Gillian Garfield
Valencia,CA
Summary
Accomplished FAA professional with a proven track record in leading complex projects, including the redesign of Southern California and Las Vegas Metroplex airspace and procedures. Expertise in co-authoring facility procedures and developing comprehensive training materials to facilitate successful project implementation. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across diverse sectors—controllers, dispatchers, automation teams, and international stakeholders—translating operational insights into impactful system-wide enhancements. Committed to driving innovation and efficiency within aviation operations through strategic planning and cross-functional teamwork.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
ZLA Automation/Industry Outreach Representative
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
12.2016 - Current
- Serve as a central point of contact for stakeholder route questions related to Los Angeles Center, answering questions about reroutes due to incorrect filings, traffic management initiatives, and other internal intricacies
- Provide automation support to Traffic Management representatives in creation of local stereo routes used for rerouting aircraft during irregular operations.
- Work collaboratively with the ZLA and SCT Airspace and Procedures Department to implement an ERAM adaptation that enforces our internal SOPs and inter-facility LOAs
- Continuing to provide outreach information to the flight planning community in monthly briefings, sharing changes contained in our local adaptation which are not published in chart cycle data
- Use NASQUEST website to query traffic data, review flight plan filings, and provide airlines with customized data on how to increase their clearances “as filed”. This information is downloaded into Excel and used to provide specific examples to filers of where corrections can be made to eliminate pre-departure clearance revisions.
- Identified the need to communicate new route information to airlines and other flight planners to facilitate a successful Southern California Metroplex implementation
- Visited United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines, to learn from the dispatcher perspective how they select and file flight plan routes
- Using the information learned from the airline dispatchers, outreach materials were created and distributed to the flight planning community. These materials provided flight planning database managers with the information needed to be ready with a full collection of correct routes on the chart date, thus ensuring a smooth transition for dispatchers, flight crews, and controllers.
- Received the 2017 Western Pacific Regional Administrator’s Award for Innovation Excellence for the creation of this route outreach program
Air Traffic Control Specialist
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
05.2005 - Current
- Ensures a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic.
- Projects a positive, cooperative attitude towards system users and operators.
- Serves as an On the Job Training Instructor (OJTI), helping to build the skills of developmental employees.
Area E Airspace and Procedures Representative
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)
06.2017 - 11.2023
- Worked collaboratively with management counterpart to represent ZLA Area E in all Airspace and Procedures matters
- Drafted, reviewed, and provided responses to Letters of Agreement, Letters of Procedure, and facility standard operating procedures
- Participated in meetings with adjacent ZLA areas, facilities, and military representatives
- Collaborated with SENEAM and Mazatlán ARTCC representatives in matters relating to equipment, letters of agreement, and other operational requirements
- Represented Area E in Western Service Area PBN design projects for KONT, KSNA, KSBD and other Southern California airports
En Route SME, Las Vegas Valley Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)
07.2017 - 02.2021
- Provided input for PBN procedure design-based Area E expertise
- Served as a SME for general PBN procedure design based on lessons learned under Southern California Metroplex project
- Due to the success of my ERAM adaptation efforts in the Southern California Metroplex Project, I was invited to design, coordinate, and implement submission of Las Vegas Valley Metroplex Route adaptation changes, by collaborating with FAST, ZLA Airspace and Procedures Office, and ZLA/Las Vegas TRACON (L30) Metroplex SMEs.
ZLA Facility NATCA POC, SoCal Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
11.2017 - 05.2018
- Lead Los Angeles Center oversight of Southern California Metroplex PBN Procedure post-implementation changes submitted through the Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) Gateway and awaiting publication
- Provided weekly reports to NATCA/Management Leads on ZLA progress and future planning needs
- Collaborated with management counterpart to create project budget requests
- Coordinated Area D Sector 54/55 Redesign Project
En Route SME, Southern California Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
10.2012 - 05.2018
- Collaborated with adjacent Los Angeles Center (ZLA) Area Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Southern California TRACON (SCT) SMEs and Industry Stakeholders to design 24 Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Procedures
- Collaborated with 13 NATCA/Management SME’s to rewrite the ZLA Facility Standard Operating Procedures (FSOP) IAW FAA JO 7210.3
- Identified changes resulting from new procedure designs and wrote a series of training scenarios which incorporated these changes. This technique provided a blueprint for Graphic Simulation Generation Tool (GSGT) problem creation and a quantifiable way to track that all changes in the new procedures were trained to the workforce.
- Collaborated with GSGT specialists in creation of training problems and worked with Training Lab pilots to ensure an effective training experience for new climb and descend via clearances
- Created training materials from scratch using TARGETS software and Power Point, to educate the ZLA workforce about PBN procedures, climb and descend via clearances, new Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs), Standard Terminal Arrival Procedures (STAR), Facility Standard Operating Procedures (FSOP), and Letter of Agreement (LOA) changes.
- Identified changes resulting from new Metroplex designs and provided comparison with the current system state. Created Power Point presentations to document these changes and presented them in Airspace, LOA, FSOP, and SID/STAR Safety Management System (SMS) Panels, IAW FAA Order 1100.161
- Provided input to MiST Team for creation of new Southern California Metroplex Time Based Flow Management (TBFM) adaptation
- Taught new Southern California Metroplex information to Controller Cadre responsible for implementing workforce training
- Initiated, designed, coordinated, and implemented submission of Southern Califoria Metroplex Route adaptation changes through collaboration with the ZLA Field Automation Support Team (FAST), ZLA Airspace and Procedures Office, and ZLA/SCT Metroplex SMEs
Education
Bachelor of Arts - French
University of San Diego
San Diego, CASkills
- Airspace & Procedure Design (PBN SIDs and STARs)
- Training & Workforce Development (OJTI, curriculum creation)
- Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Technical Systems Adaptation (ERAM, TARGETS, GSGT, NASQUEST, Excel)
- Stakeholder Engagement & Industry Outreach
- Process Improvement & Policy Development (SOPs, LOAs, SMS panels)
Timeline
ZLA Facility NATCA POC, SoCal Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
11.2017 - 05.2018
En Route SME, Las Vegas Valley Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)
07.2017 - 02.2021
Area E Airspace and Procedures Representative
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)
06.2017 - 11.2023
ZLA Automation/Industry Outreach Representative
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
12.2016 - Current
En Route SME, Southern California Metroplex
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
10.2012 - 05.2018
Air Traffic Control Specialist
Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), FAA
05.2005 - Current
Bachelor of Arts - French
University of San Diego
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