Richard L. Altman CAAFI Executive Director

A 42 year aviation veteran, Rich spent 39 years with Pratt & Whitney initially as a propulsion engineer then in Advanced Technology Business Development. He is a founding member of the US Transportation Research Board Committee on Aviation effects on the Environment and a member of the PARTNER Center of Excellence Advisory Board.

Nate Brown FAA, Deputy Executive Director ( Strategy & Implementation)

Nate is Deputy Director of CAAFI and provides management and strategy assistance to the Executive Director.  As a Policy Analyst with the FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy he also supports strategies and research to address aviation environmental impacts, energy needs and climate change impacts. He has previously worked on international climate change initiatives at the U.S. Department of State.

Dr. Kristin C. Lewis Volpe Center/RITA, Deputy Executive Director (Technical & Research)

Kristin serves as the Deputy Executive Director (Technical & Research) for CAAFI, providing technical and environmental coordination for the Executive Director. Kristin is an Environmental Biologist with the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. In addition to her work with CAAFI, Kristin participates in research on aviation impacts in the National Parks and the development of noise and emissions models for aviation.

Mark Rumizen FAA, Certification Lead

Mark is the Aviation Fuels Specialist in the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Division and has been employed by the FAA since 1991. Prior to the FAA, Mark was employed by GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in various engineering and marketing roles.

Dr. Lourdes Maurice FAA, Environment Lead

Lourdes is the Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Environment in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Environment and Energy.   She is the agency technical expert for basic and exploratory research, and advanced technology development focused on aircraft environmental impacts and its application to noise and emissions certification and policy, and the application of alternative fuels to mitigate environmental impacts.

John P. Rau American Airlines, Inc., Business & Economics Lead

John Rau is Managing Director of Fuels Management, Transportation, and Customs for American Airlines, responsible for approximately $6 billion of goods and services annually, including jet fuel and fueling services. He is also responsible for American's supplier diversity program. John is also a member of the Air Transport Association Energy Council. Prior to joining American Airlines, Rau worked at United Airlines, where he was responsible for the purchasing and hedging of jet fuel for worldwide operations and managed United's jet fuel trading subsidiary.

Dr. Marty Bradley Boeing, R&D Tri-Lead

Marty is a Technical Fellow for The Boeing Company, working in the Boeing Research and Technology organization in Huntington Beach, California.  He is the leader for a variety of projects related to propulsion integration, green aircraft technologies, and alternative fuels for commercial and military aircraft.

Dr. Stephen Kramer Pratt & Whitney, R&D Tri-Lead

Dr. Stephen Kramer is the manager of Advanced Technology Group for the Combustors, Augmentors, and Nozzles at Pratt & Whitney. Dr. Kramer has over 14 years experience at Pratt and, prior to that, 9 years as a consultant in the field of combustion and fuels. He has over 10 patents and has won several P&W leadership awards. He received his BS, MS, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University.

Michael Jay Epstein GE Aviation, R&D Tri-Lead

Mike's early and mid career at GE Aviation focused on combustion and heat transfer, the latter as Manager, Military Heat Transfer. Mike transitioned to a systems engineering role in 2005 and was responsible for technology insertion and transition for military products. As the focus of the aviation industry has recently shifted back to alternative fuels, Mike has assumed leadership in this area for GE Aviation, leading initiatives on both the commercial and military side of the business. Mike completed a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MS from Penn State.