Washington, DC, January 4, 2023. Media contact: media@raa.org
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) today announced the promotion of three team members: Nobuyo Reinsch, Drew Jacoby Lemos, and Michelle Cravez. The three promotions are effective January 1, 2023 and reflect great work and accomplishments for and with RAA member airlines. Those promoted are:
Nobuyo Reinsch has been promoted from Vice President, Aviation Safety & Security to Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory Affairs.
Drew Jacoby Lemos has been promoted from Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, to the new position of Vice President of Government and External Affairs.
Michelle Cravez has been promoted from Manager of Membership, Operations and Events to Director of Membership, Operations and Events
Reinsch joined RAA in 2019 and has nearly three decades of experience in aviation safety, security and operations. She works closely with senior leaders at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and has forged strong, collaborative relationships with industry regulators and peers. As RAA’s safety subject matter expert, Reinsch strengthened RAA’s participation in industry-government safety task forces, including the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) Executive Committee and Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) Executive Board and sits on the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) and other rulemaking committees. In 2022, Reinsch took on expanded oversight and responsibility for RAA’s regulatory affairs efforts and Committee management.
RAA President & CEO Faye Malarkey Black noted, “From day one, Nobuyo has been the consummate team player. Her dedication to safety, sound judgment, and exceptional understanding of regulatory policy have strengthened RAA’s regulatory coverage. Her leadership and strategic initiatives have laid a foundation of safety and operational best practices that will benefit our members, team and industry for years to come.”
Jacoby Lemos joined RAA in 2017 and has led the Association’s legislative and advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. He has represented RAA effectively in front of lawmakers, on industry coalitions, committees and policy discussions. Jacoby Lemos expanded RAA’s presence and effectiveness on key issues, including those related to the pilot shortage, equitable access to flight education, and a fair airline pilot retirement age. He additionally played a key role in promoting the worker-centered Payroll Support Program to retain aviation workers during the coronavirus pandemic. He assumes greater leadership of RAA’s advocacy and will play an expanded role in the Association’s public affairs.
Black stated, “Drew has strengthened our government affairs work tremendously during his tenure, providing sound advice and steady oversight of our advocacy objectives, earning the trust, respect, and confidence of RAA’s Board and members. His work has had a powerful impact on our organization during an extraordinary time and he played a key role in securing introduction and advancement of several key pieces of legislation. Drew’s passion for equitable access to aviation careers and small community air service is unparalleled and, paired with his political acumen and sound judgement, makes him the ideal person to lead our government and external affairs.”
Cravez joined RAA in 2020 and has effectively managed airline member relations and events, including the RAA Leaders Conference and seminars. She has led social media and Associate Member relations, where membership has grown, along with overseeing the RAA website. She also contributes to the Association’s operational stability by working with RAA’s accounting and financial services vendors. Cravez is passionate about education and has helped to grow the RAA Scholarship foundation, where both donations and applications have doubled during her tenure.
Black commented: “Michelle joined our team at a major stress point in 2020 and learned our events as we were postponing, canceling and ultimately reimagining them. She helped us transform our annual convention into the intimate, prestigious leaders’ event we have today, which sells out each year. As the pandemic challenged our event strategies, Michelle’s creative and nimble approach to problem-solving helped us to stay on top of problems and find opportunities. Michelle’s work to strengthen member supports, while growing our scholarship Foundation and its benefit for aviation students, will have lasting value.”
Black concluded: “These promotions reflect the exceptional leadership and diligence shown by members of the small and mighty team at RAA, who work cooperatively and without ego to protect the regional airline industry, uphold our values, and serve our members and their passengers.”
About RAA
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable and strong regional airline industry. RAA serves as an important support network connecting regional airlines and industry business partners. In the United States, regional airlines operate 41% of scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 67% of the nation’s airports. Regional airlines provide 75% or more of the air service in Alabama (81%), Alaska (88%), Arkansas (81%), Iowa (78%), Kansas (82%), Maine (79%), Mississippi (82%), North Dakota (88%), South Dakota (85%), Vermont (92%), West Virginia (91%). Regional airlines provide half or more of the air service in Idaho (73%), Indiana (59%), Kentucky (60%), Michigan (57%), Montana (73%), Nebraska (60%), New Hampshire (69%), New Mexico (63%), North Carolina (55%), Ohio (52%), Oklahoma (55%), Oregon (54%), Pennsylvania (59%), Rhode Island (67%), South Carolina (57%), Utah (58%), Wisconsin (67%), and Wyoming (64%).