INTRODUCTION EMAIL
VOTE PHILIP JOHNSON for Secretary-Treasurer
APA Members,
My name is Philip Johnson, and I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to share my candidacy for the position of Secretary-Treasurer and to ask for your vote.
For those whom I have not met, or maybe you are not one of the thousands of members that I have personally corresponded with on the numerous APA Pilot Application feedback channels, you most likely are one of the +90% of the membership who have leveraged the APA Pilot Application. As the IT Steering Committee Chairman, I have led, and continue to lead, a team of APA staff, contractors, and volunteers across numerous committees, to build one of the leading mobile applications within our profession. Under my leadership we were able to rally consensus across the Association for project funding, and able to deliver the present solution, on time, and on budget.
As a long-time dedicated APA volunteer, I am committed to serving the membership. For nearly a decade I have served in various capacities on the IT Steering Committee, leading the upgrade of critical systems and infrastructure, along with implementing forward-looking, cost-cutting measures all while ensuring APA members and support staff were provided access to industry-leading, best-in-class tools and applications that align with APA’s strategic priorities.
I also bring a wealth of experience gained during my two furlough periods within the IT Business sector. While working with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), I supported the Department of Defense, other agencies within the greater intelligence community, and commercial sectors as a Program Manager and Business Development Manager. Before returning from furlough, I was actively managing and responsible for a $33M business line and all associated budgets, while delivering hardware, software, and professional services solutions.
I believe my current APA volunteer experience, combined with my outside business expertise, will set me apart from other candidates and ensure my success as your next Secretary-Treasurer.
Here’s why I believe I’m the right candidate for this important position:
Proven Track Record:
With my nearly ten (10) years of experience serving on the IT Steering Committee, I have successfully delivered numerous projects supporting APA staff, leadership, and members. In addition, I have successfully built consensus and leveraged relationships within APA, other pilot unions, and American Airlines to advance the priorities of the Association.
Knowledge to perform the job on day one:
My efforts to upgrade APA infrastructure were accomplished through a collaborative approach, working in strategic alignment with the National Officers and Board of Directors. My familiarity with the financial policies of our Constitution & Bylaws and Policy Manual will allow me, on day one of my term, to handle all financial decisions in accordance with our governance to ensure all expenditures are compliant.
Commitment to Transparency and Communication:
Today, members have access to the Association's financial information, but that access is cumbersome, and reports are often delayed. I will leverage my IT expertise to provide members with easier access to financial reports that are more understandable and as near real-time as possible. I will work to ensure that all financial matters and decisions are communicated clearly to all members, fostering trust and confidence within our organization. I will continue to serve the membership and remain open to feedback and suggestions from all APA members
Focus on Collaboration:
I believe in the power of the high-performance team and will continue to collaborate with other officers, committees, and members to ensure that our APA’s goals are achieved, efficiently, timely, and on budget.
History of delivering Industry-Leading Pilot Facing tools:
Continue to lead the cross-committee team focused on the rewrite of the APA Pilot Application, and underlying tools, that the IT Steering Committee continues today, such as Trip Info, Trips Marketplace, IMAX, Commute Info, APA Calendar Sync, APA Robocall, APA Logbook, APA Reserve, Sentinel, Sequence History, APA Mobile Inbox, and Papyrus (Compass Collaboration). We have many other tools, such as Mutual Base Exchange v2.0, Will it Fit on my schedule, and Layover Pal in the development pipeline.
We have delivered all the tools above, and more, on-time and within the approved BOD budgets.
I have personally responded to thousands of member feedback emails, calls, and text messages providing technical and general Association support.
Led the team that developed and deployed all the COVID LOA bidding tools in a timely manner to ensure the APA membership could leverage the agreed-upon LOAs.
Led the team that spearheaded the recovery from the cyber security attack as well as implementing new, cutting-edge security protocols to harden our IT security posture.
History of delivering value to the membership:
Supported and led the transformation of the IT Department, focusing on proper resourcing, and contract-to-staff ratios, while reviewing all supporting IT infrastructure, software, and hardware to ensure the IT Department is delivering the best solutions, at the best value.
Championed the proper IT resourcing levels to support the strategic vision of various APA Committees, including, the Operational and Analysis Committee (OAC), Expense and Financial Analysis Committee (EF&A), and the Negotiating Committee (NC) in support of CBA 2023.
Led the “Cloud-first” effort to modernize the legacy APA IT infrastructure to support our ongoing legal, data collection, and analysis efforts.
Provided timely IT support, such as “Green on Christmas”, “Green July” and “COVID LOAs”. The associated data collection efforts provided APA Leadership with the information to support decisions that directly translated into positive financial impacts, and positive LOAs, for the membership.
Reducing costs through strategic vendor contract negotiations. Led the transition to a new phone system/provider that will save the Association ~$360K over five (5) years.
Implemented a “Project Costing” model within IT that provides greater transparency, as well as a more accurate ROI forecast. This has helped the APA IT Department deliver projects on time and on budget.
I would love to have the chance to serve you in this role and continue to work to strengthen our organization.
Please visit my website for more information, and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Most importantly don't forget to vote, your vote is critical, together we can make a meaningful impact!
Philip Johnson - (314) 853-1188
johnson.pnj@gmail.com