Training Representative
National Air Traffic Controller Association
“Air Traffic Controller is a very neat community. It’s a community that continually needs an influx of young people to take an interest in it and to fill in for us as we move on. We have a retirement age of 56, which is relatively young in most curricula which are typically a 30-year career.
We continually need them to fill the pipeline, we need motivated people who are interested in Air Traffic Control First and foremost, have a lot of fun with it understanding that the chances of being great right off the best are slim. But it is an opportunity to get into an interesting career that is amazing, outstanding, and offers a lot to anyone that embarks on it.”
Jamaal was born in Quanah, Tex. and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. After graduating high school, he served in the United States Air Force as an air traffic controller for six years at Scott AFB, Illinois., Dover AFB, Delaware., and supported Operation Enduring Freedom at Al Dhafra AFB, United Arab Emirates. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before being honorably discharged in May of 2005.
Later in 2005, Jamaal began working at Groton-New London Air Traffic Control Tower in Groton, Connecticut, and then Martin State Air Traffic Control Tower in Baltimore County, Maryland, both federal contract towers serving civilian general and military aviation. In 2007, Jamaal was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller and became a Certified Professional Controller at Tamiami Air Traffic Control Tower in Miami, Florida.
In 2010, Jamaal transferred to McCarran Air Traffic Control Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was quickly elected Local Secretary and then, in 2012, President and Principal Facility Representative.
Jamaal has served as a national NATCA representative on training issues since 2011 and currently serves as NATCA National Training Representative. Jamaal also served on NATCA’s National Contract Team, negotiating the groundbreaking 2016 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the FAA.