The NBAA will present longtime business aviation scheduler Jeanie Friscia with the Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Outstanding Achievement and Leadership Award at the 2020 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Over the course of her 31 year career with PepsiCo, Friscia has proven to be the gold standard in international corporate dispatching. She joined the flight department from corporate headquarters and quickly made a name for herself through professionalism and attention to detail. Her dedication to meaningful innovation, recognised with the PepsiCo Chairman's Award for Outstanding performance, has seen her integrate a fatigue management tool into scheduling procedures; craft a new onboarding system to quickly and efficiently bring new team members up to speed; revolutionise the department's data gathering and analysis programme to better serve customer needs; and develop her personal knowledge of international travelling to become one of the organisation's go-to sources for global security planning.

Friscia's natural leadership is exemplified by her fierce advocacy for the flight crews, who she ensures are utilised properly through painstakingly documented health and safety procedures. This dedication to her colleagues' well-being often means long days and late hours, a responsibility she takes on gladly.

“At PepsiCo, Jeanie has consistently been a model for ethical conduct and an advocate for establishing and following procedures,” says director of aviation Pat Cunningham, CAM. “When members of her team have to work an issue late into the night, Jeanie insists that they stay home, or come in later the following day. She makes our crew duty rules abundantly clear to our customers, and often explains their purpose to them.”

Friscia's passion for excellence extends to the industry at large. In addition to volunteering to coordinate the department's participation in the Corporate Angel Network, she eagerly shares her vast scheduling knowledge with colleagues across the industry. She is a member of the Dispatch Leads Group AT White Plains, New York and is a valuable presence at the annual S&D conference.

“Jeanie has always been a leader who is eager to share knowledge with others,” adds Cunningham. “She has never enclosed herself in a capsule to keep her information to herself; anytime an industry colleague reaches out for advice or information, she is the first to raise her hand to help.”

Friscia is the 12th winner of this award, which was created in 2008 and recognises individuals who have shared their business aviation industry expertise, provided extraordinary service, exhibited leadership and made significant contributions to the scheduling and dispatching function.

“Jeanie is the perfect example of data-driven professionalism, constantly searching for ways to improve not only her own craft but also every component of the operation,” concludes NBAA senior manager, certification Tyler Austin. “That kind of leadership transforms a flight department and, through her generous commitment to developing colleagues, elevates the industry as a whole.”