ARSA RSS Feed ARSA LinkedIn
Ask ARSA Pay ARSA

ARSA Remembers Weston By Honoring Mickler

On March 11, ARSA recognized Thomas Mickler as the 2021 recipient of the Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Service to Aviation Safety.

The award was established in 2005 and first given to Weston himself. As an FAA official, he advocated for the creation of an organization to represent the interests of maintenance providers and was pivotal in ARSA’s founding. He was a lifelong aviator and educator whose passion was kindled at a Philadelphia high school and continued through military, civil, government and volunteer service that ceased only with his passing in November 2020.

“[Leo’s] dedication was matched with exceptional insight,” ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod pronounced, remembering his unfailing support of the association’s creation. “He was as willing to learn as he was to educate; he embodied the ‘critical thinking’ sought but so rarely found in government or industry.”

The presentation of the 2021 Weston Award took place during ARSA’s Annual Conference. Managing Director and General Counsel Marshall S. Filler paused the day’s global regulatory discussion to remember Weston and recognize Mickler, who has worked closely with ARSA and its international aviation allies since taking office as Washington, D.C. representative of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in August 2014.

“This award recognizes [Thomas] for his contributions, for his accessibility, his willingness to share information, his candor and his friendship,” Filler said in delivering the award, describing Mickler’s role as an intermediary between EASA and the FAA as one of “the most challenging in aviation safety.”

Accepting the award, Mickler expressed gratitude at knowing his service was helpful to the industry. That helpfulness is Weston’s legacy and has defined Mickler’s decades long career, which will continue beyond his soon-to-be-complete stint in Washington.

To learn more about Weston, celebrate his legacy and share your own memories of his impact visit arsa.org/weston-award.

For more information about the Annual Conference, including access to recordings and other resources produced during the event, visit arsa.org/conference.


Presentation of the 2021 Weston Award

During ARSA’s 2021 Annual Conference, Managing Director & General Counsel Marshall Filler paused the March 11 global regulatory discussion to present the Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Service to Aviation Safety to EASA Washington Representative Thomas Micker. See Filler’s presentation and Mickler’s response, recorded during the livestreamed event:



More from ARSA

Digitalization, SMS Loom Large at MMT

ARSA Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein returned from Cologne on Dec. 2 after participating in the annual Maintenance Management Team (MMT) meeting. Through the MMT, four of the leading…Read More

2024 Annual Conference – Register Now

March 12-15, 2024 Event Information | Registration | Hotel (Coming Soon) Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. with Livestream Options for Conference Ambassadors Experience the maintenance community’s premier event. Join ARSA…Read More

Is it an Appliance? Why Do you Care? [On-demand Training]

“Appliance” – Why Do You Care? A Practical Question in 14 CFR Compliance This session allows participants with confirmed knowledge of the regulatory definition of “appliance” to put the term…Read More

FAA to Cancel C.A.S.E. OpSpec Guidance

On Nov. 16, the FAA agreed with ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association in determining its new OpSpec D090 for Repair Stations was not supported by a regulatory requirement. The…Read More

Nuts & Bolts Nominations Due Dec. 15

Airlines for America’s Engineering, Maintenance, and Materiel Council (EMMC) is accepting nominations for the 2024 Nuts & Bolts Awards. The awards, granted to an airline and non-airline recipient each year,…Read More
Schaeffler Aerospace
ARSA