Analytical, Strategic, Advocacy Services

Mr. Doyle is the President and owner of Capitol Airspace Group. Prior to founding Capitol Airspace, Mr. Doyle was the Vice President of Airspace and Obstacle Evaluation for JDA Aviation Technology Solutions where he was responsible for JDA’s air traffic, airspace, TERPS and obstacle evaluation line of business.

With 25 years of experience, Mr. Doyle has provided technical analysis, instrument procedure design and validation, and airspace mitigation services to clients on over 550 airspace projects. Mr. Doyle has worked extensively with the FAA, Department of Defense, airport authorities, airport commissions and local zoning organizations to successfully resolve airspace cases in cities across the country.

From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Doyle was the Director of Airspace Analysis for Aviation Management Associates, Inc. with responsibility for Aviation Management’s airspace, TERPS, and obstruction evaluation line of business. In this position, Mr. Doyle developed and designed airspace/TERPS modeling tools, conducted airspace studies and developed mitigation solutions on behalf of company clients.

Prior to joining Aviation Management in 1999, Mr. Doyle was a member of the United States Army where he served as an air traffic controller. He held tower ratings at Libby Army Airfield, Ft. Huachuca, Arizona and Wiesbaden Air Base in Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1996 Mr. Doyle served as a member of the only forward tactical radar team in the US Army by deploying to Camp Colt in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Upon completion of this deployment, Mr. Doyle was assigned as the air traffic control tower chief at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, a position he held until he left the army in 1999.

Mr. Anderson joined Capitol Airspace in 2014 as an Airspace/GIS Specialist and has expertise in Air Traffic Management and Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS). Recent projects include: Flight Procedures Optimization studies to lower instrument approach procedure minimum descent altitudes/decision altitudes in challenging obstacle environments, Broad Area Assessments to determine the aviation compatible heights for development across entire states, and Obstruction Evaluation studies.Joe, raised in Juneau, Alaska, followed his passion for aviation and received a Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management and a Masters in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. At Embry-Riddle, Mr. Anderson mentored and coached students through Basic and Advanced Air Traffic Control Tower courses, established outreach programs at local high schools, and managed elected student officials responsible for allocating over $750,000 annually to various student organizations.

Wesley Williamson joined Capitol Airspace Group in January 2019 as an airspace/GIS specialist. He primarily works on obstruction evaluations, airspace analysis studies, and microwave path analysis.

Wesley received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Economics from Claremont McKenna College in 2010. Upon graduation, he commissioned as an aviation officer and helicopter pilot in the US Army, where he was selected to fly the UH-60 Blackhawk. Wesley gained a unique experience in both US and European flight procedures during his time in the Army, and he remains an FAA certified helicopter pilot.

Mr. Connolly is an FAA certificated pilot and Airspace/GIS Manager at Capitol Airspace. His responsibilities include performing obstruction evaluations, airspace analyses, mitigation studies, flight procedures optimization, and acquiring and maintaining aeronautical information datasets. In 2011, Mr. Connolly oversaw the transition to ESRI ArcGIS and worked with software developers to create new tools to further enhance the company’s core competency of obstruction evaluation and airspace analysis. Since starting with Capitol Airspace, he has performed over 100 airspace studies.

Mr. Connolly’s expertise includes the FAA 8260 series of Terminal Instrument Approach Procedure (TERPS) orders, 14 CFR Part 77, the FAA obstruction evaluation process, and visual guidance lighting systems.

Lynn Ray has over 33 years of aerospace experience in air traffic control and operations as well as airspace management.  Lynn started her aviation career in 1984 with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Air Traffic Control Specialist at Atlanta ARTC Center and progressed steadily through various staff and managerial positions in the field; region/service area; and headquarters prior to her retirement in 2017.   At Atlanta Center, Lynn was one of just a handful of people who started in a facility as an air traffic control specialist and rose to eventually become the air traffic manager of the same facility. During her time in Atlanta, she graduated with honors from the Georgia State University College of Law.   Lynn credits the many wonderful mentors she had early in her career in both labor and management with helping her learn not only the technical aspects of the job but the enduring values of customer service; cultivating relationships; and acting with honesty and integrity even when it is costly.

Lynn came to FAA Headquarters in 2006 to provide operational expertise and leadership to Air Traffic planning and strategy development.  This work led to an amazing detail assignment to the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) in 2007 as the FAA Co-lead of the Air Navigation Services Working Group charted with leading government and industry stakeholders in the joint review and recommendations for improving the National Airspace System (NAS) as part of FAA’s NEXTGEN program.  She considers this assignment to be one of the most rewarding in her career as it provided the opportunity for her to see and understand stakeholder needs from the perspective of participants like NASA; DoD; DHS; NWS; and a wide variety of domestic and international industry participants.  Harmonizing across international boundaries was an important focus and Lynn established many lasting relationships from her work with JPDO.

As the detail to JPDO came to an end, Ray was selected in to the FAA’s Senior Executive Service as the Director of Airspace for the NAS in 2008.  This position provided national leadership in both policy and operational execution of NAS airspace improvements including the proliferation of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures at airports of every level.   A focus in improving Aeronautical Information Management as well as the execution of regulatory responsibilities in obstruction evaluation were also part of her priorities.

When the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) decided to reorganize in 2010 and move toward consolidating air traffic support into a single technical services organization known as Mission Support Services, Lynn was selected as the first vice-president (VP) of this new organization.  Mission Support had a very broad portfolio which included providing airspace services and policy concerning airspace redesign, PBN development and execution, and obstruction evaluation; defining operational concepts and requirements; instrument flight procedure development and charting; aeronautical information management; air traffic procedure development; and the operational integration of emerging technologies like Unmanned Aircraft and Commercial Space Vehicles.  In addition, Mission Support also included the Service Centers in Atlanta, Ft. Worth and Seattle which provide technical support to all field facilities across the NAS.  Lynn held the position of first and only VP of Mission Support Services until she retired in 2017.

After retirement, Lynn formed Ray Aeronautical Solutions to provide executive consulting services to assist aviation stakeholders in areas of business development and strategic planning.  In addition, she is also uniquely positioned to provide air traffic technical assistance across a broad spectrum of stakeholder needs and issues.  Lynn looks to couple her FAA and leadership experiences and her educational background with her belief that the safety of the NAS can still be maintained while meeting industry needs if everyone comes to the conversation with integrity…is willing to listen to each other…. seeks understanding and works hard to try and meet mutual needs.  Her simple philosophy in the toughest of situations and negotiations is,  “There is rarely just one way to get something done.”

Mr. Coles has 35 years of experience in ATC operations and system modernization. In his current role, he provides program management to various programs at Capitol Airspace for obstruction evaluation projects around the United States.

He began his aviation career as a systems engineer assigned to the Host computer system for Martin Marietta (Lockheed Martin) in 1984 as a part of the System Engineering and Integration Contract (SEI) in Washington, D.C. After contract award of the Host contract to the IBM Corporation in 1985, he was asked to relocate to the William J. Hughes Technical Center located in Pomona, N.J. to provide test management support for the SEI to include implementation at the 20 Enroute control centers. Mr. Coles continued at the William J. Hughes Technical Center for the next 11 years with increasing responsibility, including the position of site manager for the SEI, managing 65 engineers and supporting a myriad of FAA projects in various degrees of design and completion.

After leaving Martin Marietta, he went to work for Computer Technology Associates (CTA) as the contract manager supporting the National Simulation Capability (NSC) Program. In this position, he provided support to the FAA helping to develop a plug and play simulation environment utilizing the Department of Defense’s High Level Architecture developed by Defense Modeling Simulation Organization. Under the NSC program, he was the contract test manager for the simulation for Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) in the North Atlantic. He provided the FAA with data to determine the effects on oceanic controllers from the New York Oceanic Control Center when a reduction from 2,000 ft. to 1,000 ft. vertical separation was applied. The determined effect was an increase in air traffic over the ocean in a non-radar environment.

Mr. Coles returned to Washington, D.C. in 1996 and has continued to provide support to FAA programs as a system engineer and a senior manager in the Washington D.C. area based aviation consulting firms. Prior to joining Capitol Airspace, he was the Vice President for Technical Services for Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. and was responsible for overseeing all engineering design for programs that involved navigational aids, visual aids and tower communication programs for various airports nationally and internationally.

Dan Underwood joined Capitol Airspace in 2018 as a Project Manager / Military Lead and has expertise in FAA airspace, military routes and special use airspace procedures, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In his current role, he provides program management and consulting services to various programs at Capitol Airspace for obstruction evaluation projects around the United States. Dan also works extensively with projects that have military routing concerns and works to develop mitigation options for clients while preserving the need for military training opportunities.

Dan, raised in Birmingham, Alabama, received a Bachelor of Science in Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy and a minor in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Beginning his Army career, he followed his lifelong dream of flight and earned his Army Aviator wings and flew helicopters for several years with over 900 flight hours; 600+ using night vision equipment.

After his military service, Dan continued working on GIS and project management assignments for the GIS software development firm, Esri. At Esri, he was the Deputy Program Manager for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Geospatial Visualization Systems (GVS) program – a multi-year, multi-million-dollar Federal program that developed and supported a common operating picture and global vector and raster content development. He was also the National Special Security Event (NSSE) Lead for the NGA GVS program. In this role, he provided technical training and site support to Federal customers in support of NSSEs including a Presidential Inauguration, Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and numerous other high profile political and security sensitive events.

Dan then moved to Booz Allen Hamilton where he was the on-site lead and group manager for geospatial modeling. He was an integral team leader in a collaborative, high-paced operational environment working with various airborne assets, involving dynamic target sets. While in this role he developed several GIS tools that resulted in advanced accelerated analysis, which were implemented as tradecraft for the entire organization across three unique geographic areas and teams. Transitioning to the State Department, he was tasked with creating a new process and procedures proposal for a sensitive joint program with other U.S. government partners. He coordinated with multiple stakeholders and legal representatives, to preserve key U.S. policy guidelines. He was the procedural SME who led key briefings with senior agency, military, and U.S. Congressional leaders about the program’s implementation.

Matt Rice joined Capitol Airspace in January, 2019 as a Project Manager and Consultant and has expertise in the national airspace system, military training routes and special use airspace procedures. In his current role, he provides project management and consulting services to various obstruction evaluation projects around the United States. He is uniquely qualified to provide mitigation options for clients requiring negotiations with the Department of Defense.

Matt attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL where he received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps where he attended Naval flight training and was selected to fly the F/A-18C Hornet. During his 13-year military career, he acquired over 1,300 hours in the F/A-18 and has extensive flight experience in the low altitude environment on military training routes and in special use airspace. He concluded his military career in San Diego as an instructor pilot in the F/A-18. Matt has acquired nearly 1,800 hours of total flight time and has experience flying general aviation aircraft as well as multiple different military aircraft. His FAA pilot certifications include private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and airline transport pilot (ATP). During his military career, he was selected to attend Naval Postgraduate School where he earned a Masters of Science in Information Technology Management.

James R. Scott joined Capitol Airspace in 2018 as an Airspace/GIS Specialist and has expertise in Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In his current role, he conducts obstruction evaluations and microwave path studies for various building projects throughout the United States.

James, grew up in the Akron/Cleveland area of Ohio, received a Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management and a Master of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. At Embry-Riddle, James worked as a teaching assistant for air traffic management courses and served as the student government president in 2012.

Mr. Beranek joined Capitol Airspace in 2021 as a Project Manager and Consultant and has expertise in FAA airspace, project management, and unmanned aerial operations. In his current role, he provides project management and consulting services to dozens of clients at Capitol Airspace for obstruction evaluation projects around the United States, specializing in offshore wind.

David, raised in small town North Carolina, received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Air Force Academy. He became an instructor pilot in both the Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, commanding combat operations and crews in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Resolute Support, Freedom’s Sentinel, and others. He was the Chief of Operations, notably leading unmanned aircraft efforts for the large force exercise Red Flag and incorporating lean principles to integrate uninterrupted flying operations through a 35% manning shortage.

After leaving the military, David continued his service to the country and the Air Force through contract work, continuing to fly the Reaper as a deployed instructor pilot. He led the safety program that earned “Best Practice” ratings from independent government audits, contributing to the team’s “Outstanding” rating in consecutive deployments. He also specialized in efficiency- leading scheduling efforts while critically undermanned during the outbreak of COVID-19 and associated restrictions in international travel.

David also earned his Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma State University and Project Management Professional certification, and volunteers as an Admissions Liaison Officer to the Air Force Academy. He lives in Alexandria with his dorkie, Mia.

Chris joined Capitol Airspace in 2021 as a Project Manager. He has extensive knowledge in both visual and instrument flight rules, Terminal Instrument Procedures, and military and special use airspace. In his current role, he provides project management and strategic advocacy services to Capitol Airspace clients across a broad spectrum of wind, solar, and building projects.

Chris was born and raised in Lake Orion, MI as the youngest of five. He graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics. Upon graduating, he was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps. He completed flight school in 2013 and was selected to fly the AH-1W out of Kaneohe Bay, HI. Most of his career included numerous deployments and detachments to the western pacific, from Korea to Australia, both on and off naval ships. Chris has accumulated over 2,500 flight hours and continues to fly as a Marine Corps Reserve Instructor Pilot training the next generation of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard helicopter pilots. His FAA certifications include Certified Flight Instructor (Instrument rated).

Chris has earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Florida. He now resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife, two sons, and two dogs. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, camping/hiking, and water sports.

Nick moved from Los Angeles, California to join Capitol Airspace as an Airspace/GIS Specialist. He has expertise in Air Traffic Management and Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS). He specializes in Obstruction Evaluation studies, airspace analysis, and Broad Area Assessments to determine compatible heights within the aeronautical field for development across entire states. He also has experience in using LiDAR Data and 3D modeling to provide technical papers to the FAA.

Passionate about aviation, Nick received a Bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University focusing on Air Traffic Management, Aviation Safety, and Applied Meteorology. He has extensive experience in teaching and mentoring students on Basic and Advanced Terminal Radar Approach Control courses.

Candace Childress joined Capitol Airspace in 2017 as an Airspace/GIS Specialist. In this role, she conducts air traffic flow analyses, obstruction evaluation studies, and various other airspace analyses as needed. Candace has particular expertise in Geographic Information Science, including spatial analysis, data management, and several GIS softwares.

Candace grew up in Alabama, Virginia, and Hawaii, as an Air Force Brat, which started her passion for aviation at a young age. She earned her BS in International Affairs with a focus in Geography from Florida State University in 2013, and returned to earn her Masters of Science in Geographic Information Science (GIS) in 2017.

Alison Kennedy joined Capitol Airspace in 2021. Alison is an Airspace/GIS Specialist who conducts obstruction evaluation (OE) studies throughout the United States. Alison is currently the lead analyst for offshore wind projects. Enthusiastic about learning, she is also trained in conducting visual flight rules (VFR) traffic flow studies and various other tasks requiring a timely and detailed response.

Alison graduated the United States Naval Academy (USNA) with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. As a senior, she developed a concept, designed, built, and flew a plane with a team of six fellow students. While studying at the USNA, she was an integral member of the Varsity Navy Women’s Crew team for four years, winning the Patriot League Championship and the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta.

After graduation and commissioning as an officer in the United States Navy, Alison went on to earn her Navy Pilot wings and was selected to fly the MH-60S Seahawk. On the first day in her new squadron, she was sent to the Middle East to deploy with the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. There she flew the rescue of a sailor who fell overboard at night, escorted an Iranian drone away from the ship’s airspace, and transited the Straits of Hormuz.

Katie Doyle joined Capitol Airspace Group as a project administrator in 2011. Her duties include preparing and managing all filings and correspondence with the FAA on behalf of our clients, as well as project research, task tracking on projects, and providing support to the Project Management Team. Prior to joining Capitol Airspace in September 2011, Katie spent 11 ½ years in the nonprofit world working for the Air Force Association. She received her B.A. in Government and Politics from George Mason University in 1993.

Ayperi Williams joined Capitol Airspace Group in 2018 as a Project Manager Assistant to Joe Anderson and general administrative support for the office. Ayperi has varied background in operations management, administrative and accounting management, paralegal support, as well as years in the hospitality industry.

In her previous role as Project Administrator with a Real Estate development firm in Washington, DC, she cultivated a curiosity for Project Management while learning the details of managing real estate projects from start to finish. Prior to her role as Project Administrator, Ayperi held the position of Operations Manager for a private club in Old Town, Alexandria, providing support during their grand opening. Currently, she provides general support for the office as well as project specific support to Joe Anderson, and as needed, to the other Project Managers of Capitol Airspace.

Mrs. Nakamura has 26 years of experience in corporate accounting and taxation. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from University of Maryland in 1988, she went to work for Bond Beebe. During her time there she obtained her CPA certification and attained the position of Manager prior to going to work for her newest client.

While working for Hayes-Ligon Corporation, as a start-up, Mrs. Nakamura led the company financially to annual sales of over 5 million dollars in 2 years. She was also an integral part of the contract proposal and maintenance team. She led the corporation through the due diligence process until its ultimate sale in 1994. Shortly thereafter she was recruited into a Controller position with a local produce company. During her 14 year employment she was responsible for the budgets, financial statements and taxes for two companies with annual revenues in excess of 50 million dollars.

In 2008 these companies, with the guidance of Mrs. Nakamura, completed the due diligence process and were sold to the east coast’s largest produce company. Since then Karen has owned and operated her own accounting firm, providing accounting and financial consulting to small businesses. She has been with Capitol Airspace Group since its inception in 2010.

Mrs. Latessa, a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic and State University, has over eleven years of consulting experience with American Management Systems in the software development arena for state and local government clients. Her roles over the years included business analyst, team leader and project manager all resulting in the successful completion of each project on schedule, on budget, and with superior client satisfaction. Mrs. Latessa has experience in each phase of the system development life-cycle, project planning, business requirements, system design, system testing, training, and project management. In addition, Mrs. Latessa has considerable experience in the proposal life cycle including author contributing to the proposal strategy development, project work plan development, template creation, and quality assurance resulting in the successful award of contracts.Mrs. Latessa joined Capitol Airspace Group in 2018 in the accounting department monitoring incoming payments and working with project managers and clients to ensure payments are received in a timely manner. In addition, Mrs. Latessa reviews monthly receivables and tracks customer relationship information for client collections.