MEM and M03 Members Win FAA "Tharnish" Award for Service
Thursday, January 27, 2011


    Above, left to right: Catherine Emerson, Acting Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management; Chris Piercy, NATCA Memphis TRACON facility representative; Christopher Byrd (FLM, Memphis Tower); Bruce Gustafson, NATCA MEM facility representative; Carl Fields (FLM, Memphis TRACON); Phil Santos, (Operations Manager, Memphis Tower); Administrator Randy Babbitt.


NATCA members at both the Memphis Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities joined with local Federal Aviation Administration management Jan. 26 in accepting the agency’s “Dorothy Tharnish Customer Service Award” from Administrator Randy Babbitt, capping a year of successful collaborative efforts between NATCA, FAA and other key stakeholders.

The award, according to the FAA, “recognizes an outstanding employee committed to customer service as exhibited by (1) development of new ways of doing business that improved customer service; (2) overall improved quality and level of customer service provided; (3) solved customer service problems quickly and creatively by anticipating barriers to success and analyzing trends and getting to know the customers; (4) modeled innovative work products and services; and (5) increased positive customer service feedback.”

The workforce at both FAA facilities at Memphis International Airport includes 34 certified professional controllers (CPCs) and trainees in the control tower and 37 CPCs and trainees in the TRACON. The accomplishments over the past year included ensuring safety while overcoming operational challenges brought on by such issues as the closing and rebuilding of runway 9/27. This seven-month project reduced the airport’s capacity by 30 percent. It was one of two extensive airport construction projects that forced controllers to work up alternative routings and utilize ingenuity and creativity in keeping up a high level of efficiency in the unique 24/7 busy facility that serves the hub for the worldwide cargo operation of FedEx.

“The air traffic controllers of Memphis Tower work diligently to ensure our daily operations are safe and efficient,” Memphis Tower NATCA Facility Representative Bruce Gustafson said. “We share information and exchange ideas on a regular basis. We challenge each other to perform at our highest possible level at all times. We have been through three major events during the past couple of years that were successfully completed without loss of efficiency and with a commitment to safety. The men and women of Memphis Tower demonstrate time and again that professionalism and dedication to our customers make a difference.”

Added Memphis TRACON NATCA Facility Representative Chris Piercy: “We always strive to provide the safest possible operation and we also realize that with the massive cargo operation of FedEx here, efficiency is key. Even a couple of extra minutes in the air can make the difference between a profitable flight and one that’s not. Safety and good customer service is inherent in our profession. The controllers here in Memphis do what all controllers do and that’s get ‘em from Point A to Point B as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Below is a list of members who work at the two facilities:

William Agee
Richard Alexander
Nicholas Armstead
Richard Arsenault
Jason Begley
Sean Bell
George Boston
Ryan Bousquet
James Bowie
Jason Bradfield
Michael Brittain
Clarin Cabana
Tiffany Cabana
Chadwick Collins
Jason Colyer
Bradley Compton
John Daush
Ross Dickinson
Thadeus Douglas
Beverlyn Ellison
Emmalee Garey
Roman Green
Mark Gries
Bruce Gustafson
Paul Hanna
Jonathon Horner
Adam Jackson
Dwight Jackson
Dorothy Jenks
Samonta Jones
Scott Jones
Kevin Kitson
Joseph Knott
Jeremy Lander
Andrew Martin
Charles Mathis
David McCuchen
Drew McLaughlin
Charles Mielke
Robert Mullins
Michael Muscavage
Michael Nall
Kent Pafford
Rob Paslay
Christopher Piercy
Paul Pucci
Jospeh Quenichet
Jotham Radford
Brent Reyle
Sean Rhone
Daniel Shaw
Sharon Shaw
Richard Stegura
Erik Strauss
Peter Sufka
Bobby Thompson
Doyle Thornton
Charles Usrey
Kyle Vincent
Adam White
Sharonda Williams
Keisha Wright


Click here
 for Thursday's Memphis Commercial Appeal article, quoting Piercy.