The FAA’s Angela McCullough on Honest Conversations
Angela McCullough, Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization, reflects on her path to aviation, challenges she has faced along the way, and the importance of mentorship.
Where did you work before joining the FAA, and how did you develop an interest in aviation and/or working at the agency?
I started my career as an electronics technician in the U.S. Air Force. After leaving the military, I eventually found myself at the FAA. Surprisingly, aviation was not my first love — it was the runway lights. As a child, I remember traveling with my grandparents; fascinated by the colorful blue and yellow lights lining the dark runway.
What assignments were the most challenging, and what did you learn from them?
When I became a front line manager I learned early to keep the people at the heart of the mission. As a new leader, I knew it was important to have the hard conversations to gauge where people were, share the mission, and decide how we could find the way forward as a team. Having these honest conversations at all levels helped to reconnect those that for some reason felt disconnected or had diminishing morale.
I learned that you really need to connect with people and invest in people — and ultimately that impacts the delivery of the service.
I believe, people are responsible for executing the mission, and managers are responsible for taking care of the people. When you take care of the people, the people will take care of the mission.
Tell us about your perspective on the progress of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce?
Moving toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility has been very slow. There have been inroads clearly in our leadership roles, but that is not yet evident throughout the FAA.
We have not made more progress because we have not been focused on ensuring that we have a level playing field. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are often difficult to discuss and bring with it emotion and misperceptions. Until we can have honest dialogue, work to develop solutions and commit to make the change, progress will continue to be slow.
I don’t want to minimize the progress and I acknowledge that there are still challenges, but we are starting to have those uncomfortable conversations to move toward positive change.
What would you do differently if you could go back in your career and change something?
Due to the various opportunities I have had across the FAA, I moved my family around the country quite a bit. Each one of those experiences helped prepare me for where I am sitting today.
If given the chance at a do-over, I would probably not have moved so much during my son’s early years. Balancing work and family can be tough for both parents and the children. Because my family moved around so much, my son could have missed building long-term childhood friendships. Fortunately, he adapted and thrived in various communities across the nation. Once he made it to high school, I promised we would not move anymore while he was in school.
How do you feel that your positions are paving the way for the future generation of women in aviation?
The sense of responsibility I feel is a weight I carry because I know people are looking at me and saying, “I see what you are doing, and I can do that too.” Hopefully me paving the way opens the way for so many people.
Today, the number of woman — including women of color — in aviation is slowly starting to trend upward. Women in the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization now make up 18.9% of the total workforce. My hope is that what I have accomplished in aviation will make the road a bit easier for little girls of every color to become pilots, air traffic controllers, technicians, and engineers. These girls are witnessing powerful women in aviation breaking down barriers to pave the way for their dreams.
What advice would you give to young women who are interested in this field?
If I had to give advice to young women interested in aviation, I would say, take advantage of all of the opportunities you can. As women, we sometimes lack confidence in our abilities when considering different opportunities and often talk ourselves out of going for it. Don’t sell yourself short. Even if it terrifies you, go for it — especially if it terrifies you!
Learn everything you can from those who know what you want to know. It is important to understand that you can learn from people at all levels, and they can learn from you. Each person has something to teach, even if that means learning what not to do, what you don’t want to be, or how you don’t want to show up.
When someone has a role you are interested in learning more about, do not hesitate to ask if they might consider mentoring you. The benefits of mentorship should not be underestimated. These collaborative relationships have been invaluable for me during my 30 years of service. The mentoring relationships I have had during my career have been both men and women, formal and informal, and they have played a major role in leading me to where I am today.
I have a “board of directors” of people I call when I need a gut check, and they give me honest perspectives. You have to be willing to hear that and maintain a level of humility.
I want to dispel the stereotype that women do not support one another, or that there’s not enough space for everyone. It is simply not true. I have had opportunities as a mentor and a mentee, and I have found the experiences priceless in helping me navigate my career. I remain a proponent of mentorship, becoming a certified professional coach to continue to support and encourage individuals so they might achieve all they aspire to in their careers.
