Whistleblowers have been in the news a lot lately: Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker who some call a whistleblower; Avantair’s whistleblower-initiated shutdown; and the latest TWA 800 conspiracy theorists (who also style themselves as whistleblowers, although 13 years after the NTSB’s probable-cause report was issued seems more like a whistle-whisperer than -blower)–they have all gotten the word a lot of play over the last few weeks. Whether we consider these particular individuals whistleblowers or not, whistleblowers are a fact of life in the government and in corporate America. They can be disruptive to any organization, since in many instances they uncover misconduct that an organization would rather never see the light of day. And there’s nothing like a scandal to ignite a media frenzy. No need to wait for prime time; with the speed of cyberspace, stories can spread around the globe in nanoseconds.
Regardless of whether the allegations made by the whistleblower are ultimately determined to be correct, responding to the charges made is always an expensive and time-consuming effort for all involved. The media blitz that follows can ruin reputations even when charges are determined to be false or incorrect. (Good luck erasing any of the negative reports from the immortality of Internet search engines.) If the allegations of corruption or other criminal activity are true, severe penalties can result, including expensive fines and long jail sentences.
With more than 40 years experience in the aviation industry, The Honorable John Goglia, was the first and only Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to receive a presidential appointment to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He served from August 1995 to June 2004.
As a Board Member, Mr. Goglia distinguished himself in numerous areas of transportation safety. In particular, he was instrumental in raising awareness of airport safety issues, including the importance of airport crash fire and rescue operations and the dangers of wildlife at airports. He played a key role in focusing international attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance in aviation accidents. He pressed, successfully, for greater integration of civilian and military safety information, becoming a featured speaker at national aviation symposiums attended by military leaders and major defense contractors. He is a leading proponent of airplane child safety seats.
Prior to becoming a Board Member, Mr. Goglia held numerous positions in the airline industry. He started as a mechanic for United Airlines and eventually joined Allegheny, which became USAir. Additionally, he was involved for more than 20 years as a union flight safety representative on accident investigation teams. There, he developed a safety program for his union, the International Association of Machinists, and was its representative for NTSB investigations. For twelve years, he operated his own aircraft service company.
Numerous prestigious groups have recognized Mr. Goglia’s contributions to aviation safety. Aviation Week & Space Technology awarded him a coveted 2004 Laurel for his outstanding service as an NTSB Board member. The Society of Automotive Engineers presented him with the Aerospace Chair Award for outstanding leadership in 2003 and the Marvin Whitlock Award for outstanding management accomplishment in 2002.
