The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has announced its executive committee leadership team for 2021. The executive committee is comprised of members of GAMA's board of directors, who provide strategic leadership for the association and lead its policy committees.

Nicolas Chabbert, senior VP of Daher's Aircraft division and CEO of Daher Aircraft and Kodiak Aircraft, will serve as chair of the board. Previously, Chabbert has served as vice chair and chair of the safety affairs and accident investigation committee.

Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO at Embraer Executive Jets, will serve as vice chair. Previously, Amalfitano served as chair of the communications committee.

Maria Della Posta, president at Pratt & Whitney Canada, will serve as chair of the communications committee. The committee works to promote the general aviation industry and its benefits to the global economy and air transportation system. This will be Della Posta's first time serving on the executive committee; she has served on the GAMA board of directors since 2015.

Tony Lefebvre, COO of Signature Flight Support, will serve as chair of the environment committee. The committee works to develop and represent the industry's views on public policy affecting aviation related environmental issues worldwide, including CO2 emissions reductions, sustainable aviation fuels, supersonic aircraft and the business aviation commitment on climate change. This will be Lefebvre's first time serving on the executive committee; he has previously served as chair of the EPIC infrastructure subcommittee.

Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, will again serve as chair of the electric propulsion and innovation committee (EPIC). The committee works to create an environment conducive to efficient design, production, operation and maintenance of hybrid and electric propulsion aircraft, including eVTOLs.

David Van Den Langenbergh, president of aviation services at Luxaviation Group, will extend his term as chair the European leaders steering committee. The committee engages with senior European politicians and policymakers to advocate for the interests of general aviation in Europe including regulatory changes, policy initiatives and communications strategies. Previously, Van Den Langenbergh served as chair of the airworthiness and maintenance policy committee.

Tyson Weihs, co-founder and CEO of ForeFlight, will continue to serve as chair of the flight operations policy committee. The committee works to ensure that an adequate air transportation infrastructure is available for general aviation and addresses impediments to operations by general aviation aircraft.

Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire, will again serve as chair of the policy and legal issues committee. The committee tracks and analyses policy and legal issues affecting the general aviation industry, including developments in case law, litigation and business issues to develop strategies and manage risks. Previously, Wiplinger served as chair of the technical policy committee.

Eric Hinson, CEO at SimCom International, will continue to serve as chair of the safety affairs and accident investigation committee. The committee works to review, analyse and address policies, industry standards and regulatory activities related proactive safety improvements and aircraft accident investigation, including operations, training and equipage.

Jim Ziegler, vice chairman of Greenwich AeroGroup, will extend his term as chair of the security issues committee. The committee works to establish best practices for general aviation security and engages with government agencies on security policies and regulatory requirements.

Jeff Trang, VP of engineering and flight operations at Airbus Helicopters Inc, will once again serve as chair of the technical policy committee. The committee works with authorities on continuous improvement of certification and validation processes and to develop and implement effective standards and technical policies pertaining to the design, certification and production of general aviation products and components.

David Paddock, president at Jet Aviation, will serve as Immediate past chair. Paddock served as GAMA's 2020 chairman and previously chaired of the GAMA communications committee.

The GAMA executive committee was elected by the board of directors during its autumn board meeting.