[Senate Hearing 106-1135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 106-1135
NOMINATIONS OF DR. SUSAN BAILEY, TO BE
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL
HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION;
AND MS. ARTHENIA JOYNER AND
MR. DAVID PLAVIN, TO BE MEMBERS
OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION MANAGEMENT
ADVISORY COUNCIL
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
WASHINGTON, DC
__________
SEPTEMBER 14, 2000
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
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COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
CONRAD BURNS, Montana DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
SLADE GORTON, Washington JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West
TRENT LOTT, Mississippi Virginia
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana
JOHN ASHCROFT, Missouri RICHARD H. BRYAN, Nevada
BILL FRIST, Tennessee BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota
SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan RON WYDEN, Oregon
SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas MAX CLELAND, Georgia
Mark Buse, Republican Staff Director
Ann Choiniere, Republican General Counsel
Kevin D. Kayes, Democratic Staff Director
Moses Boyd, Democratic Chief Counsel
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on September 14, 2000............................... 1
Statement of Senator Lautenberg.................................. 1
Statement of Senator Rockefeller................................. 1
WITNESSES
Bailey, Dr. Susan, Nominee to be Administrator of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.......................... 4
Prepared statement........................................... 5
Statement of Senator Bob Graham.................................. 3
Prepared statement........................................... 4
APPENDIX
Cleland, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from Georgia, prepared statement. 8
McCain, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from Arizona, prepared statement. 7
Joyner, Arthenia L., Nominee to the Federal Aviation Management
Advisory Council, prepared statement........................... 9
Mack, Hon. Connie, U.S. Senator from Florida, prepared statement. 9
Plavin, David Z., President, Airports Council International-North
America, prepared statement.................................... 10
Biographical and Financial Information Submitted by Nominees:
Bailey, Dr. Sue.............................................. 11
Joyner, Arthenia L........................................... 24
Plavin, David Zachary........................................ 38
NOMINATIONS OF DR. SUSAN BAILEY, TO
BE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION;
AND MS. ARTHENIA JOYNER AND MR. DAVID PLAVIN, TO BE MEMBERS OF THE
FEDERAL AVIATION MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
----------
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2000
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m. in room
253 of the Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John D.
Rockefeller, IV, presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA
Senator Rockefeller. I would like to open the next hearing
which will be brief. And Senator Lautenberg is here.
I want to make this announcement. That is that we are about
to go into a vote. I am not sure if it is the PNTR vote or not.
But what I would propose to do here is to have Dr. Bailey,
after Frank Lautenberg has said what he wants to say, to have
you make your statement. And then because what Chairman McCain
wants to do is do the confirmations. I do not think there are
going to be any problems anywhere. But we have a time
constraint. If we go vote, we will not come back. So let us
officially do this right.
Frank, who are you going to introduce?
Senator Lautenberg. Dr. Bailey.
Senator Rockefeller. So that works out nicely. And then Ms.
Joyner and Mr. Plavin, please submit your testimony. There are
not going to be problems. We want to be able to mark you up. If
we do not have this hearing and go through some form of it, we
cannot do that. So it is in your interest, in fact, not to
testify, because there will be no problems. So now it is in all
of our interests to listen to the distinguished Senator from
New Jersey.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK LAUTENBERG,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY
Senator Lautenberg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Knowing how
much you and I like our particular phase of public service, it
then makes me feel pretty good when I have a chance to
introduce someone who can help us serve the public as they
ought to be served. And such is the case with Dr. Sue Bailey.
I am pleased to introduce her, Mr. Chairman, to the
Committee, and ask for expeditious treatment, so that she can
do the job that we desperately want to have done. And it is
being done now in an acting fashion.
But when we look at the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, we know that we have got an important task
there. It is more than just another branch of government. It is
the agency that is responsible for the safety of millions of
American motorists and their families.
I think we have seen in recent weeks how critical NHTSA is.
It sets performance standards for motor vehicles, motor vehicle
equipment, investigates safety defects, helps states reduce the
threat of drunk drivers, researches driving behavior--that has
got to be an endless pursuit--and promote the use of safety
seatbelts and airbags.
We have just been through what is a wrenching experience
for all of America, and for those of us in Government as well,
when we look at the controversy now that exists over the tire
failures and the dispute between Firestone and Ford. I know,
Mr. Chairman, that this Committee is looking at it.
I watched Dr. Bailey's testimony in the Appropriation
Subcommittee on Transportation and it was just excellent. She
is a highly competent and extremely qualified person for the
job. She comes to us from the Department of Defense, where she
was an assistant secretary.
Senator Rockefeller. Frank, we have a problem here. A
distinguished Senator from Florida who has wandered in,
obviously thinking this was another room, to present somebody.
A vote just went off.
Senator Lautenberg. How long has it been on?
Senator Rockefeller. Well, it has been on about 4 minutes.
Senator Lautenberg. So we will finish up very quickly.
Senator Rockefeller. Real quick, right. And I also want
people to have a chance to introduce their families if they are
here.
Senator Lautenberg. Well, Mr. Chairman, I will continue if
you permit me and we can move this thing along.
Senator Rockefeller. She is a great American, right?
Senator Lautenberg. She is better than a great American.
There are so many great Americans out there, but all of
them do not have a chance to serve in this very demanding
capacity.
She is the first woman to lead the military health system.
She is responsible for the health of 8.2 million military
personnel and oversaw a $16 billion defense health program.
In that capacity, she did a great job. She incorporated the
President's Patients Bill of Rights into military medicine, and
bolstered the role of preventive medicine in the U.S. Armed
Forces. So we have in front of us someone who is eminently
well-qualified. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland
and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathy, completed her
internship at George Washington University and did her
residency at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.
Senator Rockefeller. Frank, that is a perfect place to turn
to Senator Graham.
Senator Lautenberg. Mr. Chairman, I waited patiently for
the opportunity to sit here.
Senator Rockefeller. I know it.
Senator Lautenberg. And I sat here for a half hour, Mr.
Chairman
Senator Rockefeller. I know it.
Senator Lautenberg. This is an important job. And if you
are satisfied with my testimony, Mr. Chairman, we will leave it
at that. And I hope that the Committee will move appropriately.
I have been available for this Committee since 10 a.m. this
morning.
Senator Rockefeller. I know.
Senator Lautenberg. That was the schedule, Mr. Chairman. I
thank you very much. Good luck, Dr. Bailey.
Dr. Bailey. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Rockefeller. Bob Graham.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BOB GRAHAM,
U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA
Senator Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In deference to
your time schedule and the vote that is underway, I would
request permission to file my full statement for the record.
Mr. Chairman, it is a great pleasure to introduce an
outstanding Floridian and a long-time personal friend, Arthenia
Joyner, who has been nominated by the President to the Federal
Aviation Management Advisory Council. I would say that I am
authorized by my colleague, Senator Mack, to state his strong
support for Ms. Joyner. And he will submit a statement of that
support.
Just in summary, let me say that Ms. Joyner brings to this
position her personal background of long activism in the
community. While I was Governor, she was extremely helpful,
particularly in a number of economic development issues. She is
also a member of one of the outstanding law firms in our State.
But what particularly has prepared her for this position is
her service on the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority which
is responsible for running a series of airports in the Tampa
area, including Tampa International Airport. She served as a
member, then as Vice Chair and finally as Chairperson of that
very important authority.
She brings all of that background to the position now of
advising the Federal Aviation Agency on issues that will be
important to the aviation structure of our Nation. I am pleased
to be able to introduce Ms. Joyner to the Committee and urge
prompt and affirmative action by the Committee on this
nomination.
Senator Rockefeller. Which will happen. Senator Graham,
thank you very, very much. Can I ask each of you to introduce
any family members that you might have here?
Oh, yes, Senator Graham.
Senator Graham. Mr. Chairman, Ms. Joyner does not have a
family member in a biological sense, but she has Mr. Chris Hart
who is a member of the Hillsborough County Commission and on
the Hillsborough Aviation Authority.
[The prepared statement of Senator Graham follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Bob Graham,
U.S. Senator from Florida
I am pleased to be here to introduce Arthenia Joyner, a fellow
Floridian, and nominee for the Federal Aviation Management Advisory
Council to your Committee.
Senator Connie Mack also joins me in support for Ms. Joyner.
I understand he has submitted a statement for the record.
Ms. Joyner was born in Florida and has a long connection to
aviation in our State. She was the first African American appointed to
the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, where she served as chair
and vice-chair. She was the 1999 recipient of the Airport Minority
Advisory Council Award.
Currently, Ms. Joyner is the managing partner at the law firm of
Stewart, Joyner and Jordan-Holmes in Tampa.
Her public service to the State is notable. The most recent chapter
of this public service began September 5, when she was elected to the
Florida House of Representatives. She is active in the University
Community Hospital Board of Trustees, the Greater Tampa Chamber of
Commerce, and the National Council of Negro Women. President Clinton
appointed her to the U.S. delegation to the International Conference on
Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt, and the United Nations
Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
I have come to know of her dedication and sound judgment when I
appointed her to the Federal Judicial Nomination Commission in 1992.
I am happy to join her before your Committee, and trust that you
will find that her qualifications and dedication will be well received
at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Senator Rockefeller. Good. And we are very happy that you
are here.
Dr. Bailey.
Dr. Bailey. Yes, I would like to introduce my brother, Mr.
David Bailey and my, son Dr. Barton Leonard, and two childhood
friends, Kathy Meyers and Ellen Joyce.
Senator Rockefeller. All right.
Mr. Plavin.
Mr. Plavin. Unfortunately, my family was not able to join
me today. So I thank you for the opportunity.
Senator Rockefeller. Now, what I think we need to do--the
second bell has not gone off yet. Well, it just did. So, Dr.
Bailey, are you capable of doing about a 3-minute presentation?
Dr. Bailey. Yes, sir. I will edit as I go.
Senator Rockefeller. All right.
OPENING STATEMENT OF DR. SUSAN BAILEY, NOMINEE TO BE
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Bailey. First, I want to tell you I am very pleased to
appear before you this morning as you consider my nomination to
NHTSA.
In serving as Administrator, I am going to draw on my
experience of 23 years as a physician and my work as Assistant
Secretary of Defense that you have heard about here this
morning which gave me, I believe, a real understanding of the
Federal Government.
In the 3\1/2\ weeks I have been on the job, I have
experienced first-hand the deep concern that people have about
the vehicles that they drive and have also experienced the
dedication of the NHTSA staff to assure their safety.
I assure you that I will do everything in my power to
complete that investigation expeditiously.
The recall of defective vehicles is only one part of the
mission. We have a broad mandate to improve all the aspects of
vehicle and highway safety. Under Secretary Slater's
leadership, seat belt use is increasing, highway deaths and
injury rates are decreasing, and alcohol-related crashes are
declining as well.
We are going to persist in our efforts to reduce the
terrible toll of deaths caused by drunk driving. And with the
combined efforts of agencies and organizations, we will
steadily push the rate of alcohol-involved fatalities downward
even further. I know that the President and Secretary Slater
enthusiastically support, as I do, the establishment of a
national .08 blood alcohol concentration standard. We can save
500 lives a year with that and I am intent upon accomplishing
that.
I look forward to building a good relationship with you,
Mr. Chairman, and with the members of this key Committee. I
want to go on record as thanking you for your support of this
agency and I will answer any question.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Sue Bailey follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Susan Bailey, Nominee to be Administrator of
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to appear
before you this morning as you consider my nomination to serve as
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA). I am truly honored to be nominated by the President and to
have the opportunity to appear before you today regarding my
confirmation and to answer any questions you may have about my
qualifications and my plans as Administrator.
In serving as Administrator, I will draw on my years of experience
as a physician and as a government administrator. My medical education
and my 23 years as a doctor give me an excellent base of knowledge and
experience for a position that relates, above all, to the prevention of
deaths and injuries. My service in the Department of Defense as
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs has provided me with an
understanding of the workings of the Federal Government and experience
in managing the large budget and human resources of a complex
organization.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plays a vital
role in the continuing effort to make travel safer on the Nation's
highways. Its mission is absolutely clear: to save lives and prevent
injuries. As a physician, I have dedicated my life to public health. I
welcome the opportunity to lead the agency in its service to the
American public.
In the 3\1/2\ weeks I have been on the job, I have experienced
first-hand the concern that people have about the safety of the
vehicles they drive and the dedication of the NHTSA staff to assure
their safety. Since my first day at NHTSA, the Firestone recall has
been the overwhelming issue, bringing intense scrutiny not only to
Firestone and Ford but to NHTSA. I assure you that I will do everything
in my power to complete our investigation as expeditiously as possible
and to ensure that the agency's agenda focuses laser-like on the safety
of the traveling public.
The recall of defective vehicles and equipment is only one part of
NHTSA's mission. The agency has a broad mandate to improve all aspects
of vehicle and highway safety. Through its power to regulate the safety
of vehicles and equipment, it has significantly raised the overall
level of safety on America's highways. Under Secretary Slater's
leadership, seat belt use is increasing, highway death and injury rates
are going down, and alcohol-related highway fatalities are declining.
We can do better, and we must move forward to complete the safety
actions on our agenda, such as a comprehensive plan for child safety
seats. Of course, I have pledged to you that I will vigorously seek to
improve the standards that address the problems identified in the
Firestone recall.
Today we are facing changing demographics in America. The baby boom
generation is aging, at the same time that the school-age population is
rapidly increasing. Our programs must address the needs of older
drivers and ensure the safe performance of beginning drivers. Seat belt
use for all groups is not high enough, nor are child safety seats being
used as they should be. We must increase our efforts, in partnership
with the States and the private sector, if we are to meet Secretary
Slater's goal of 85 percent seat belt use. We know this is possible,
because some States have already exceeded that level. We must see that
it happens everywhere.
We will persist in our effort to reduce the terrible toll of deaths
and injuries caused by drunk driving. With the combined efforts of many
agencies and organizations, we are steadily pushing the rate of
alcohol-involved fatalities downward, but it is still unacceptably
high. Along with the President and Secretary Slater, I enthusiastically
support establishment of a national .08 blood alcohol content standard,
because I know it will save appproximately 500 lives a year. How often
is there such an opportunity?
I look forward to building a good relationship with you, Mr.
Chairman, and with the Members of this key Committee. I want to go on
record as thanking you for your support of this agency and for all of
your past efforts on its behalf. I will be pleased to answer your
questions.
Senator Rockefeller. That is perfect. And it being
perfection, and time running out on the vote, I want to thank
you. I want to thank all three of you. You have all fulfilled a
very important purpose here. We will now be able to markup all
of you and do all of you before we adjourn. That is terribly,
terribly important, I think, to all three of you.
I thank you. I apologize for this most unorthodox way of
conducting a short hearing after a very long hearing which is
sometimes, I think, actually quite helpful because you can get
into things. I thank you for your cooperation.
This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
Prepared Statement of Hon. John McCain,
U.S. Senator from Arizona
We will now move to consider three nominations before the
Committee. Joining us today are Dr. Susan Bailey, nominated to
serve as Administrator to the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration. She was appointed to this position by
the President during the August recess. We are also joined by
two of the President's nominations to the Federal Aviation
Management Advisory Council, Ms. Arthenia Joyner, and Mr. David
Plavin. I want to thank our witnesses for their time today.
Over the past few weeks, we have been reminded of the
importance of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the person charged with leading the Agency.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was
established in 1970 to carry out a congressional mandate to
reduce the mounting number of deaths, injuries, and economic
losses resulting from car crashes on the Nation's highways.
While we certainly have had some success in improving safety,
the Firestone tire recall reminds us we have much more work to
do.
Dr. Bailey will take charge of this Agency at a critical
time. I am hopeful that she will devote her attention to
improving the Motor Vehicle Safety Statutes as they relate to
detecting safety related defects as well as internal changes at
the Office of Defects Investigations to improve its
effectiveness. The Agency faces other difficult challenges in a
number of areas including: addressing the important issue of
vehicle rollover; implementation of the new airbag rule;
continuing its battle against drunk driving and improving the
use and effectiveness of child safety seats. The agency must be
more proactive and aggressive in meeting its mandate to improve
motor vehicle safety.
I want to thank Dr. Bailey for her continued commitment to
public service and I look forward to hearing your comments. If
you have family members present, please feel free to introduce
them now.
The members of the Management Advisory Council are intended
to represent collectively a broad cross-section of the aviation
industry who will constitute an Advisory Board for the FAA
Administrator. The main purpose of the Management Advisory
Council is to help formulate, and to support and oversee the
FAA's goals and strategies. Although the Council is expected to
hold the FAA Administrator accountable for meeting goals on
time and living within budgetary guidelines, the Administrator
retains the final authority on all matters within the agency's
jurisdiction, because aviation safety has been and must be the
paramount mission of the agency. As such, the direct powers of
the Management Advisory Council are intentionally limited.
As I mentioned during the nomination hearing in May, the
substantive issues the Council will face are challenging. The
FAA needs to do a better job of managing labor and air traffic
control modernization costs during a time of enormous growth in
aviation. Congress has provided the FAA with a nearly
unprecedented boost in funding to provide the infrastructure
necessary to accommodate increased air traffic. Yet as the
hearing this morning indicated, delays are severely hampering
an already overburdened system. The FAA must take the lead in
returning air travel to a predictable and convenient mode of
transportation that our economy has come to depend on.
I want the nominees to know that the Management Advisory
Council has my full support in its endeavors. For your work to
make a contribution will require an enormous amount of your
time and patience. I thank you wholeheartedly for your
willingness to serve. Please feel free to introduce any family
members here, before you give your remarks.
------
Prepared Statement of Hon. Max Cleland,
U.S. Senator from Georgia
Mr. Chairman, I wish to register my strong support for the
nomination by the President of Dr. Sue Bailey of Bethesda,
Maryland, to serve as Administrator of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the United States
Department of Transportation.
Dr. Bailey, who comes to the post at a crucial time in the
life of NHTSA, has served with distinction as Assistant
Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) since 1998. Prior to
that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Health Affairs during 1994-95 and as Medical Director of Chevy
Chase Associates, Inc. from 1988 to 1993 and other senior
positions of responsibility in the health care profession.
Dr. Bailey's professional career was preceded by medical
training at the University of Maryland and Philadelphia College
of Osteopathic Medicine, an internship at George Washington
University Hospital and residency at Johns Hopkins University
Hospital. She has served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, rising to
the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Both as an outstanding
private practitioner-psychiatrist, neurologist and public
health specialist, and as a member of our Nation's military,
she has been a shining star.
At the Department of Defense, where Dr. Bailey continued
her career of public service, she has also been a trailblazer.
She is the first woman to lead the Military Health System,
responsible for the health of 8.2 million lives and the $16
billion Defense Health Program. She incorporated the
President's Patient Bill of Rights into the practice of
military medicine and has instituted the inclusion of
continuity of care, preventive medicine and health protection
in the U.S. Armed Forces.
As a former soldier and Administrator of the Veterans
Administration myself, I have deep personal admiration for Dr.
Bailey's achievements in looking after the health concerns of
our Nation's military as she has. In that sense, much of her
mission in life has paralleled my own. Her service to country
is laudable, even were she to return to the world of private
medical practice after such a distinguished career at the
Pentagon. She could, with justification, rest on her laurels as
a public servant to whom a grateful Nation would owe a
tremendous debt for a job well done.
Instead, she has chosen to answer the President's call to
assume yet another mantle of leadership, this time in the
service of the safety of the millions of Americans who travel
our interstates, highways and byways each and every day of the
year. Rather than taking her well-deserved just desserts, she
has chosen to join Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and
his leadership team at the Department of Transportation in
advancing the cause of safety, the No. 1 transportation goal of
this Administration, even if for only a few months. Secretary
Slater regards safety as his department's North Star, by which
USDOT is guided and willing to be judged.
It is at this critical time in the life of NHTSA, with the
recall of millions of defective tires on vehicles owned by
hundreds of thousands of our citizens, that Dr. Bailey has
arrived to bring her special brand of seasoned, reasoned,
tough, but fair, leadership to this vital agency of the
Department of Transportation. And we are all grateful for her
willingness to do so.
As reported in a recent feature in the New York Times, Dr.
Bailey, then a young mother in Philadelphia in the early 1970s,
hired a mechanic to install a seat belt for her preschool son
on the bus that hauled neighborhood children, and who, long
before the advent of child-restraint seats, made one of her own
by cutting holes in a plastic child seat so a seat belt could
be looped through it to keep her infant daughter safe. Such is
the nature of this candidate to serve our Nation as
Administrator of NHTSA.
But, having said all this and so much more I could about
her educational and career achievements and her exemplary
service to country, I must conclude, Mr. Chairman, with the
most stellar credential of all, Dr. Sue Bailey is a woman with
a passion for bettering the human condition, be it the public
health battles she so courageously fought and won on behalf of
rank-and-file service people during her time at the Pentagon,
or the safety of vehicular passengers traveling our Nation's
highways.
I commend the President for this outstanding nomination,
and Dr. Sue Bailey for her dedication to serving our country as
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. I urge my colleagues to join me in
enthusiastically voting for her confirmation.
------
Prepared Statement of Hon. Connie Mack,
U.S. Senator from Florida
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to
have the opportunity to introduce Arthenia Joyner for your
consideration as a member of the Federal Aviation
Administration Management Advisory Council.
Ms. Joyner, a native of Lakeland, Florida, has an
impressive resume and a respectable background in aviation. She
began her academic career at Florida A&M University where she
graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Ms. Joyner then
earned her Juris Doctorate from Florida A&M University School
of Law.
Over the course of Ms. Joyner's career, she has served as
Chair of the Federal Judicial Nomination Commission for the
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, and a member of the Federal
Judicial Nomination Commission for the State of Florida.
Additionally, she has served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of
the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. In 1994, she was
appointed to the U.S. Delegation to the International
Conference of Population and Development, and in 1995 she
served as a representative to the United Nations Fourth World
Conference on Women.
Ms. Joyner is the recipient of numerous awards including
the 1999 Airport Minority Advisory Council Leadership Award and
the 1993 Criminal Justice Person of the Year Award. Ms.
Joyner's extensive civic participation includes the National
Council of Negro Women, the University Community Hospital Board
of Trustees and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, Ms. Joyner is the managing partner in the law
firm of Stewart, Joyner & Jordan-Holmes, P.A., a Tampa-based
firm. Ms. Joyner specializes in probate, guardianship and
public finance law. On September 5, 2000, Arthenia Joyner was
elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
Mr. Chairman, it has been my pleasure to introduce this
capable woman to the Commerce Committee this morning. Thank
you.
------
Prepared Statement of Arthenia L. Joyner, Nominee to the Federal
Aviation Management Advisory Council
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I am Arthenia L.
Joyner. It is a pleasure to appear before you as you consider
my nomination to the newly constituted Federal Aviation
Management Advisory Council (MAC). Given the Committee's busy
agenda, I am especially grateful that my nomination has been
scheduled for consideration.
I am a lifelong Florida resident who has been a member of
the Bar for more than 30 years. Although time passes swiftly,
it is difficult for me to believe that I was the first African
American female attorney to practice in Tampa.
I have been very active in the American Bar and the
predominantly minority National Bar Association, serving as its
second female president in 1984.
Nearly 10 years ago, I became a founding partner in my
present law firm, Stewart, Joyner, & Jordan-Holmes, P.A., where
I practice predominantly in probate, guardianship, and
municipal finance. However, I have a background in aviation
that I believe will benefit this multi-disciplinary council.
Like MAC nominee David Plavin who is also before you today,
I am particularly interested in airport operations. In 1991, I
was appointed by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles to the
Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. The Authority has
exclusive jurisdiction, control, and management over all public
aviation facilities in the Tampa area.
Tampa is a medium-sized American city that owes much of its
growth to the success of its airports.
During my two terms on the Authority, I was elected by my
colleagues as vice-chair and chair.
I have been an active member of Airports Council
International North America (ACI, NA), the Airport Minority
Advisory Council (AMAC), and the Commissioners Committee. The
Commissioners Committee is comprised of airport commissioners
from throughout the United States and Canada, and I was honored
to serve as its' vice-chair.
Airport administration is a critical issue that needs to be
examined by the Management Advisory Council. By 2010, we expect
over one billion passengers to use American airports every
year. There will also be a tremendous increase in freight over
the next 10 years. By passing AIR-21, Congress has recognized
the need for broader investment in aviation facilities, but we
must look beyond capacity improvements. The MAC should also
examine how better technology, more effective management, and
improvements in air traffic control can help our airports deal
with the demands of the 21st Century.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I believe, if
confirmed, that I can bring valuable experience to the
Management Advisory Council. I applaud Congress for creating
the MAC, and I look forward to serving my country with the
other distinguished members, all of whom bring a wealth of
knowledge and training to the council.
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Prepared Statement of David Z. Plavin, Nominee to the Federal Aviation
Management Advisory Council
Good morning Mr. Chairman, I am David Z. Plavin, President
of Airports Council International-North America. (ACI-NA). It
is a privilege to be here today as a nominee to the Federal
Aviation Management Advisory Council. I have served as
president of ACI-NA since January 1996. ACI-NA provides a wide
range of member services and it represents 150 governing bodies
that own and operate some 450 airports--from general aviation
and small commercial service airports to the largest airports
in the world--with a multitude of interests and priorities,
throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. ACI-NA also represents the interests of more than 375
corporate members who serve the airport community. ACI-NA is
the largest of six regions of the Airports Council
International based in Geneva, Switzerland.
From June 1989 to October 1995, I was the Director of
Aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
where I was responsible for the management and development of
John F. Kennedy International, Newark International, LaGuardia,
Teterboro Airport and two Manhattan heliports. Together, these
facilities constitute the world's leading aviation hub.
I also served as the Executive Director from 1981 through
1984 at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which was
responsible for bridges, commuter trains, buses, and tunnels
for the entire New York Metropolitan area.
A significant portion of my life has been dedicated to
developing and improving the Nation's air transportation
system. Today, that system is the central element of our
domestic and global competitiveness. Airports are ``economic
engines'' that generate and support local economic development
by providing complete transportation services, stimulating
business activity and investment, attracting and facilitating
travel and tourism and creating more jobs. And air
transportation remains the quickest way of moving high-value
goods through our transportation system, as well as moving
millions of passengers across the country and the world.
While we have built a highly successful system of air
transportation in this country, we can, and must, do more. As
we look to the future, we face significant challenges in
aviation. We expect one billion passengers to use our air
transportation system annually by the end of the decade.
Imagine the equivalent of the entire population of the United
States added to an already, crowded, already congested, already
delayed system. We need to look systemically at air
transportation to determine how to accommodate this increased
demand. We need more capacity, better technology and greater
resources, while recognizing that safety must remain our top
priority.
If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed for this position,
it would be my honor to work with you Mr. Chairman, other
Members of this Committee and other Council members to build an
air transportation system that meets the challenges of the
future and is second to none.
I would be happy to respond to any questions you or other
Members of the Committee may have.
Thank you.