Enhancing Safety and Leadership in Aviation with Trish Gilbert

Leadership in Aviation

In this episode of the Leadership in Aviation Podcast, René Banglesdorf is joined by Trish Gilbert. Trish Gilbert serves as the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Association (IFATCA) Executive Vice President Americas.

Trish discusses several topics including her years of experience as an air traffic controller, leadership in aviaton, and airspace safety and her current role on the safety review board. She also discusses balancing innovation and safety as well as her advice for young leaders in aviation. In addition, she also talks about recently obtaining her private pilot's license and how it feels to be on the other side of the radio.

More about Trish:

Previously she served 12 years (4-terms) as the National Air Traffic Controllers Association’s (NATCA) Executive Vice President. During her time in that position she helped lead and oversee NATCA’s comprehensive efforts to build successful working relationships with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), the aviation industry, the AFL-CIO, and members of the U.S. Congress that resulted in excellent progress on aviation safety. Her efforts included serving on many boards and committees: the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee (DAC), the FAA/NATCA Collaborative Steering Committee, the Aero Club of Washington Board of Governors, the National Aeronautic Association Board of Directors, Director of the NATCA Charitable Foundation, the Vice Chair of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Air Traffic Services Committee and IFATCA's representative to the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems panel (RPASP) at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). For IFATCA she also served on IFATCA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, the Constitution and Administration Committee (CAC) and the Finance Committee (FIC). Trish served on the AFL-CIO Political Committee, Legislative/Policy Committee, and the Committee on Women Workers. She is also the former Labor Chair of the FAA National Employee Involvement Committee, which was tasked with modeling collaborative behavior, providing leadership, sharing best practices, and developing templates regarding pre-decisional involvement and cooperation.

In May 2018, at its annual Women in Aviation Scholarship luncheon, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) honored Gilbert by announcing the creation of a new permanently-endowed scholarship in her name.

In May 2020, U.S. Secretary of Transportation appointed Trish to the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB). Pursuant to Section 612 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the WIAAB was established to develop strategies and recommendations that would encourage women and girls to enter the field of aviation. In March 2022, the WIAAB transmitted the Report “Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation: Flight Plan for The Future” to the FAA Administrator and the U.S. Congress.

By trade and passion Trish is an air traffic controller and worked 21 years at Houston Center (ZHU) prior to serving U.S. air traffic controllers as their EVP. At ZHU she served in many activist roles within the union including Facility Representative, Southwest Region Chair of NATCA’s National Legislative Committee and Chair of the National Legislative Committee. She also chaired NATCA’s National Organizing Committee, served as NATCA Charitable Foundation Vice President and then, the Foundation’s President.

Trish Gilbert resides in Austin, Texas with her husband John, who is a retired air traffic controller. Both adult children, Jenna and Colby, and grandsons Oliver and Jack also reside in Austin.