WAI On Air Podcast

Meet Stephanie Goetz, a businesswoman, leadership coach, philanthropist, professional pilot, TEDx speaker, and professional singer.

Stephanie Goetz is a modern-day Renaissance woman. She is an award-winning former news and sports anchor at NBC, CBS, and ABC, a businesswoman, executive communication, leadership coach, philanthropist, professional pilot, TEDx speaker, and professional singer. As a keynote speaker, coach and mentor, she guides leaders and professionals on their personal development journeys, helping them to discover their potential, shatter their own glass ceiling, and achieve their goals.

Stephanie’s multifaceted career and commitment to pe...

As we wrap-up 2025, WAI Director, Communications Kelly Murphy, and Communications Coordinator Suprina Kaur, take our listeners on a reflective tour of the 13 episodes of the Season 1 WAI On Air podcast. A special thanks to this year’s strategic partners, Amazon and United, for their generous support during the WAI On Air Podcasts. 😍🎙️

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#WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast #femalepilot #WrapUp #Podcast #2025 

Meet the mother-daughter duo Katie and Willa Clark, BETA Technologies.

Learn more about the various backgrounds and talents the Clark family brought together to build Vermont-based BETA Technologies—an aerospace company manufacturing electric flight.

You’ll meet the mother-daughter duo Katie and Willa Clark, featured on the cover of Aviation for Women Q2 2025 issue, and hear how the power of family grew the company from a handful of volunteers to over 800 employees to manufacture the BETA ALIA aircraft. Visit BETA.team to follow the progress of the company.

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Meet Jackie Ruiz, founder of Latinas in Aviation.

Jacqueline calls herself a visionary social entrepreneur. Born in Mexico City, she moved to the United States at age 14, where she learned English and German. She has created two successful, award-winning companies, established two nonprofit organizations, published 16 books, created over 10 products, and held dozens of events around the world in just the past decade.

Jackie is a regular guest on TV and radio, including CBS World News, CBS Chicago, WGN-TV, ABC7 News, WGN Radio 720, and has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Inc., and ot...

Meet Taylor Deen, one of the few female Goodyear blimp pilots in the world.

Taylor Deen is one of the few active female blimp pilots in the world. At 37 years old, she has achieved the role of chief pilot with the Goodyear Blimp, logging more than 2,500 hours of lighter-than-air (LTA) flight hours and 3,000 fixed-wing hours. She earned her pilot license in 2005 and continued training to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) with CFI-Instrumentation training. Taylor joined the California-based Goodyear blimp team in 2011 after flying as a charter pilot in Juneau, Alaska. She is currently a...

Meet The Honorable Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair.

Jennifer L. Homendy is the 15th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in other modes of transportation, including rail, transit, roadway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. 

Chair Homendy has served as the agency’s 44th Board Member since 2018 and Chairman since 2021. She was re-nominated and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2024 to continue ser...

Meet The Honorable Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair.

Jennifer L. Homendy is the 15th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in other modes of transportation, including rail, transit, roadway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. 

Chair Homendy has served as the agency’s 44th Board Member since 2018 and Chairman since 2021. She was re-nominated and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2024 to continue serving in bot...

Meet Michelle "MACE" Curran, a former United States Air Force fighter pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of F-16 flying time. Michelle “MACE” Curran channels her unique perspective into relatable storytelling in her newly published book The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower.

A WAI conference attendee and keynote speaker, Michelle’s lessons learned will empower you to make bold choices and find your inner courage. Follow her journey on Instagram @mace_curran. 

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Ever wonder what jobs are available at an airline? Learn more about the various opportunities available during this episode featuring a United Airlines panel discussion. 

Nikisha Ramsey – Director, Early Careers and Talent Partnerships 

Veronica Leacock Borchardt– Calibrate Partnerships Manager 

Kate Bufton – DEN Flight Operations Manager, Captain B737 

Houa Vang – DENVV Manager Ramp Tower Operations 

Roberta Zimmerman – Director of Air Traffic Data Analytics

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

Meet Rick Leach, President and CEO of GoJet Airlines

A long-time aviation industry veteran, Rick has worked in the industry for 44 years in numerous airline leadership roles as well as being a board member of the Regional Airline Association (RAA.org). His airline career began after college with Air Illinois and shortly thereafter, he was recruited by Jet America Airlines, to start as a customer service trainer at their new St. Louis operation.

During his tenure at Jet America, he also held the positions of city manager of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area operation...

Meet Maj. Gen. Regena Aye, Civil Air Patrol’s national commander and the corporation’s CEO. 

As Civil Air Patrol’s 26th national commander, she is a major (two-star), the highest-ranking CAP officer. She leads CAP’s nearly 70,000 members across the United States in fulfilling the nonprofit organization’s three primary programs of emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education.

Her more than 30-year CAP career began in 1989 as a cadet in the Kansas Wing, where she achieved the cadet program’s highest honor — the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award — in 1992. 

Duration: 00:22:40

Meet Theresa Claiborne, the first Black woman in the U.S Air Force and retired United B787 Captain

Theresa Claiborne retired in May 2024 from United Airlines as captain of the Boeing 787 with 23,000 flight hours. Theresa is a pioneer as the first Black woman pilot in the U.S. Air Force, where she served as the first Black woman to command and instruct in the KC-135 Stratotanker during her seven years on active duty in the military and 13 years in the reserves. When Theresa joined United, she became the airline’s second Black woman pilot and retired as...

Meet Alison (Ali) Faddis, Director of Global Aviation Operations for Amazon Air.

She brings extensive aviation leadership experience to Amazon Air to oversee Network Control Center, Aviation Standards and Training, Aviation Safety, and Air Carrier Operations teams. Ali’s career began as a pilot at Horizon Air, where she advanced to serve as FAR Part 119 Director of Operations and System Chief Pilot while maintaining captain qualifications on multiple aircraft types. Prior to joining Amazon in 2022, she was Vice President of Flight Operations at Boeing's Insitu Inc., leading a global team of over 200 operators in un...

Meet Jonna McGrath, Vice President of Airport Operations for United Airlines Denver hub. 

She oversees the safe execution of all aspects of the operation at United's fastest growing hub. She has more than three decades of aviation industry experience after beginning her career with United as a frontline agent. She's passionate about building a positive culture for employees and an exceptional experience for customers.

Interview by: WAI CEO Lynda Coffman

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Mary Miller, a longtime executive at Signature Flight Support, retires after a remarkable 40-year career advocating for business and general aviation. She began her aviation journey in 1981 at Butler Aviation as a Customer Service Manager at Washington National Airport. Rising through the ranks, she became Director of Customer Service in 1987, then Director of Sales and Customer Relations. When Butler merged with Page Avjet to form Signature Flight Support, Mary was promoted to Vice President of Customer Relations. In 2010, she became Vice President of Industry and Government Affairs for both Signature and its parent company, BBA Aviation.

Mary...

Meet Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Rebekah Seifer, who grew up on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where living close to the water inspired her commitment to humanitarian service. She received her commission from the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) in 2012, earning a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Environmental Sciences with honors. Since then, she has logged over 3,000 flight hours in aircraft including the Gulfstream V (C-37A), Gulfstream 550 (C-37B), and CN-235 (HC-144A), with experience spanning search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, natural disaster response, and executive transport.

Among her many accomplishments, R...

Each episode will take you behind the scenes of the aviation/aerospace world to meet the remarkable women shaping its future.

From pilots and engineers to air traffic controllers, aerospace executives, and innovators, On Air celebrates the stories, challenges, and triumphs of women (and men) across every corner of the aviation industry— all aimed at empowering the next generation and honoring the pioneers who paved the way.