Volunteers of the Month
Kendall Wright and Ron Masters are friends for 50 years having attended Elementary School together. Both being retired, but with lots of energy have taken on teaching literacy to students where English is their second language. In addition Ken and Ron have volunteered recently to take on the daunting task of Directing and handling our bulk e-mails, press releases and finalizing our C-3 application with the IRs so that we can once and for all have an education component to our organization and offer a tax write-off for much needed donations. These men have stepped in at a time when our organization is most vulnerable to failure and are committed to our success!

Ron Masters
Ron spent over three decades in various positions in the insurance industry, as an agent, consultant and owner and executive of various firms. Additionally, he brings over two decades of successful experience in advocating for issues before federal and state legislative bodies. Now retired, Ron has been one of the “go to” people recognized by both the private and public sectors for health care and insurance reform issues. He has provided testimony and comments for both houses of Congress, the White House and in several state legislatures. As an appointed member on several committees, he positively influenced health care policy and insurance marketplace practices. He served as president of both the California and Orange County Associations of Health Underwriters and as the National Association of Health Underwriters’ Legislative Council Chairman in Washington DC. As a relatively new resident of Fairfield, California, Ron tutors for Solano County’s Adult Literacy and donates his time editing and assisting with strategy for FlyersRights.org. Ron attended the University of Colorado, Northeastern University and has numerous insurance professional designations. He says that living in Northern California’s Solano County is the way life should be.

Kendal Wright
Kendal Wright is doubly retired; first, from a 21-year aviation career in the US Air Force, and second, from a career in Information Technology as a senior consultant with Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq Computer Corporation, and the Hewlett-Packard Company. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Ken graduated from Colorado State University in 1968. He also holds an MBA from Central Michigan University. His Air Force career included flying C-141, C-130 and C-5 transports and several staff and management jobs. In his second career, he worked with Digital’s products and became a senior consultant in Microsoft operating systems and applications. His second retirement came in 2005, and he now devotes his time to his county’s Adult Literacy and to writing and editing for FlyersRights.org. He lives in northern California abd has two daughters and one grandchild.

Annette Hagan
Annette ran our hotline during the very active and dramatic 2007 holiday season, and she ran it live. We had 9 volunteers answering hundreds of calls over a three month period and she was flawless in her integrity and maintenance and training related to hotline calls. (She's also Kate's best friend in Napa)....

Jennifer Shirkani
Jennifer Shirkani came to Washington DC on our very first group lobby trip in early 2007. She is a business traveler, business coach and one of the brightest and powerful women of our Coalition. Jennifer has repeatedly come to DC to help lobby, set up appointments, gotten huge articles in her New Hampshire paper forwarding our push for an airline passengers bill of rights and continues to aide us in our push to get our bill passed. The founding member, volunteer page was her idea and again she wins gold.

Joel J Smiler
This is our Lead Hotline volunteer for over a year now. He is a relief Veterinarian and he's been totally dedicated to helping us and passengers with their grief.

Anjum Malik
Anjum Malik is co-owner of the Intensive American English Institute, a division of House of Tutors Learning Centers, an internationally recognized business serving the academic, cultural and language-instruction needs of students from all over the world. Her work with House of Tutors has earned Anjum a reputation as an expert of international higher education. In addition to her educational expertise, she is a well known international businesswoman with extensive ties in the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. She is also well known in Washington as well as among national and international media as a founding member of the Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights. She is a dedicated founding member who has received our volunteer of the month due to her considerable contributions of time and talent to our organization. Anjum has committed her resources and staff to help us get coveted appointments on capitol hill and continues to be a cornerstone of our success with DOT and Congress.

Cindy Bouchard
Cindy, as a former Customer Service Supervisor, attended our first lobby week on Capitol Hill at her own expense, attended many lobby days in DC, used her expertise as a CSS to answer questions on our hotline, headed our hotline for the first 6 months and has continued to be a source of support for our cause. Cindy is disabled with brain lesions but is extremely generous and wants to help airline passengers any way she can.

Lorne Alter
Lorne Alter is a retired Judge from Toronto. Related to his work on the York Central Hospital board of trustees: Lorne Alter was appointed to the Board in October 2003.Lorne is currently a member of the Strategic Directions Committee, the Redevelopment Committee, and the By-laws Committee of the Board.He has also served on the Operations Committee of the Board both as a Trustee and Community Member.During the past several years, Lorne has been actively involved with a number of other organizations in a volunteer capacity including: the Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living and the MS Society.In 1998, he received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the City of Toronto.A former corporate lawyer, lobbyist and labour relations adjudicator, Lorne is a resident of Thornhill.

Hendrik Noorderhaven: EUClaim’s and EU Passengers Rights founder.
Long-suffering air passengers wrongly turned down for compensation after a cancelled flight have a new, if rather unlikely hero - a Dutch air claims handler whose plane-tracking system can expose the lies airlines tell travellers.

Hendrik Noorderhaven is promising to get compensation for people whose claims have been rejected by airlines for what he can prove are spurious reasons.

Gary McDavid
Gary came to lobby at our first group lobby trip with Jennifer, he's donated thousands of dollars to our cause, and he's been extremely helpful at drafting legislation. He's a retired corporate attorney and lives in DC. His wife works for the Obama administration in environmental affairs.

Sudhakara Reddy.D