Joby Aviation Inc., a company that develops all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, recently appointed Michael Huerta to its board of directors. He is a leader with decades of experience consulting in transportation, technology and aerospace.

JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s founder and CEO, stated:

Michael is joining our team at a pivotal time for Joby and the broader eVTOL industry, and his dual seat on Joby and Delta’s Boards will be invaluable as we prepare for commercial operations.

Huerta’s career 

Huerta completed a five-year term as FAA administrator in 2018 after being appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013. During that time, the agency achieved an unprecedented safety record. He also previously served as interim administrator of the FAA between 2011 and 2013, and was its deputy administrator from 2010 to 2011.

“Where others might see thorny, intractable problems, I see opportunity: to dig into the details, bring stakeholders together, and find common ground. Whether I was overseeing the modernization of the U.S. air traffic control system, figuring out how to manage the transportation demands of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, or building consensus around the future of the Port of San Francisco, I’ve found innovative ways to assess and manage risk, balance competing interests, and create tangible solutions that improve people’s lives,” wrote Huerta on his LinkedIn.

Huerta is also a member of the board of directors at Delta Air Lines, which announced a multi-year, multi-market business and operating partnership with Joby in October 2022.

As part of the agreement between the two companies, Delta made an initial equity investment of $60 million in Joby, with a possible total investment of up to $200 million based on the achievement of mutually agreed progress milestones.

Congratulations to #LCDAMember Michael Huerta, Former FAA Administrator and @Delta Board Member on his recent appointment to the board of @jobyaviation (NYSE:JOBY).

Learn More: https://t.co/ml5yknrhno#LCDAOnTheRise #LatinoLeaders pic.twitter.com/qX2upojaMK

— Latino Directors (@LatinoDirectors) April 5, 2023

“He has been a strong proponent of electric aircraft and future aviation technologies, and we’re grateful for the passion and depth of experience he brings to our team,” added Bevirt.

Huerta's appointment to the board follows the appointment of Dan Elwell, another former acting FAA administrator, to the company's board in 2021.

In addition to Huerta, Joby's board members include Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a Partner at Greylock; Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox; Dr. James Kuffner, CEO and Representative Director of Woven Planet Holdings, and a Member of the Board of Directors and Operating Officer of Toyota; Dipender Saluja, Managing Director of Capricorn Investment Group; Halimah DeLaine Prado, General Counsel of Google; and Laura Wright, former CFO of Southwest Airlines Co. The board is chaired by Paul Sciarra, co-founder of Pinterest.

Reactions to the appointment

Commenting on Huerta’s appointment, Delta CEO Ed Bastian highlighted the partnership between the two aviation companies. 

“Joby and Delta are pioneering a groundbreaking new way to travel. Michael’s aviation experience is a tremendous benefit to both companies as we work to deeply integrate our two services to make booking travel easier, the end-to-end journey more seamless, and to deliver customers maximum time savings,” he said.

“The United States is on the verge of a new era of aviation, with electric aircraft like Joby’s transforming how we travel. I’ve been impressed by Joby’s leadership in the sector and look forward to supporting the team as it works toward making fast and clean everyday flight a reality,” continued Huerta. 

Huerta is currently a consultant to the aviation and transportation industries, and is also a member of the board of directors of Verra Mobility Corp.