For someone who has spent his professional life straddling the line between the public and private sectors, one factor has remained constant for Chris Rocheleau: service—to country and to aviation.

Currently the Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Rocheleau is in his second stint at the FAA, with previous senior roles with the U.S. Air Force, National Business Aviation Association, and Transportation Security Administration.

For this tireless devotion to the nation’s aviation system and industry, Rocheleau has been named the winner of the 2025 NATA Distinguished Public Service Award, a special honor awarded by NATA’s Board of Directors and members that recognizes “outstanding public service and contributions to the industry.”

“Well, it was really surprising and humbling,” he said about learning of the award. “Those are the two words that keep coming to mind. But it certainly means a lot to me. You don’t do this kind of work for the awards, but when someone taps you on the shoulder and says, ‘Let me shake your hand and thank you for your work,’ it means a lot.”