James D. Fossey is a distinguished aviation professional whose 40-year career spans the U.S. Army, the Federal Aviation Administration, and private consulting. He began his journey in air traffic control in 1968 while serving in the U.S. Army—attending the Air Force’s Air Traffic Control School at Keesler Air Force Base, completing radar training at Fort Stewart, GA, and serving as a Tower Controller in Vietnam with the 1st Aviation Brigade. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Minnesota State University and a brief tenure as a stockbroker for prominent New York Stock Exchange firms, Mr. Fossey joined the FAA in 1976 as an Air Traffic Control Specialist at the Flying Cloud Air Traffic Control Tower in Minneapolis.
Over the next three decades, Fossey held various roles— from operational controller to senior management positions—while specializing in accident/incident investigations, air traffic facility evaluations, procedure development, and safety management systems. His leadership was exemplified at Chicago O’Hare, where he managed operations at one of the world’s busiest control towers, and through key roles in quality assurance and safety oversight that impacted over 500 air traffic facilities nationwide. As Director of Special Projects at the FAA’s ATO Office of Safety, he was instrumental in developing the world’s largest voluntary safety reporting program, ATSAP.
Since retiring from the FAA in 2010, Mr. Fossey has continued to shape aviation safety as a consultant—serving as an ATC Expert on an international project in Bangladesh and leading safety programs at CCI. His achievements have earned him prestigious awards, including the 2012 NATCA Sentinel Safety Award and the 2009 ATO COO Triangle Award for Distinguished Service.