Executive Staff

Sarah MacLeod

Sarah MacLeod was instrumental in the formation of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association. She is a managing member of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C., and is engaged in the legal representation of foreign and domestic air carriers, aircraft maintenance and alteration facilities, distributors, pilots and other individuals and companies in federal court and before federal administrative bodies.

She is Assistant Chair for Air Carrier and General Aviation Maintenance of the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), a post she has held since 1996. She chaired the ARAC in 1995-1996 and was its Vice-Chair in 1994-1995. She was a member of the FAA's Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Task Force, which developed the plan on which the FAA SUP program is based; and she edited the Parts Manufacturer Approval Manual.

Ms. MacLeod and Marshall Filler have trained thousands of aviation professionals since 1996. Their FAA-accepted seminars focus on Federal Aviation Regulations that pertain to design, production and maintenance. Major aerospace companies, national authorities and associations sponsor these training programs.

A sought-after speaker, Ms. MacLeod has appeared at the Airline Suppliers Association Conference, Air Transport Association Engineering & Maintenance Forum, Coordinating Agency for Supplier Evaluation Air Carrier Section, Gorham Gas Turbine Engine Overhaul & Repair Conference, International Maintenance Symposium and Quality Control in Civil Aviation Conference.

Her professional affiliations include the Virginia Bar Association, the National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association and the Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy.

Ms. MacLeod obtained her law degree from the Catholic University of America in 1991. She holds a BA in Human Services from Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, where she was a District Court investigator for Clark County Public Defenders.

Marshall S. Filler

Marshall Filler serves as ARSA's chief legal officer and provides advice and counsel in the administration of the Association.

He represents aviation industry clients in matters pending before Federal agencies, the Congress and the courts, and performs extensive consulting work for clients in the safety regulatory area, advising air carriers, repair stations, manufacturers, distributors, fixed base operators, individual airmen and other business entities on issues pertaining to certification, maintenance, flight operations, hazardous materials, airport compliance and construction of tall buildings in the vicinity of airports.

Mr. Filler received his law degree from the American University Washington College of Law in 1973 and is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland (inactive), Virginia, the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He is also a member of the NTSB Bar Association.

For more information about Marshall Filler, visit his page at Potomac-Law.com.

Christian A. Klein

Christian A. Klein is the executive vice president of ARSA and a managing member in the law firm of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C., which runs the Association. He oversees ARSA’s communications and industry outreach activities, and represents the interests of members on Capitol Hill as the ARSA's primary lobbyist.

Mr. Klein meets regularly with members of Congress and congressional staff to promote policy positions that will create a more favorable business climate for ARSA members. He also works to keep members informed about developments on Capitol Hill and ways to influence the outcome of the legislative process.

Mr. Klein has more than a decade of experience in politics and political communications, having worked for a member of Congress, for a congressional committee, and for various Washington lobbying firms. While a law student, he founded PAC 20/20, a non-connected political action committee, to influence the national Social Security reform debate.

Mr. Klein is admitted, inter alia, to the Bars of the Commonwealth of Virginia, District of Columbia, State of North Carolina (inactive), United States Courts of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Fourth, and D.C. Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. He graduated with honors from the College of William and Mary in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, received his law degree and a master’s degree in congressional politics from the Catholic University of America in 1995, and earned a postgraduate certificate in public relations from the University of Virginia in 2005. He currently serves on the adjunct faculty of the University of Virginia, where he teaches courses in political PR, and PR law and ethics.

For more information about Christian Klein, visit his page at Potomac-Law.com.

Paul Hawthorne

An aviation industry veteran of 27 years, Paul Hawthorne joined the Association's staff in November 2004. An ARSA member since 1996, he was most recently Vice President, Quality Assurance at Messier Services, the international maintenance, repair and overhaul services provider.

His experience includes senior level quality control and quality assurance positions at parts suppliers AirLiance Materials and Aviation Sales Distribution Company. Previously with Federal Express Corporation, his positions included Manager, Aircraft Records, Manager, Aircraft Maintenance Production Planning, Project Engineer and Senior Maintenance Planner.

Paul was Senior Program Planner for long-range maintenance at Eastern Air Lines where he maintained the company's maintenance inspection program manual. At Sikorsky Aircraft, he was responsible for performing logistic support analysis for helicopter maintenance.

He is a member of the FAA Suspected Unapproved Parts Steering Committee. In the past he has worked on the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Maintenance Records Working Group, the ASQ CQCA Conference Committee, and was Chairman for the MD-11 MSG-3 Structures Working Group.

Paul began his career as a mechanic with Rocky Mountain Helicopters. He is a 1978 graduate of Southern Illinois University with degrees in aircraft systems and aviation technology, and holds airframe and powerplant mechanic and private pilot certificates.

Virginia K. Scattergood

Virginia Scattergood's focus is on U.S. domestic regulations that affect the aviation industry. She graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor of arts in Political Science, and CLEG (Communications, Law, Economics and Government). She graduated from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in May of 2005, and is admitted to the Virginia State Bar.

Prior to starting law school, Virginia was Production Manager and Executive Assistant at Grunwald Communications, which handles political and campaign advertisements. During law school, she worked full time as an Executive Assistant and Legislative Associate at Ryan, Phillips, Utrecht & MacKinnon. There she was involved with legislative issues including telecommunications, transportation, and aviation.

Colin Carroll

Colin Carroll received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, and his Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Vermont in 2004 and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. In addition, Colin received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 2001.

During law school, Colin was a senior editor on the Vermont Law Review and the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. Prior to joining OFM&K, Colin worked as a legal editor for CCH, Wolters Kluwer where he wrote and published monthly newsletters and legal manuals on state tax and employment law issues.

Mary Ann Schaffer

Mary Ann Schaffer provides ARSA an operational perspective of the industry as well as experience in training and safety.

Ms. Schaffer has over two decades of experience as a commercial pilot, and 19 years as a pilot for a legacy carrier. Currently flying as Captain on Airbus 319s and 320s, she holds type ratings on A319/320, B727, B757/767, and B777. Gaining her flying experience through general aviation, Ms. Schaffer flew a wide variety of aircraft, trained pilots for private certificates, instrument, and multi-engine ratings, and has a sea plane rating.

In 2007, Ms. Schaffer graduated from American University’s Washington College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, and is a member of the Virginia State Bar and Virginia Supreme Court. While in law school, she was a senior staff member of the Administrative Law Review.

In addition to her flying experience and legal education, Ms. Schaffer holds a Masters Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Aviation Safety, a certificate of safety from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She has worked in airline management with responsibility for safety programs and pilot training.