Alexandria, VA, November 7, 2011 — The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is pleased to announce three newly appointed members to the ACSF Board of Governors.
Ronald Brower, corporate secretary and associate general counsel for NetJets Inc. and its subsidiaries — Brower has worked more than 15 years in the aviation industry, serving both as a business executive and legal advisor. Brower handles corporate organization and governance matters for the NetJets family of companies, promotes the development of NetJets’ international business (principally in Asia), and oversees and coordinates all legal services performed for NetJets’ subsidiary Executive Jet Management. Brower also serves as NetJets’ principal advisor and advocate on regulatory matters and international government affairs, and he serves as chairman of NetJets’ Policy Working Group.
Throughout his career, Brower has held positions as associate general counsel and director of government affairs for Northwest Airlines (now merged into Delta Air Lines). Before working for Northwest Airlines, he worked at the Washington, DC law firms of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand (now part of DLA Piper) and Hogan & Hartson (now part of Hogan Lovells). At those firms, his law practice focused principally on regulatory and transactional matters involving the aviation and aerospace industries. His clients included NetJets, Northwest Airlines, other domestic and foreign air carriers, private aircraft owners and operators, transportation trade associations, tour operators, foreign civil aviation authorities, and parties involved in space tourism.
Douglas Carr, vice president of safety, security and regulation for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), Washington DC — Carr is responsible for leading the association’s efforts on business aviation safety and oversight of NBAA’s regulatory activity involving business aviation aircraft equipment mandates, operations and security. He has distinguished himself at NBAA by leading the association’s effort on the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee to develop recommendations for the FAA and as the chair of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Part 125/135 ARC Flight and Rest Subcommittee. Additionally, he chaired the FAA’s Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment Aviation Rulemaking Committee and coordinated the association’s response to the TSA’s Large Aircraft Security Program proposal. Internationally, Carr has represented business aviation interests at the International Civil Aviation Organization and as part of several rulemaking efforts at the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Prior to joining NBAA, Carr was employed by the National Air Transportation Association as a specialist in government and industry affairs. There, he was responsible for issues affecting FAR Part 135 on-demand air carriers and flight training providers.
He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation management and an Associate of Science degree in aviation flight. Carr is a commercial, multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot and a certificated flight instructor.
Dave Hewitt, president of Hewitt and Company LLC, a business and aviation consulting firm formed in 2011 — Hewitt has more than 30 years of aviation experience, including 28 years of involvement in Part 135 operations in operational, technical, and executive positions. Prior to the formation of Hewitt and Company, he held various positions within NetJets, spanning a 13-year career. These positions included senior vice president, safety and compliance for NetJets North America, senior vice president for NetJets International, and vice president, operations for Executive Jet Management. Hewitt has also been an FAA aviation safety inspector at the Cincinnati Flight Standards District Office and a chief pilot/check airman/instructor for a Part 135 certificate holder located in the Midwest.
Hewitt has served on many industry association, safety, and regulatory groups over his career. He is currently a member of the NATA Air Charter Committee and NBAA Domestic Operations Committee. He was the founding industry co-chairman of the FAA Turbine Aircraft Operations Subgroup (part of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee) that studied turbine aircraft safety and made recommendations to the FAA to improve turbine aircraft safety. He also served on the FAA Section 206 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, was the Operations Working Group chairman for the FAA Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, a member of the FAA Operations Specifications Working Group, and a participant on the FAA Weight and Balance Aviation Rulemaking Committee and the FAA Part 91, Subpart K Guidance Development Team.
Hewitt is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has over 7200 hours of flight time. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with type ratings in the Cessna Citation, Lear Jet, and Douglas DC-3 and is also a Certificated Flight Instructor in airplanes and gliders.
“We are pleased to have these distinguished gentlemen joining the ACSF Board of Governors,” said Air Charter Safety Foundation Chairman James C. Christiansen. “Having three individuals with such extensive knowledge and varied experience within the industry can only bring great attributes to the foundation, and we look forward to working with them to continue the foundation’s mission of promoting and increasing the benchmark of safety in the charter industry.”
To learn more about the ACSF and its initiatives, visit acsfdev.com or call 1-800-723-3135.