Jessica Jones assumed the role of Executive Director for the Office of Advanced Aviation Technologies in February 2026. During this time, she has advanced major agency initiatives, including the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking initiative, implementation of the Advanced Air Mobility Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), and the selection of two new tests sites for UAS.
Previously, she was the acting Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Administrator beginning in January 2025. In this role, she was a key advisor to the FAA Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief of Staff, and other agency senior leadership, assisting with the management of operational matters. During her time in this position, she spearheaded Air Traffic Controller supercharged hiring, NAS Modernization efforts, continuous safety monitoring efforts, and the MOSAIC rulemaking effort.
Jessica joined the FAA in 2011. Before taking on the acting Deputy Chief of Staff role, Jessica served as Acting Chief of Staff for the Office of Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH) where she advanced the ASH mission through leading the FAA’s planning, coordination and implementation of national security policies and programs involving aviation safety, internal security, investigations, intelligence, emergency planning and operations, UAS and emergency entrants, and hazardous materials safety. She also previously served as senior advisor for the Office of the Deputy Administrator.
Prior to that role, Ms. Jones was the Command-and-Control Communications (C3) Manager. C3 provides the FAA with survivable, secure, and redundant communications that ensure the agency’s ability to respond to emergencies, assist in the restoration of the National Airspace System, and facilitate the continuity of FAA operations. In that role, she led the NAS Recovery Communications Program, which plans for, purchases, tests, fields, and maintains FAA Continuity of Operations (COOP) facilities, contingency communications equipment, classified messaging equipment, and a semi-autonomous information technology infrastructure. She was also responsible for the FAA’s Aviation Insurance Program, which provides products that address the insurance needs of the U.S. domestic air transportation industry when none are available from the commercial insurance market.
Jessica’s background also includes serving additional FAA roles, including Business Manager for the Office of National Security Programs and Incident Response, and serving as a program and management analyst with a primary focus on budget for the ASH organization.
Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree from Catholic University of America, and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute.