Stephen Nelson Director

snelson@wicks-group.com
202-457-7790 (office)

Stephen Nelson is a Director for The Wicks Group Consulting and specializes in assisting foreign civil aviation authorities (CAAs) with preparation for US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program audits and UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP) assessments.

As TWG's Director of Consulting, Mr. Nelson manages the firm's on-site technical assistance projects worldwide, and has worked extensively with the CAAs of India, Panama, Azerbaijan, Angola, Bahrain and Trinidad and Tobago on multiple successful Category 1 initiatives. He has also worked extensively with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau on its regulatory harmonization efforts toward signing a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement - Maintenance Implementation Procedures (BASA-MIP) with the FAA.

Along with leading the firm's consulting projects on behalf of foreign CAAs and air carriers, Mr. Nelson also supports the firm's legal team with a diverse portfolio of aviation clients, including hazardous materials packagers, shippers, and industry trade associations.

Mr. Nelson joined The Wicks Group Consulting after completing his undergraduate studies in Political Communication at The George Washington University and gaining several years of experience that encompassed strategic communication and government affairs, as well as leadership of a 200-person humanitarian mission team based in Central America.

Representative Experience

• Directing TWG's first remote baseline assessments for both the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Directing a baseline assessment for the Republic of Angola
• Assisting the Government of India in preparing for a 2017 ICAO USOAP audit, 2018 FAA IASA audit and subsequent diplomatic consultations, resulting in India retaining its FAA Category 1 status
• Assisting the Government of the Republic of Panama in preparing for a 2017 ICAO ICVM audit, 2018 FAA IASA audit and subsequent diplomatic consultations, resulting in Panama retaining its FAA Category 1 status
• Assisting the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan in preparing for a 2017 FAA IASA audit and subsequent diplomatic consultations, resulting in Azerbaijan retaining its FAA Category 1 status
• Directing crisis communications for a foreign air carrier targeted by fake news
• Implementing business development initiatives in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia
• Drafting changes to national aviation regulations, guidance material and technical manuals, as well as assessing internal policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and coordinating approval and publication of regulatory changes
• Providing analytic, documentation, and Spanish-English/English-Spanish oral and written translation for aviation safety oversight improvement projects for the civil aviation authorities of Panama and Guatemala
• Conducting research for an ICAO Global African Disapora Summit presentation on promoting air links between West Africa and the diaspora
• Preparing TWG website news alerts and press releases
• Preparing and presenting comprehensive quarterly reports to Fortune 100 and 500 companies on the effectiveness of their media campaigns
• Analyzing the net impact of more than 35,000 new stories for a nationwide insurance company, a residential solar power company, and the world's largest animal health company
• Developing strategic communications for a campaign to promote the Royal Thai Government's efforts to curb human trafficking and improve relations with the US
• Leading a Spanish-speaking staff of 200 volunteer missionaries in performing humanitarian work throughout northern Guatemala
• Establishing and managing a 240-person-staff campus security force providing 24-7 coverage at a Washington, DC campus