Alaska Air Group Names New Vice Presidents

SEATTLE, June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Alaska Air Group board of directors today announced the election of two vice presidents and leadership role changes in the company's inflight and planning areas as part of a company-wide realignment instituted in late-April.

Kelley Dobbs, former staff vice president of human resources for Alaska Airlines, was elected by the board of directors as vice president of human resources - strategy and culture. Jeff Butler, former staff vice president of station operations for Alaska Airlines, was elected vice president of customer service - airports. And Joe Sprague leaves the Public and Government Affairs Division to become Alaska Airlines' staff vice president of inflight services.

Dobbs, who has served in a variety of front-line and management roles during her 20 years at Alaska Airlines, became staff vice president of employee services in 2004. Butler joined Alaska's Corporate Communications Department in 1984 before moving to Reservations, Inflight and, most recently, the Customer Service - Airports Division. Sprague joined the airline in 2000 in the Anchorage regional sales office and later opened Alaska's government affairs office in Washington, D.C., before serving as staff vice president of public and government affairs in Seattle.

Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, also announced several leadership role changes to enhance strategic planning and further integrate fleet, market and schedule planning across the two airlines. As part of these changes, Don Garvett becomes vice president of strategy and corporate development for Alaska Air Group, with responsibility for strategic planning activities and alliances. Previously vice president of planning and revenue management at Alaska, Garvett joined the airline in 2002. He has worked in the aviation industry for 35 years as an officer at four airlines, overseeing marketing, planning, finance, customer service and other areas. He also served as a consultant to some 60 airlines and dozens of other aviation clients.

Working in concert with Garvett will be Pat Zachwieja, Horizon's vice president of marketing and planning, who expands his planning responsibilities to become Alaska Air Group's managing director of planning, and John MacLeod, who transitions from his current role at Alaska to become managing director of revenue management for Alaska Air Group.

Zachwieja joined Horizon in 1982, six months after the carrier began operations, and has overseen numerous key developments, including the Seattle-Portland Shuttle and the airline's recent move to a simplified fleet of Bombardier Q400 and CRJ-700 aircraft. MacLeod came to Alaska in 2002 from Air New Zealand Group, where he was vice president of network management, and has also served in a variety of commercial positions at Canadian Airlines.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together serve 92 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit http://www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at http://www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.