Lyle A. (Tony) Mello

From 1995 to 1998, Mello was an Area Supervisor at Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, a major Enroute facility. Mello began his FAA career in 1981 as an Air Traffic Control Specialist at LaGuardia Airport in New York. From 1981 through 1991, he served as an Air Traffic Control Specialist at domestic and overseas air traffic terminals and Enroute facilities. Mello has held air traffic control certificates in multiple facilities; he has over twelve years of experience in quality and safety assurance as a safety investigator, safety evaluator, and an expert witness for the FAA.

From 2000 to 2004, Mello was the Assistant Division Manager for Air Traffic Evaluations and Investigations. Responsible for a group of investigators, analysts, and staff support specialists, Mello oversaw daily reports on the safety of the air traffic system. He managed litigation specialists, and he was responsible for representing the Air Traffic Services Organization to the Department of Transportation Inspector General, the Office of Special Counsel, the National Transportation Safety Board, and other government agencies. From 1998 to 2000 and 1991 to 1995, Mello was a staff specialist for Air Traffic Evaluations and Investigations and an Air Traffic Safety Investigator. He was responsible for the evaluation and investigation of air traffic safety risks, including errors and accidents.

In February 2004, Mello was named Director of Safety Investigations for the Air Traffic Organization, which was newly formed at the time. During September 2005, with the addition of safety evaluation specialists to this organization, his title changed to Director of Safety Evaluations and Investigations. This work included overseeing investigators, evaluators, program managers, supervisors, analysts, and staff that performed 24-hour coverage for over 600 facilities. It also included managing air traffic specialists that responded to all incidents, accidents, and operational needs involving quality of service from the ATO.

In 2011 Mello accepted the position of Director of Terminal Operations, where he was responsible for the oversight of procedures, safety, equipment training, and staffing for terminal facilities across the nation.

Mello was named Acting Vice President for Air Traffic Organization Safety Services in September 2006. He was responsible for carrying out the ATO and Safety Services mission, setting goals, budgets, and priorities aligned with strategic initiatives. Mello's job included ensuring the continuous reporting of performance related ATO target safety levels, including the communication of safety best practices and leading safety indicators to all ATO service units; supporting ATO initiatives described in the strategic management process; and meeting FAA Flight Plan goals.

In August of 2015, Tony Mello was promoted to the Senior Executive Service, where he accepted a position as the Director of the Central Service Area in Fort Worth, TX. He was responsible for over 300 towers, radar, Enroute, and contract facilities, employing and overseeing approximately 5,000 individual workers. His duties included budget management, safety oversight, staffing, incident reporting, and data collection. Mello also cultivated an excellent relationship with the Air Traffic Controllers Union, coordinating system usage across disparate organizations (e.g., airlines, military, local, state, and Federal Aviation Operations). Mello retired from federal government employment in July of 2019 with over 41 years of public service.

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