President’s Award Winner Monica McCraw

Piedmont Ground Handling

Nomination #1: Monica works tirelessly supporting our department in many ways.  She handles all of the TDY needs, including scheduling their travel and hotels, coordinating between the employees’ home stations and TDY locations, etc.  Often TDY is needed on short order, and Monica responds very quickly to all requests, whether it’s after hours or even on vacation.  Monica also works our E-seat requests email, and often spends hours on evenings and weekends assisting people who had to be rerouted due to IROPS, etc.  On top of all that, Monica does a lot of administrative work for our department, including ordering and staying on top of our budget and EOMs.

There have been countless times this year that Monica has had to log on and assist our employees with travel requests after hours and on weekends, and she does so with a smile.  She helps get them rebooked and sometimes has to book them accommodations if they cannot get home that night.  Monica has also put a lot of work into staffing and coordinating our seasonal operations in ACK, HYA, MVY and now SUN, ensuring that we find enough TDY to cover the lines, and occasionally have to replace folks during the season due to circumstances.  She asked if she could travel with us to these locations this summer to get a better idea of how things were working.  Anytime we are in need of anything from a facilities perspective, Monica is on top of it.  Being new to running a facility, we often have things come up.  This year, she helped coordinate and getting supplies for a Wellness Room that our students can use for breastfeeding, prayer or meditation.

Nomination #2: Monica McCraw has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to Piedmont Airlines, going far beyond the expectations of her role. Her contributions have had a lasting impact on operational excellence, team engagement, and organizational success.  Leadership in Annual Ground Handling Managers Meeting: Year after year, Monica has been the driving force behind the planning and flawless execution of Piedmont’s Ground Handling Managers Meeting. This event is critical for aligning leadership, sharing best practices, and reinforcing safety and service standards. Monica’s attention to detail, proactive coordination, and ability to manage complex logistics ensure that every meeting is impactful and professionally delivered.

Monica plays a pivotal role in recruiting and deploying team members for temporary duty assignments (TDY) to stations in need of support. Her ability to quickly identify resources, communicate effectively, and manage schedules minimizes operational disruptions and strengthens station performance. This work requires agility, diplomacy, and deep organizational knowledge—qualities Monica demonstrates consistently.

Each year, Monica assists in the coordination of operational “islands,” ensuring these critical hubs are prepared to support peak activity. Her role includes supporting vendor engagement, equipment readiness, and timeline management under tight deadlines. In addition, she contributes to identifying and aligning the right talent for TDY projects, helping recruit individuals who can make a long-term commitment. This combined focus on operational readiness and workforce alignment demonstrates her ability to anticipate challenges, foster collaboration, and deliver solutions that drive sustained success. Monica has been instrumental in strengthening operational reliability by proactively coordinating Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments to minimize disruptions and maintain continuity across critical functions. Her ability to anticipate challenges and align resources ensures that processes run smoothly even during periods of transition. Through this coordination, Monica has fostered a culture of collaboration and accountability, enabling teams to deliver consistent, high-quality performance.

Monica exhibited exceptional leadership and collaboration during two critical initiatives—TDY recruitment across all Piedmont cities and Island TDY coordination—ensuring operational reliability and upholding Piedmont’s core values of Caring, Compliance, Communication, and Community. By proactively addressing staffing gaps, managing schedules and travel, and maintaining regulatory compliance, Monica prevented delays and cancellations, safeguarded customer experience, and boosted team morale. Additionally, through effective housing, transportation, and support arrangements for extended island assignments, she fostered team cohesion and ensured uninterrupted service, preserving reliability while enhancing both employee and customer experiences.