Air Transport Association Names Jean Medina Vice President, Communications

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, today named Jean Medina vice president, communications.

Medina, who has more than 20 years of experience in media relations; crisis management; and financial, customer and employee communications; joins ATA from United Airlines, where most recently she led external communications and helped guide communications surrounding the United-Continental Airlines merger. Medina has dealt regularly with issues that range from customer service to governmental regulation in the United States and around the world.

We are pleased to have someone as skilled and knowledgeable about the airline industry as Jean to head our communications efforts, said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. As an industry so vital to the U.S. economy and global competitiveness, aviation needs to communicate more effectively than ever. Jean is exactly the right person to energize our outreach. I look forward to working with her as part of the ATA team.

I have enjoyed my years at United, and this move gives me the perfect opportunity to build on that experience, Medina said. The Air Transport Association is an important organization, and I look forward to representing the industry as a whole, and to working with the ATA team and our members to advocate for commercial aviation, which is so critical to connecting cities – both large and small – to the world.

At United, Medina served as the chief spokesperson during a $23 billion restructuring and prior to that, she worked in public relations for Tellabs and Ameritech.

Medina succeeds David A. Castelveter, who is leaving ATA after five years to pursue other interests.

ABOUT ATA

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn.