Tennessee Aeronautics Commission Tabs Orellana as New Aviation Director

The Tennessee Aeronautics Commission has named William B. Orellana as the new Aeronautics Division Director. In his new post, Orellana will oversee the division which has responsibilities of licensing all of Tennessee’s general aviation airports as well as overseeing grants to improve these facilities.

TDOT’s Aeronautics Division also provides aircraft services for state government executives, staffing for the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission, and other educational support programs. Mr. Orellana is a former United States Air Force Colonel with 26 years of service, including the position of Base Commander at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. He most recently served as the Logistics Construction Project Manager at Tractor Supply Company in Brentwood. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, Allegheny College and Air War College.

TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said Orellana’s vast experience with military and support services and his management of aeronautical flight operations will be an incredible asset to TDOT.

Orellana began his role with TDOT on Monday, November 14.

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Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.