Senate Confirms Obama's FAA and NMB Picks

May 28, 2009 - The Senate recently confirmed Linda Puchala as a member of the three-person National Mediation Board (NMB) and Randy Babbitt as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Puchala recently served as a senior mediator with the NMB and is the former president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. The National Mediation Board oversees collective bargaining mediation and union representation elections in the air and rail industries, including elections as a result of the pending merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines.

Babbitt is the former president of the Air Line Pilots Association. He most recently worked as a partner in the aviation practice of a management-consulting firm.