Bill Whyte to retire after decades of service to regional aviation; Jennifer Iversen named VP Aviation Operations and Regulatory Affairs
Washington, DC, August 23, 2022. Media contact: media@raa.org
The Regional Airline Association (RAA), which represents the airlines that provide 43% of scheduled passenger flights in the U.S. and offer the only source of scheduled air service to most of the country, announced today that Bill Whyte will retire from the Regional Airline Association on August 31. Jennifer Iversen will assume the role of Vice President, Aviation Operations & Regulatory Affairs starting September 6.
“I am profoundly grateful to Bill for his service during such a critical time and wish him the very best in his retirement,” said Faye Malarkey Black, RAA CEO. “In addition, I am excited and confident in the important role Jennifer will play in helping us serve our members and protect regional air service.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer,” noted Black. “She is well-respected among Washington stakeholders and has a command of both the technical and policy elements of the role. She’s a demonstrated consensus-builder and will be a tremendous asset to our members and industry.”
Iversen has a rich aviation background, most recently with United Airlines, where she served as the Manager of Flight Operations, Regulatory Compliance. In that role, she managed the 240 Minute Extended Operations (ETOPS) authorizations in multiple geographic areas with the FAA, becoming the first U.S. carrier to be granted those approvals. She currently chairs the Operations Specifications (OpSpec) Working Group comprised of industry stakeholders working to develop consensus positions and making recommendations to the FAA related to FAA Orders, Advisory Circulars (ACs), and other regulatory documents. Her professional experience also includes positions at RTCA, the International Civil Aviation Organization, Jeppesen and Angel Flight West. Iversen holds a B.S. degree in Aviation Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver, an M.B.A. degree from American Intercontinental University and Commercial and Instrument Pilot licenses.
“I am excited to join the team at RAA and work with the aviation industry and government stakeholders to promote the aviation industry and continued access to commercial aviation in small communities,” said Iversen.
Bill Whyte has dedicated more than 50 years to aviation, piloting, safety, training and operations. After earning his wings in 1967, Whyte became a career military pilot with the Royal Air Force (RAF), serving in the United Kingdom, Middle East and Germany. In 1997, Whyte retired from the RAF during his last tour of duty on the staff of the Air Attaché at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
In 1999, Whyte was named Manager of Ground Training at Atlantic Coast Airlines, later becoming the Manager Flight Training at Independence Air. Whyte was part of the team that formed Compass Airlines when it was launched by Northwest Airlines to introduce the Embraer 175 into service in 2006. As part of the team, Whyte had the responsibility of setting up the airline’s flight and ground training departments. He took his current role with RAA in 2019.
“The regional airline industry is better, safer, and stronger thanks to Bill Whyte’s decades of service, including contributions that predate his tenure with RAA,” said Black. “It has been nothing short of a privilege to work alongside Bill and I am grateful for his countless, lasting contributions to our team and industry.”
“I can think of no finer way to end my career than being on the staff of the Regional Airline Association,” Whyte said. “When I was offered the position, it was my intent to use my experience to benefit our members and airline operations as a whole. To achieve this, I have been supported by the most wonderful colleagues at RAA and particularly, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to our CEO Faye Malarkey Black, who has been a guide and mentor to me in what was initially an unfamiliar arena.”
“My best wishes for the future and sincere thanks go out to all colleagues at our member airlines, at the industry associations and in the government organizations that oversee our operations – with your collaboration, I believe that we have, over the years, achieved our goal which is to operate an airline industry which is second to none,” Whyte noted.
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 43% of scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 66% of the nation’s airports. Regional airlines provide 75% or more of the air service in Alabama (81%), Alaska (87%), Arkansas (85%), Iowa (81%), Kansas (80%), Kentucky (76%), Maine (87%), Mississippi (94%), Montana (79%), North Dakota (87%), South Dakota (86%), Vermont (92%), West Virginia (92%). Regional airlines provide half or more of the air service in Idaho (74%), Illinois (54%), Indiana (59%), Michigan (60%), Minnesota (51%), Nebraska (65%), New Hampshire (73%), New Mexico (59%), North Carolina (56%), Ohio (56%), Oklahoma (55%), Oregon (62%), Pennsylvania (58%), Puerto Rico (71%), South Carolina (61%), Virginia (57%), Wisconsin (67%), and Wyoming (68%).