New directors bring extensive aviation, EAA and business backgrounds-From EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH WI - Three directors have been added to the Experimental Aircraft Association board, which governs the 176,000-member aviation organization.
The three new directors - Jack Pelton, Stuart Auerbach and Darren
Pleasance - bring extensive aviation and business background to the board, in
addition to longtime EAA involvement and thousands of hours of flight time.
Pelton is the retired President/CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company and has
more than three decades of aviation experience. He also served as chairman of
the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and on the board of the National
Business Aviation Association. He holds Airline Transport Pilot and Commercial
Pilot certificates, and also flies vintage aircraft.
Auerbach, who has been an aviator for more than 30 years, previously served on the EAA Foundation board and the EAA President's Council. He is a Certificated Flight Instructor and holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, as well as ratings in single- and multi-engine land and seaplanes, turbojets and rotorcraft. Auerbach is a general partner at Ampersand Capital Partners based in Boston, Mass.
Pleasance, who has more than 6,000 hours of flight time, owns several Experimental category and other light aircraft. He has been a flight instructor, charter pilot, corporate pilot and Alaska bush pilot. Pleasance also is a board member for the International Aerobatic Club and served as president of the Northern California Aerobatic Club. He is a partner for McKinsey & Company in Palo Alto, Calif.
"We are very pleased to have Jack, Stuart and Darren join the EAA
board," said EAA President/CEO Rod Hightower. "Along with their impressive
business experience, they are all first and foremost passionate aviators and
EAA members. Their expertise will be very valuable as EAA aims to grow
participation in aviation and inspire the next generation of aviators."
Pelton, Auerbach and Pleasance will each serve one-year terms as Class III EAA Directors, which by organization bylaws are elected by the EAA board. The majority of the EAA board members are elected by the organization's membership during the organization's annual meeting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
About EAA- EAA's mission is to grow participation in aviation. It embodies the spirit of aviation through the world's most engaged community of aviators. EAA's 176,000 members and 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org.