Experienced airline pilot Capt. Deborah Hecker, active in promoting aviation as a career worldwide, is the newest member of the Civil Air Patrol Foundation Board of Trustees.
Hecker is the director — flight operations training policies and procedures for American Airlines. She began her aviation career in 1994 flying freight out of a small Michigan airport, then flew for Piedmont Airlines before being hired by American in 1999.
She has flown the B737/757/767/777 as a first officer, the A319/320/321 as captain, and the B727 as flight engineer for American.
She also completed training to become a certified American Airlines flight attendant on the B777-200, B757/767, B737, and MD80, becoming the first person in the airline’s history to be dual-qualified as a pilot and flight attendant.
In addition to pilot duties at American, Hecker has been involved with numerous other assignments, including four years as chief pilot for the airline at Philadelphia International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, manager in the Customer Experience department, project manager with the flight team for the United Airlines-American merger, pilot recruitment, diversity and leadership strategies, and numerous military veteran events.
She has been an active member of Women in Aviation International since 1996 and spent nine years on its Board of Directors before retiring this year as chair.
“We are looking forward to leveraging Mrs. Hecker’s tremendous board experience and passion for aviation to propel CAP’s history of service,” said Col. Rajesh Kothari, chair of the CAP Foundation board.
Hecker is co-founder of the WAI Keep Flying Scholarship, Keep Flying International Scholarship, and Keep Flying Extra Life Scholarship, with over $150,000 in scholarships provided. She also assisted in founding the American Airlines Engineering, Maintenance, and Veteran’s Initiative Women in Aviation Scholarships.
She serves on the Advisory Council for Texas Woman’s University’s Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences. She’s featured in the September 2020 Air & Space Magazine article, “What are U.S. Airlines Missing? Women,” for which her interview is archived in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
“As a mother of three sons who were former CAP cadets, an aviator with over 34 years of experience, and an active nonprofit volunteer, I have seen firsthand the tremendous value and impact of Civil Air Patrol’s mission,” Hecker said.
“I firmly believe in the importance of CAP’s work, from its dedication to youth development and leadership to its critical role in serving communities through emergency services.
“It is an honor to be part of ensuring that CAP has a strong foundation, continuing its remarkable contributions every day across the United States.”
Hecker is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in international relations and holds an executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.
She resides in Murphy, Texas. Her three sons were active cadets in the Texas Wing’s Thunderbolt Composite Squadron, achieving the ranks of cadet captain, cadet technical sergeant, and cadet staff sergeant.CAP Foundation trustees are appointed to three-year terms and help provide general support for CAP’s programs and missions and financial support for CAP’s operations, cadet scholarships, and aerospace education.
Anyone interested in learning more about setting up a permanent scholarship or endowment fund, or establishing a fund for a specific CAP activity, program, squadron, or wing should contact Kristina Jones, the foundation’s president/executive officer, at [email protected].
