Governor-In Waiting Promises Solid Support, Urges Tenacity To Sustain Kansas Aerospace Leadership In Address To Wichita Aero Club

Tenacity was  the theme of Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer's address to the Wichita Aero Club on Tuesday, November 7 at Crestview Country Club. Dr. Colyer, a Hays native, is a surgeon, an aviator, and – pending the US Senate's approval of Gov. Brownback's new role as Ambassador for Religious Freedom – the next governor of Kansas.

Dr. Colyer spoke to a crowd of over a hundred about Kansas aviation's past, present and future. He recounted the beginnings of the industry, citing the early days of the TravelAir Company, the current business climate, and sharing part of his vision for how Kansas would remain competitive in an ever-evolving market. "We can compete - and we will compete," he said.    
 
And he believes Kansas will remain competitive in no small part due to the tenacity of Kansas aviators. He championed the pioneering spirit of such industry luminaries as Walter Beech, Lloyd Stearman, and Clyde Cessna, noting their legacy continues in the hearts and minds of the gathered Aero Club members. This enterprising spirit will be vital to compete against the global aviation market – with sources as near as Oklahoma and as far away as China, more and more companies are building airplanes and providing the support infrastructure to do so. "The real strength of Kansans is tenacity. Tenacity is the common denominator of success and I think everybody in this room knows that measure," he emphasized.

The Lieutenant Governor acknowledged that in order for the aviation industry to grow into the next decade, the government needs to play ball. Dr. Colyer insisted that he and his fellow administrators will work with the industry to overcome challenges and increase productivity. Much of what he posited was focused on education - increasing focus on industrial arts programs and working to raise the competencies and skill levels of Kansans in order to provide a higher quality workforce to employers. To this end, Dr. Colyer shared that the first steps  the state government is already taking  to increase funding for industrial arts and STEM-related programs in K-12 education, going so far as to say many such programs could be entirely state-funded.

The increase in skilled labor would provide a more competitive foothold for additional aviation companies in Kansas, but it isn't the only concept the Lt. Governor put forward. The government is working on securing better rates for both insurance plans and tax breaks for Kansas companies, as well as encouraging an increase in capital expenditures to allow the industry to “grow and thrive.”

With a combined focus on collaborating with the aviation industry, working to provide a more skilled local labor force, and more nurturing business conditions for Kansas companies, the lieutenant governor painted a positive picture for the Aero Club attendees.  He also expressed his confidence in the aviation leaders who made up his audience…and gave them a charge to be a force for the development of the industry over the next decade: “ Those of you in this room are absolutely essential to take us where we're going over the next ten years,” he concluded.  He promised that, under his leadership, the state would pursue initiatives and opportunities with  tenacity.

Colyer has declared his candidacy for governor in the 2018 race where, assuming Brownback’s ambassador’s confirmation by the U.S. is finally affirmed, he will be running as an incumbent.

(Image provided with Wichita Aero Club news release)

FMI: www.wichitaaeroclub.org