The Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) today announced the appointment of three key executives to the organization.
Lori Sharpe Day will head the government affairs division as vice president. Day, who holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma, served as director, Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison & Advisor to the Attorney General of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) since 2001. In this role, she advised and worked directly for the U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Day was the key Senate lobbyist for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association before joining DOJ. From 1995-2001, Day also served as legal counsel and deputy chief of staff for Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO), focusing on Senate Commerce Committee issues.
Regina Sullivan joins ATA government affairs as a vice president. Regina recently worked at Belo Corporation, a newspaper and broadcast station group in Dallas, Texas. In 1995, Regina joined Belo as director of government relations, where she managed federal, state and local issues, and in August 1997, was promoted to vice president and assumed all corporate public affairs responsibilities. In 1994, Regina was appointed by the White House to serve as the director of congressional affairs for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Regina also worked for several years for former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, where she held legislative and press positions.
Doug Wills will lead communications and external affairs as vice president. Wills has 15 years of corporate PR and marketing experience, managing successful communications and marketing efforts for Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Real Networks and the National Association of Broadcasters. At Cisco Systems, Wills managed executive communications for President & CEO John Chambers, directed worldwide corporate public relations, and served as group manager of broadband marketing for five Cisco business units, where revenues rose from $2 billion to $4 billion in a single year.
“We are excited about Doug, Lori and Regina joining the ATA team,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May. “I know each will be significant leaders, reporting to me, as we assist the industry address its many challenges.”
The Air Transport Association is the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines. ATA member airlines transport 95 percent of all passenger and cargo traffic in the United States.
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