RAA Elects SkyWest’s Russell “Chip” Childs 2010 Chair

Russell “Chip” Childs, President and COO SkyWest Airlines, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Airline Association (RAA) for the 2009/2010 term.

Other officers elected at the association’s Fall Membership Meeting held November 9-11 in Washington, D.C., were Vice Chair Jim Rankin, Air Wisconsin; Treasurer Dan Wolf, Cape Air; and Secretary Keith Houk, PSA Airlines (elected to Board term expiring 2012). Jim Ream of ExpressJet; Joe Randell, Jazz Air; and Rick Leach, Trans States Holdings; were re-elected to the RAA Board for terms through 2012. They will join current members Peter Bowler, American Eagle; Tim Komberec, Empire Airlines; Doug Voss, Great Lakes Aviation; Dave Hackett, Gulfstream International Airlines; and Bryan Bedford, Republic Airways.

Jerry Schumacher of US Technical and Lucas Aardenburg of SNECMA were elected Chair and Vice Chair respectively of RAA’s Associate Member Council (AMC) representing nearly 300 leading suppliers of products and services to the regional airline industry. Most recent past Chair, Karla Cadden of ARINC, remains Ex-Officio Chair.

“Regional airlines are at a real crossroads today – one of the most significant times in RAA’s 35-year history,” said Childs. “Now more than ever, we need to show our continued commitment to safety, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to help lead our industry through this time.”