NATA Welcomes New Senior Advisor of Regulatory Affairs

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) would like to express their sincere appreciation for the years of partnership with Carol Giles and all the hard work and dedication she has given to the Association. Carol has announced that she will be stepping back from her role as Senior Advisor of Regulatory Affairs (Maintenance) with the Association to focus on other aspects of her career. Carol has been a regular contributor to the Aviation Business Journal, a speaker at NATA events, and the liaison for NATA’s Aircraft Maintenance and Systems Technology (AMST) Committee. 

One of the AMST Committee’s biggest wins, under Carol’s leadership, was getting the Part 135 Conformity Inspection Check List turned into an Advisory Circular (AC). This AC provided information concerning the placement of aircraft into service for Part 135 commuter and on demand operations. 

Simultaneously, NATA is pleased to announce a new partnership with Keith DeBerry, formerly the Academy Director for the FAA. Keith will be taking over Carol’s responsibilities as the Senior Advisor of Regulatory Affairs (Maintenance) and liaison for NATA’s AMST Committee.

In his previous role, DeBerry led a workforce of over 400 federal employees and hundreds of contractors providing high-quality, cost-effective learning solutions for thousands of aviation students annually. In addition to his role as the Academy Director, DeBerry also led the Regulatory Standards Training Division where he had the responsibility for providing technical training for the FAA’s aviation safety inspectors and engineers. He also managed the Academy’s flight program where he led the development and implementation of the FAA’s first flight program Safety Management System (SMS), utilizing the new Part 5 SMS rule.

In his 22-year federal career, he has had extensive experience leading, directing, and managing aviation safety oversight activities. DeBerry served as the Supervisory Principle Maintenance Inspector for UPS Airlines, where he oversaw a workforce charged with Congressional mandated safety oversight of UPS’ Airlines 300 aircraft fleet.

If you require any regulatory assistance, please reach out to NATA’s industry experts via our Regulatory Support Center .