Airlines for America (A4A), the trade association representing the leading U.S. airlines, today announced three additions to its Global Government Affairs team: Mark Copeland, Chance Costello and Jessica Monahan. Collectively, they bring deep bipartisan experience across the House, Senate and private sector and will further strengthen A4A’s advocacy on behalf of the U.S. airline industry, both passengers and shippers. All three will report to Josh Saltzman, who has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs after 14 years at the association and 12 years on Capitol Hill.

Mark Copeland joins A4A as Vice President, Global Government Affairs. Copeland brings nearly two decades of experience in federal and state government affairs. He comes to A4A from O’Keefe Shahmoradi Strategies, LLC, where he navigated complex transportation policy challenges. Before joining OS Strategies, Mark served as Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and focused on transportation, infrastructure, telecommunications and agriculture policy, including the senator’s work on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He helped spearhead the senator’s legislative victories in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, the 2020 and 2018 Water Resources Development Act bills, the PIPES Act of 2020 and the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. Before his Senate service, Copeland spent more than a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives as legislative director for Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and then Congressman Tim Bishop. He also held a senior role at the Illinois Department of Transportation. Copeland is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign.

Chance Costello joins A4A as Vice President, Global Government Affairs. Costello most recently served as a policy advisor in the Office of the Senate Majority Leader John Thune, working on transportation, energy, natural resources and environmental policy and collaborated closely with Senate committees, the House and the administration on major legislative efforts, including the 2025 reconciliation package. He previously served as senior legislative assistant to Senator Thune, focusing on transportation, infrastructure, supply chain and emerging technology policy, and he played a key role in advancing measures related to artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems. Costello began his career on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and holds an M.S. in energy policy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in geological engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Jessica Monahan has been named Vice President, Global Government Affairs. Monahan joins A4A from Cozen O’Connor, where she advised clients on transportation and infrastructure issues and developed strong working relationships with lawmakers and committee staff. She brings extensive experience navigating the legislative process, shaping policy strategies and supporting coalition‑building efforts on behalf of transportation‑focused organizations. Prior to her time at Cozen O’Connor, Monahan served as associate legislative director for transportation policy at the National Association of Counties (NACo), where she led the organization’s work on major surface transportation and aviation legislation, including the FAST Act and FAA reauthorizations. Monahan began her career on Capitol Hill and has since partnered with airports, aviation companies, transit agencies, intermodal providers, local governments and nonprofit organizations to advance their priorities through both the appropriations and authorization processes. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

“Mark, Chance and Jessica and each bring a strong command of transportation policy and a deep understanding of the congressional landscape,” said A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu. “Their bipartisan experience and policy expertise will be invaluable as we continue advocating for a safe, modern and competitive U.S. airline industry.”

“These three leaders will significantly strengthen our government affairs team,” added Josh Saltzman, A4A Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs. “Their collective experience across the House, Senate and private sector will help ensure that the perspectives of both passenger and cargo carriers are well represented during a period of record air travel and growing demand for air cargo.”