Hires New Head Of Legislative Affairs

With a new administration getting ready to take office, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is seizing a key opportunity to help new White House staff and cabinet members, as well as members of Congress and their staff, understand the value of general aviation. So, the association is creating a powerhouse in its Washington, DC lobbying office.

Lorraine C. Howerton, AOPA's new vice president of legislative affairs, will work with AOPA President Craig Fuller and AOPA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Andy Cebula to bring general aviation infrastructure -- airports, navigation network, air traffic control modernization – to the forefront of discussions regarding funding, research, and regulation.

"We are fortunate to have Lorraine Howerton joining AOPA as the head of our Washington office," said Fuller. "Howerton brings great experience as an advocate to AOPA, and she has worked on transportation issues, most recently at a law firm already engaged by AOPA."

Howerton has more than 25 years of experience in government relations, with key responsibilities in the transportation sector. She was deputy director for the Program Operations Division within the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. She also served two years as the vice president of planning and transportation funding for the Air Transport Association in the 1990s.

Howerton's career in Washington, DC took off in the late 1970s when she served 14 years for the late Rep. Lawrence Coughlin.

In the mid- and late 1990s, she worked for lobbying groups to secure funding for transportation and public infrastructure projects. Howerton also led the government affairs department for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and, more recently, the Boy & Girls Club of America.

"I'm excited about serving AOPA members on Capitol Hill and using every opportunity to promote the value of general aviation with congressional leaders," Howerton said. "My goal is to convey how important it is to reserve funds for general aviation airports, navigation systems, and the National Airspace System."

FMI: www.aopa.org