Mary Lynn Tierney, a proven leader with more than 20 years’ experience in strategic communications, public affairs, and marketing, became FAA’s Assistant Administrator for Communications in January 2008. She was selected for that position by Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell.
Reporting directly to the Administrator, Tierney heads an office responsible for coordinating all news media and internal communications programs and activities for the agency nationwide
Tierney came to FAA from New York City where for the last year she served as President of the World Trade Center Visitor Center, which she helped found and establish after 9/11 to memorialize and honor the victims of that tragedy. On 9/11, Tierney was at Ground Zero as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, a position she held from 1996 to 2002. When the buildings collapsed, she took shelter from the falling rubble, and survived. Many of her fellow fire department colleagues and friends did not.
She left the fire department in 2002 to join the Arnell Group as Director of External Affairs. In that capacity, she started a new external affairs office of this internationally recognized branding and marketing firm whose clients included Master Foods, Daimler-Chrysler, the International Special Olympics and the New York City Police and Fire Departments.
From 1984 to 1996, Tierney worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in public affairs, external relations, media relations, crisis communications, and strategic policy development. She was assigned to cover the Port Authority police, the Port department, and the World Trade and Aviation departments.
Before that, she served for two years (1982-1984) as Director of Public Affairs for the N.Y. Mayor’s Arson Strike Force. Previously, she was involved for three years in Nebraska and Massachusetts in various community action and anti-poverty programs.
A native of Connecticut, Tierney is a 1973 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University, in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a BA in Political Science and Philosophy.