J. Todd Inman returned to his hometown Thursday morning, sharing emotional stories of tragedy, service, and leadership drawn from his work with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Inman was the featured speaker at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Rooster Booster breakfast.
Inman, a former State Farm agent in Owensboro and now a board member with the NTSB, gave a heartfelt and often somber keynote, weaving together his local roots with his national responsibilities investigating some of the most devastating transportation incidents in recent history.
“There’s something to be said about being around people that you really have loved and cherished for a long period of time,” Inman said. “It’s good to be home.”
The Calvert City native and longtime Owensboro resident took the audience on a journey back to 2002, the year he graduated from Leadership Owensboro — a program he credits with helping launch a path that led to serving in top federal and state government roles, including Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation under Elaine Chao and later as Secretary of Management in Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis.
But much of his speech centered around his current role on the NTSB and the emotional weight of serving as the agency’s public face during crises, such as the deadly January crash between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington, D.C.
“I was on call that day,” he said. “I could see the airport from my home. When the fire trucks started coming across the bridge, I knew something was wrong.”
Inman described racing to the scene, overseeing recovery operations, and briefing grieving families.
“Some of my most humbling moments in the last year have come with the NTSB,” he said. “Unfortunately, what we do typically happens during the worst moments of others’ lives.”
He recalled briefing more than 150 family members of the crash victims in person, on his birthday, in Bethesda, Maryland.
“I didn’t have answers,” he said. “But they wanted to be heard.”
As an NTSB board member, Inman helps lead investigations into aviation, highway, maritime, pipeline, and rail disasters. He emphasized the agency’s independence and its mission to determine the cause of accidents and prevent future tragedies. Since its creation, he said the NTSB has issued more than 15,000 safety recommendations, with about 80% implemented.
“We don’t do it for politics. We don’t do it for headlines,” Inman said. “We do it to save lives.”
He also stressed the importance of public service, noting that opportunities to lead often come unexpectedly — and urged the audience to be ready to answer the call when it comes.
“Leadership isn’t reserved for the few,” he said. “It’s waiting for the willing.”
Inman closed his remarks by addressing the Leadership Owensboro Class of 2025, who were honored at the breakfast. He gave each graduate a challenge coin inscribed with a quote that’s become a personal mantra: “From tragedy, we draw knowledge to improve the safety of all.”
“That journey started just like yours,” Inman said. “Working hard, setting down roots in Owensboro. You never know when that call will come — but be ready when it does.”
By John Kirkpatrick The OwensboroTimes