The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has promoted Ryan Waguespack to executive vice president.

“Ryan's enthusiasm for aviation and his ability to rally membership engagement across a range of issues, including workforce recruitment and development, air charter safety and infrastructure and innovation support, are both inspiring and invaluable to the association's success," says president and CEO Timothy Obitts. "He is proactive in his approach to member outreach and always has a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the industry. His leadership skills, industry knowledge and can-do spirit make him an ideal executive vice president. We are pleased to watch Ryan and our association programmes continue to grow as he takes on his expanded role in the new year.”

Waguespack joined the NATA leadership team in November 2018 as senior vice president of aircraft management, air charter services and MROs, advancing a number of programmes and efforts that included leading the charge in helping to end worldwide illegal charter activities, raising awareness of the value of aviation businesses to communities surrounding GA airports, overseeing the expansion of NATA's training programme platform across multiple industry segments and assisting hundreds of aviation businesses navigate financial and regulatory relief programmes throughout a time of great need.

As executive vice president, Waguespack will continue to lead NATA's strategic flow of regulatory, industry and member outreach efforts and programmes, while taking on additional responsibility for safety programme development and increasing NATA's focus on helping our industry forecast and prepare for the future of flight.

Previously, Waguespack was vice president of business development at Summit Aviation and served in various business development roles for charter and management operations, as well as aircraft sales. He also founded the Alabama Business Aviation Association in 2015.