SEATTLE -- Alaska Air Group announces the election of Thomas Nunn as vice president of safety. An industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience in strategic planning, operational development and safety, Nunn will oversee all aspects of the safety programs at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.
"Tom is a seasoned leader with a strong track record in safety and security," says Bill Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. "We feel fortunate to welcome someone with such tremendous talent and depth of experience to our team."
Nunn, who starts his new position Nov. 24, will report to Ayer, as well as to the safety committee of the Alaska Air Group board of directors. This committee oversees the carriers' safety initiatives, which include a wide range of training programs, internal evaluations, biannual external audits and other processes.
"Alaska and Horizon have tremendous safety cultures, immense entrepreneurial cultures and great employee cultures," says Nunn. "They are innovators when it comes to building safety initiatives and best operating practices for the industry. All of those factors made me want to come to Air Group."
Nunn joins the company from Lynx Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Frontier Airlines Holdings, where he served as president and chief operating officer since September 2006. He built the regional airline from the ground up and hired a senior leadership team that provides ongoing direction for the organization.
Nunn also served as vice president and director of Frontier Airlines' aviation safety and security program from 2001 to 2006, managing all aspects of airline safety, security and regulatory compliance. In this role, he developed a safety program to support the airline's rapid growth and need for heightened security.
Before joining Frontier, Nunn worked at Northwest Airlines for 18 years, serving as director of operations analysis and emergency management. He developed an emergency response program and provided direction on corporate policy and strategy for all areas of crisis management. Nunn also served as manager of flight dispatch, directing 135 flight dispatchers, reviewing incidents and taking corrective action.
Nunn began his career as a Marine providing security detail to the United States Capitol and White House during President Jimmy Carter's administration. Nunn eventually joined Western Airlines, where he worked in maintenance line service. He is also a private pilot with more than 3,000 hours of flight time.
He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and computer science with a minor in aviation management from Minnesota State University. He attended the Aviation Training Institute in Minneapolis as well as the University of Southern California Aviation Safety Program in Los Angeles.
For more information visit www.alaskaair.com.
