U.S. or Canadian, cargo or passenger, we’re all ALPA pilots facing similar opportunities and challenges.”

A Focus on Tiered Responsibilities

LEC officers perform a wide range of important duties for the Association, including conducting council membership meetings, representing pilots involved in disciplinary investigations, communicating ALPA’s priorities and activities, and soliciting feedback from local pilots.

This year’s training had a new format designed to highlight the tiered responsibilities of ALPA’s captain, first officer, seniority block, and instructor status reps. In addition to their local council and LEC obligations, status reps act as members of both their pilot groups’ master executive councils (MEC) and the union’s Board of Directors (BOD)—ALPA’s highest governing body. An ALPA MEC functions as a coordinating council for its pilot group, electing officers, establishing committees, organizing meetings, and acting on behalf of its members.

“It’s important for you to understand the different hats you wear,” remarked F/O Tyler Hawkins (United), ALPA Professional Development Group Leadership Committee chair. He moderated the three-day event along with other committee members, including Capt. Jared Armstrong (United), Capt. Glen Gorrie (WestJet), Capt. Andy Nelson (Spirit), and F/O Mark Lockwood (Delta).

The first day’s interactive presentations and workshops highlighted the day-to-day considerations for running a local council, while the second day’s training modules concentrated on the demands of overseeing a pilot group. The final day’s segments examined Association-wide priorities and concerns.

Guidance from ALPA’s National Officers

Each of the Association’s national officers spoke during the conference. Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA first vice president and national safety coordinator, shared some guidelines that have served her well. “It’s not what you get, it’s what you give,” she asserted, adding, “Hopefully, you’ll leave the job better than you found it.”

Capt. Sean Creed, the union’s vice president–administration/secretary, stressed the importance of knowing ALPA’s governing documents (i.e., the Constitution & By-Laws, the Administrative Manual, and each pilot group’s MEC policy manual), while Capt. Wes Clapper, ALPA vice president–finance/treasurer, reviewed the Association’s recent financial performance and budgeting policies.

An informal Q&A session with all four national officers served as the final component of the three-day training. Topics of discussion ranged from the ongoing relationship between mainline pilot groups and their counterparts at fee-for-departure carriers to the future of the Known Crewmember program.

Conference Highlights

Several ALPA staff joined the conference to lead topical discussions. Andrew Shostack, director of the Association’s Representation Department, spoke on the MEC’s role in managing contract negotiations. Creed and Tom Ciantra, assistant director of ALPA’s Legal Department and deputy general counsel, outlined considerations for conducting MEC meetings and the importance of following Robert’s Rules of Order. Marcus Migliore, ALPA Legal Department director, explained duty of fair representation as it applies to unions in both the United States and Canada and highlighted several cases in which ALPA was involved.

Naseem Khuri, a professor from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and an expert on negotiations, influence, and conflict management, gave an interactive presentation to provide the pilot leaders with consensus-and collaboration-building tools as a means to advance pilot group goals.

Dr. Quay Snyder, the union’s aeromedical director, reviewed the many services his organization provides to help ALPA members to secure and maintain their medical certification.

An additional segment underscored the importance of “Go Teams,” which are coordinated by the union’s Strategic Preparedness & Strike Committee and Strategic Planning Committee to provide national assistance for MECs during contract negotiations, implementation, and enforcement and for other projects like membership building.

Panel discussions addressed “Leveraging ALPA’s Toolbox to Advance MEC Goals” and “Support for Pilots When They Call the Safety Hotline.” In addition to other workshops, a choice of breakout sessions included “Working with Your Council Services Coordinator,” “Membership Administration,” “Secretary-Treasurer Tips and Tools,” and other topics.

Conference attendees also had the opportunity to meet and have dinner with their corresponding executive vice presidents, and an evening “open house” activity familiarized the reps with the union’s various department and professional staff functions, as well as national committees.

Association-Wide Issues

As ALPA’s highest governing body, the BOD is vested with the control of the Association, its general management, and its business affairs. Conference participants discussed the upcoming October BOD meeting and what board members need to know to fully engage and participate. Special attention was given to the union’s strategic plan and its eight areas of focus.

Also on the order of business, Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president, reviewed the union’s commitment to “advocate for better, safer working conditions for our pilot members while working to build a world-class aviation sector that serves all Canadians.” ALPA Canada consists of more than 13,000 pilots who fly for 21 airlines, and Perry provided an overview of its strategic priorities, which include pilot representation; industry, advocacy, and government affairs; safety and security; and structure and governance.

The Leadership Committee offered two concurrent government affairs sessions. Presentations about pilot-partisan efforts in the United States were led by the Association’s Government Affairs staff. The second group engaged in open discussions regarding the recent Parliament Hill Day and other Canadian legislative and regulatory activities facilitated by Perry; Capt. Gilles Boissonneault, ALPA Canada vice president; and Capt. Louis-Éric Mongrain, ALPA Canada vice president–administration/finance.

Ambrosi provided a state-of-the-union address that outlined recent activities and ALPA’s top priorities. “As you step into a leadership role or transition to a new role, understand this: You now share responsibility for advancing our union,” he remarked. “If there are two things you should take away from what I said or this week as a whole, let them be this: Change happens when pilots step up; progress happens when we all work together.”

Faces in the Crowd

This year’s Leadership Training Conference included a broad range of personalities and experiences that make up ALPA’s frontline pilot leaders. For example, Capt. John Tabet (Spirit) became the vice chair of LEC 109 midterm to fill a vacancy and was recently elected to his first full term as a captain rep. He indicated that he was attending the conference to better develop his leadership skills.

A negative encounter during recurrent training helped compel F/O Seth Freedman-Peel (PSA) to run for the first officer rep position of LEC 61, which represents pilots in both Dallas, Tex., and Dayton, Ohio. After the experience, he remarked that he saw an ad in the Association’s FastRead encouraging members to get involved in their union and promptly responded.

Mesa Airlines is in the process of merging with Republic Airways, and F/O Esther Lin (Mesa), the newly elected first officer rep for LEC 88, said she hopes her combined pilot group will be represented by ALPA in the future. Like many of her peers, she attended the conference to learn more about the Association’s vast resources.

Several of the reps who took part in this year’s conference noted that it was their first real encounter with ALPA. F/O Manny Kharoud (Morningstar Air Express), his pilot group’s incoming LEC 208 first officer rep, remarked that this position is his first hands-on experience with the union. F/O Nigam Patel (Air Inuit), the newly elected MEC 265 first officer rep, commented that he is also new to ALPA.

Capt. Jim Musick (United) observed that his election as the captain rep for LEC 11 is his first post at United, but that he previously served as a Negotiating Committee chair for CommuteAir. By attending the conference, he said he hoped to better understand the “big picture” and what he needs to do to best represent his pilots.

New and Reelected ALPA Reps

The following ALPA leaders took office on March 1 for a three-year term ending February 28, 2029. Don’t see your rep on the list? Log on to your member account and click the Representative tab for the name and e-mail of your local executive and master executive council officers.

Air Canada 254 Capt. Fred Levy, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Air Canada 254 F/O Patrick Silva, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Air Canada 254 Capt. Hugo Desrochers, Secretary-Treasurer

Air Inuit 265 Capt. Louis-Philippe Desmarais, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Air Inuit 265 F/O Nigam Patel, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Air Inuit 265 Capt. Mathieu Campagna, Secretary-Treasurer

Air Transat 200 Capt. Simon Robitaille, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Air Transat 200 F/O Alexandre Dupuis, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Air Transat 200 Capt. Guy Chevalier, Secretary-Treasurer

Alaska 64 Capt. Bruce Sherry, Chair (Seniority Block #3 Rep)
Alaska 64 Capt. John Zimmerman, Vice Chair 
Alaska 64 Capt. William Collier, Secretary-Treasurer 

Alaska 183 Capt. Arna Harris, Chair (Seniority Block #8 Rep)
Alaska 183 Capt. John Owens, Vice Chair (Seniority Block #9 Rep)
Alaska 183 F/O David Lewis, Secretary-Treasurer 

Calm Air 205 Capt. Randall Booth, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Calm Air 205 F/O Jessica Kerzner, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Calm Air 205 F/O Julian Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer

Canadian North 240 Capt. Ryan Ducharme, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Canadian North 240 F/O Dhruvalkumar Kabirpara, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Canadian North 240 Capt. Alexandra Sinclair, Secretary-Treasurer

Delta 54 Capt. John Muller, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Delta 54 F/O Avi Peres, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Delta 54 Capt. Wesley Blankenship, Secretary-Treasurer 

Delta 66 Capt. Marc Cervantes, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Delta 66 F/O Sherry Smith, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Delta 66 F/O Joseph Palen, Secretary (F/O Rep)
Delta 66 Capt. Kevin Kilpatrick, Treasurer (Capt. Rep)

Endeavor Air 127 Capt. William Specce, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Endeavor Air 127 F/O Corey Denzer, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Endeavor Air 127 Capt. Austin Sorrells, Secretary-Treasurer

Endeavor Air 128 Capt. Navid Ghavami-Mameghani, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Endeavor Air 128 F/O Lucas Shoemaker, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Endeavor Air 128 Capt. Taylor Hitson, Secretary-Treasurer

Envoy Air 114 Capt. Gerald Smithers, Chair (Status Rep) 
Envoy Air 114 Capt. Logan Shamoon, Vice Chair 
Envoy Air 114 Capt. Aaron Overcash, Secretary-Treasurer

Envoy Air 126 Capt. Daniel Hernandez, Chair (Capt. Rep) 
Envoy Air 126 Capt. Daniel Brooks, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Envoy Air 126 Capt. Hugo Valencia, Secretary-Treasurer

FedEx Express 22 Capt. Brian Hofman, Chair (Seniority Block #2 Rep)
FedEx Express 22 Capt. Thomas Turner, Vice Chair (Seniority Block #5 Rep)
FedEx Express 22 F/O David Marten, Secretary-Treasurer (Seniority Block #7 Rep) 

FedEx Express 500 F/O Bruno Neves, Chair (Seniority Block #10 Rep)
FedEx Express 500 Capt. Frederik Van Weezendonk, Vice Chair
FedEx Express 500 Capt. Scott Evers, Secretary-Treasurer

Frontier 165 Capt. John Howell, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Frontier 165 F/O Charles Weihing, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Frontier 165 Capt. Timothy Brown, Secretary-Treasurer

Jazz Aviation 220 Capt. Gilbert Renaud, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Jazz Aviation 220 F/O Anousack Siriphokham, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Jazz Aviation 220 Capt. Andrew Schliep, Secretary-Treasurer

JetBlue Airways 191 Capt. Keith McClanahan, Chair (Capt. Rep)
JetBlue Airways 191 F/O Royce Fleitz, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
JetBlue Airways 191 Capt. Lawrence Miller, Secretary (Capt. Rep)
JetBlue Airways 191 F/O Constantine Tzitzis, Treasurer (F/O Rep)

Keewatin Air 262 Capt. Lahiru Gunawardhana, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Keewatin Air 262 F/O Subhash Chowdary Kolluru, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Keewatin Air 262 Capt. Matt Caissie, Secretary-Treasurer

Mesa 88 Capt. Michael Salina, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Mesa 88 F/O Esther Lin, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Mesa 88 Capt. Amir Beizaei, Secretary-Treasurer

Morningstar Air Express 208 Capt. Daniel Penner, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Morningstar Air Express 208 F/O Maninder Kharoud, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)

PAL Aerospace 232 Capt. Stephen Young, Chair (Capt. Rep)
PAL Aerospace 232 F/O Pradeep Jayendran, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
PAL Aerospace 232 Capt. Iain Allison, Secretary-Treasurer

Piedmont 28 Capt. Kevin McKeon, Chair (Status Rep)
Piedmont 28 Capt. Jeremy Visnesky, Vice Chair 
Piedmont 28 Capt. Robert Middleton, Secretary-Treasurer

Porter 274 F/O Slav Martinov, Chair (F/O Rep)
Porter 274 Capt. Gabriel Dahdouh, Vice Chair (Capt. Rep)
Porter 274 F/O Laurence Charette, Secretary-Treasurer

PSA 61 Capt. Robert Ward, Chair (Capt. Rep)
PSA 61 F/O Seth Freedman-Peel, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
PSA 61 Capt. Patrick Bowie, Secretary-Treasurer

Spirit 109 Capt. Jessica Aperavich, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Spirit 109 Capt. John Tabet, Vice Chair (Capt. Rep)
Spirit 109 F/O Joshua Savage, Secretary (F/O Rep)
Spirit 109 F/O Clarence Bell, Treasurer (F/O Rep)

United 12 Capt. Phillip Anderson, Chair (Capt. Rep)
United 12 F/O Thomas Cross, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
United 12 F/O Shanon Jamison, Secretary-Treasurer

United 33 Capt. Keaton Loper, Chair (Capt. Rep)
United 33 F/O Mario Martins, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
United 33 Capt. Guido Gallucci, Secretary-Treasurer

United 153 F/O Daniel Hamilton, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
United 153 Capt. Todd Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer

United 172 Capt. Edward Higgins, Chair (Capt. Rep)
United 172 F/O Joshua Burke, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
United 172 Capt. Mark Wapenaar, Secretary-Treasurer

Wasaya Airways 236 Capt. James Harding, Chair (Capt. Rep)
Wasaya Airways 236 F/O Nicholas De Haan, Vice Chair (F/O Rep)
Wasaya Airways 236 Capt. Prithvi Bharadwaj, Secretary-Treasurer

WestJet Encore 211 F/O Heath Spence, Chair (F/O Rep)
WestJet Encore 211 Capt. Cody Brace, Vice Chair (Capt. Rep)
WestJet Encore 211 Capt. Manjinder Dhillon, Secretary-Treasurer

WestJet 230 F/O Douglas McFadyen, Chair (F/O Rep)
WestJet 230 Capt. Mason Bowden, Vice Chair (Capt. Rep)
WestJet 230 Capt. Avinash Vishnumoorthi, Secretary-Treasurer