In November, Virgin Islander Derrick Miller Jr. was recognized by American Airlines and awarded a Circle of Excellence Award for his leadership in managing air traffic control training at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The CLT airport, a hub for American Airlines, is one of the busiest airports in the world. The Circle of Excellence Award is the highest award an employee at American Airlines can receive. Each year, only 100 employees in the company are eligible to receive it, and Miller, a Crucian, earned the award for creating a pilot program that assists new employees with understanding airspace, safety procedures, and traffic flow in the hub control center.
“I think there’s 133,000 people that work at the company,” Miller said. He added that in terms of movement, Charlotte has the sixth busiest airport in the world.
Miller is a hub control center coordinator and assists in managing the airline’s gate taxiing. Typically, he trains new employees with a “formal training” that allows them to engage with pilots for ramp taxiing. But Miller found that training needed a precursor, and thus created a two-week pre-ramp control training program.
“We have a lot of new people who come into the tower. There’s a need for a good system where people can absorb the knowledge. So I created a two week training initiative program which in that two weeks, they learn a lot of the language for air traffic control. They can understand and identify safety factors. They’re able to minimize risks, and it allows for the ultimate goal, [which is] to provide safe, efficient, and expeditious flow of traffic in and out of the ramp,” Miller said.
Regarding the program he created, Miller said it aids in getting new hires familiar with their roles.
“A lot of people who come up to the tower, they’ve never done any type of air traffic. Some people haven’t even talked to an airplane. So in two weeks, I get them up to speed, get them familiarized, and then we start a formal training on the floor,” Miller said.
According to Miller, working as an HCC, you have to be very proficient and knowledgeable. He felt it was necessary to create his training program.
“You’re talking to like 90 planes an hour, and we control all the traffic that comes in and out of Charlotte in terms of commercial Aviation,” he said.
He added that part of his job also allows him to participate in meetings with the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss construction projects and ways to mitigate congestion on and off the ground. As a result of his commitment to creating an efficient workspace, Miller was nominated for the Circle of Excellence Award.
Nominees for the award are selected based on their accomplishments. Before Thanksgiving, Miller was invited to Dallas, Texas, along with 99 other employees from around the nation, to the awards dinner. He was nominated with three other employees from his airport- his senior manager, a pilot, and a customer service representative.
When asked if this was a goal he always aspired to achieve, Miller said no.
“Well, it wasn’t something that I had set out. When I started, it wasn’t something I had aimed for, set out to get. It was people nominating me, apparently ten plus people nominated me, and they saw the work that I did, and I guess numbers showed improvement. People started noticing things outside of the HUB and it kind of just went from there,” he said.
Though employees are able to receive the award more than once, according to Miller, “It’s a career milestone if you receive it at all. It’s the highest honor the company has to give.”
Miller attended the award gala and will receive a personalized glass plaque. He has been working with American Airlines for seven years. Working in aviation is something he has wanted to do since he was a child, after being inspired by his family.
“As a kid, my grandmother used to take me to the airport and I would stand by the runway to watch the only American Airlines flight we had take off to go to Miami, a 727,” said Miller.
He added that his cousin, Darren Essannason, had a flight simulator he would play. These events inspired him to get into aviation, and his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in the field. However, he said that with limited opportunities on St. Croix, he moved to the mainland to achieve his goals.
“To climb the ladder of aviation, you have to step outside to achieve what you want,” Miller said.
He encourages others to work toward their goals, even if that means leaving their comfort zone.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t become something. Never let your current circumstance keep you from a greater opportunity,” Miller said.
