NBAA COO Chris Rocheleau Departs to Lead ACI-NA as CEO
Why It MattersExecutive moves between association leadership and airport or FAA roles show how business aviation's advocacy bodies rely on a small pool of officials who cycle through government, military and industry posts.
What happened
The National Business Aviation Association said on September 10, 2026 that Chief Operating Officer Chris Rocheleau is leaving the association to become chief executive officer of Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA).
Rocheleau had rejoined NBAA earlier in 2026 as COO after a period at the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2025 he served as acting FAA administrator following the January 29 midair collision between a regional airliner and a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, launching a nationwide review to reduce collision risks in complex airspace and working with Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to accelerate the hiring of air traffic controllers. He left that acting role after Bryan Bedford was confirmed as FAA Administrator.
"We thank Chris for his invaluable contributions to American aviation across several decades in the government, military and industry," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "His leadership makes every organization stronger, and he is uniquely qualified for his new role at ACI-NA."
Rocheleau's previous term as NBAA COO ran from June 2022 to January 2025. Over a 20-year FAA career he held roles including acting associate administrator for aviation safety and FAA chief of staff. Before the FAA he served as an officer in the United States Air Force, retiring from the USAF Reserve in 2010 at the rank of lieutenant colonel, and he was also among the first leaders of the Transportation Security Administration. NBAA was founded in 1947 and is based in Washington, DC.
Industry impact & what to watch
Rocheleau's move illustrates how a limited circle of officials rotates between association leadership, the FAA and airport-industry bodies, carrying regulatory relationships and institutional memory with them each time. His path from FAA chief of staff and acting administrator to NBAA COO and now to ACI-NA's top job shows how advocacy organizations for business aviation and airports draw leadership from the same government pipeline rather than building it independently.
That overlap matters for how these groups negotiate with regulators: a CEO who spent 2025 running the FAA's response to the DCA midair collision now leads the association representing North American airports on safety and capacity questions, while NBAA must find a COO to replace him. Whether NBAA names a successor with similar FAA experience, and how Rocheleau's ACI-NA agenda addresses the same complex-airspace risks he reviewed at the FAA, are the points to watch next.
