SecTrans Mineta has nominated
William Voss for the position of secretary-general of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Voss, formerly head of the terminal business service of the
Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic organization,
currently serves as director of ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau.
ICAO’s member states are expected to elect the new
secretary-general in March for a three-year term that will begin
the following August.
“Bill Voss has built a track record of successfully
working within the international aviation community to improve air
safety throughout the globe,” said Secretary Mineta.
“Bill has the experience, the ability and the respect needed
to lead the international aviation community as it grapples with
rapidly expanding demand for air travel worldwide over the coming
years.”
Headquartered in Montreal, ICAO is a branch of the United
Nations and plays a central, international role in coordinating
aviation safety and technical standards with its nearly 200 member
countries. The secretary-general is the chief executive officer for
ICAO and secretary of the ICAO council and is responsible for the
overall management of the organization and its seven regional
offices’ operations.
Appointed to his current ICAO position in December 2003, Voss
coordinates among ICAO’s member states on issues ranging from
aircraft certification and airport standards to aviation
communication, navigation, surveillance, and medical issues. During
his term, Voss has moved the organization toward more regional
safety oversight that augments limited resources in developing
countries. He also has helped develop a global network to support
the implementation of safety management systems that will improve
safety while reducing burdensome regulatory costs. In harmonizing
air traffic management across boundaries, Voss has directed the
development of a global plan that integrates the critical
performance needs of the world’s different regions.
Prior to his assignment to ICAO, Voss oversaw the development
and implementation of the FAA’s major systems components that
deliver integrated terminal air traffic control capabilities, as
well as facility design, modernization and surveillance. From 1999
to 2001, Voss was FAA director for air traffic systems development
and was responsible for the development and acquisition of major
automation systems in the enroute, terminal, oceanic and weather
centers. Voss began his FAA career in 1982 as air traffic
controller at Detroit’s Wayne County Metro Airport.
Voss has a bachelor's degree in aviation maintenance and
management from Lewis University in Illinois, as well as a master's
degree in public administration from the University of
Oklahoma.