Senior Consultant
Jim May founded The May Group in 2011 after retiring as the Chief Executive Officer of the Air Transport Association, representing the nation’s leading airlines on a myriad of issues both domestically and internationally. He led the industry through the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks and painful industry consolidation; served as the principal liaison with Congress, the White House and the many agencies with authority over airline operations such as the Departments of Transportation, Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and even the State Department. Prior to joining ATA, Mr. May spent 15 years as Executive Vice President of the National Association of Broadcasters representing the interests of Radio and Television before Congress and the Administration. During his tenure at NAB he was credited with leading the efforts to pass four major pieces of legislation – a rare accomplishment.
In the spirit of a true bipartisan, he worked for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and earlier served as Vice President of Public Affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, managing the myriad of issues in bringing food from farm to table.
Among his many awards, Jim received the Silver Anvil, the public relations profession’s most prestigious honor; and was named seven times by The Hill newspaper as “Top Lobbyist”. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and completed two tours in Vietnam as a platoon and later Company commander.