Veteran Aviation Association Leader Will Strengthen Voice for Business Aviation

Wow -- Talk about breaking news... The Board of Directors of the NBAA has just announced the selection of experienced aviation association executive Edward M. Bolen as president and CEO of NBAA, an organization representing more than 7,600 companies that operate general aviation aircraft as an aid to their businesses or are involved with business aviation.
 
Bolen brings to NBAA a wealth of policy experience and record of effectiveness in working with high-ranking Federal agency officials on matters related to the aviation industry. Most recently, Bolen served as president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), a Washington-based organization representing more than 50 of the world's leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes, engines, avionics and related equipment. As GAMA president, Bolen worked closely with Capitol Hill staff on a wide range of aviation issues, and testified regularly at Congressional hearings.
 
"Ed has long been recognized as an authority on issues important to the aviation community," said NBAA Board Chairman, Interim President and CEO Donald E. Baldwin. "Now, Ed's grasp of policy and his dynamic, widely respected leadership style will enable us to better serve the interests of our Members, and give NBAA an even more powerful voice on the important issues affecting our constituency."
 
"Ed is held in high regard by leaders across the political spectrum for the many valuable contributions he has made to the aviation industry," said Board Vice Chairman and Search Committee Director Kenneth E. Emerick. "His selection from more than 50 outstanding candidates underscores the Board's belief that he is the right person to build on NBAA's proud history, and lead it into the future."
 
"In recent years, our industry has faced many unique and unexpected challenges," continued Baldwin. "It is all the more important that NBAA build upon its long-standing role as the primary force for advancing the cause of business aviation worldwide, and we are confident that Ed, who has a very deep understanding of business aviation and its issues, is the right person to lead NBAA in realizing this vision."

Bolen officially will begin his term on September 7, 2004. He will succeed Baldwin, who has served as interim president and CEO since April.
 
Bolen joined GAMA in 1995 as senior vice president and general counsel. He was named president and CEO of the organization in 1996. While at GAMA, Bolen enjoyed a strong working relationship with top officials at the Department of Transportation, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other government agencies.
 
Shortly after President George W. Bush began his term in office, he appointed Bolen to a 12-member Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. Bolen has utilized his position on the Commission to advocate for increased capacity in the national air-transportation system, and to draw attention to emerging international issues, including the Europeans' intention to implement the Galileo satellite system, and the possible impact of that decision upon commercial airlines and business aviation.
 
In 2000, Bolen was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Management Advisory Council (MAC) to the FAA. Bolen was subsequently named chairman of the MAC, which provides advice and counsel to the FAA Administrator on issues affecting the agency and functions as an oversight resource for management, policy, spending and regulatory matters under the jurisdiction of the FAA.
 
Additionally, Bolen serves as an advisor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Bolen also holds memberships on the Aviation Advisory Board of the MITRE Corporation, the Policy Board of RTCA, Inc., and the Board of Directors at the National Aeronautic Association.
 
Prior to joining GAMA, Bolen was majority counsel to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. He also served as legislative director for U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and was a key figure in crafting the General Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1994.
 
Bolen received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Kansas. He is a graduate of the Tulane University School of Law and holds a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Bolen, a recreational pilot, lives with his wife Elizabeth and their two sons, John and Robert, in Bethesda, MD.

AOPA's Phil Boyer Comments

"I have worked with and alongside Ed Bolen for most of my tenure as AOPA's President; first on Capitol Hill and then as peers in the association world. Ed's Hill staff experience and his background representing the general aviation manufacturers have produced an outstanding and very capable advocate for aviation. He has built an excellent reputation, and I respect him tremendously. It will be a pleasure to work even closer with him in his new assignment."

FMI: www.nbaa.org