James Gardner Email & Phone Number

During his 47-year aviation career (30 years with the FAA), Mr. Gardner led fundamental changes in aviation programs, policies, and processes that have had a lasting and positive impact on aviation safety and organizational performance as outlined below.Mr. Gardner served as the FAA’s Deputy Director of Air Carrier Safety Assurance from 09/17 until his retirement from the FAA on 12/31/18. In this Senior Executive role (SES), he directly supervised Division Managers who lead air carrier offices and over 800 employees providing safety oversight of all CFR Part 121 Air Carrier activities on a national level. This included oversight of Certificate Management Offices with part 121/135, 142, and/or 145 certificates. Additionally, he worked jointly with Deputy Directors in General Aviation Safety Assurance, Safety Standards (policy), and Foundational Business to ensure efficiency, agility, and consistency throughout Flight Standards.Previously, Mr. Gardner served in other diverse aviation safety and oversight positions as the Flight Standards Division Manager of the Great Lakes Region (SES) from 2010 to September of 2017, Detroit Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) Manager from 2008 to 2010, the Deputy Division Manager in Anchorage, Alaska from 2002 to 2008, an air carrier operations specialist at FAA headquarters in Washington, DC from 1997 to 2002, and an Air Carrier Principal Operations Inspector at Chicago's O’Hare-FSDO from 1989 to 1997. Additionally, he has worked on many international projects and is well-versed in FAA policy, laws and regulations to include International Civil Aviation Organization policy. Mr. Gardner is a pilot with over 8,000 flying hours and holds several FAA certificates including; Airline Transport Pilot (with several large aircraft type ratings), Certified Flight Instructor, Ground Instructor, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic and Aircraft Dispatcher. Prior to joining the FAA in 1989, Mr. Gardner held corporate pilot, airline pilot/management positions, and general aviation CFI/charter pilot positions. Immediately following their retirement on 12/31/18, Mr. Gardner and his wife Sue Gardner, launched Gardner Aviation Services LLC, an aviation consulting firm that focuses on providing aviation regulatory support and support for aviation related projects focusing on both General Aviation and Air Carrier activities for individuals and organizations needing assistance. Mr. Gardner is currently a Board Member/Director of the Hampton Lake Homeowners Association in Bluffton, SC.