Timothy Murray was always fascinated by aviation. He joined the navy after the Sept. 11 attacks and became an avionics technician. And he's been in love with this career ever since.
After serving in the military he attended the Aviation Institute of Maintenance and received a bachelor's in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has worked in a corporate setting and worked on Cessnas, Beechjets, Falcons, and other midsized aircraft.
His mentor is Nancy Jones, formerly an instructor and now a colleague. She taught him that the most important tool he'll ever have is his mind.
He has been awarded Instructor of the Quarter and Instructor of the Year at Aviation Institute of Maintenance.
Nominated by Brad Groom, assistant campus director, Aviation Institute of Maintenance: "This past year, Mr. Murray took the first steps for entry into the Coast Guard Reserve Officer Training Program to once more serve his country. As a key contributor in many company events, he is a person who goes the extra mile and is a “big-picture” thinker. For example, this past year our company held its annual Admission Department Conference (called ACT 2017). During this conference of over 100 company representatives, he volunteered to be a guest speaker to help the admissions department understand the in’s and out’s of being an A&P and the daily operation of our school. Afterwards many admissions representatives made comments such as “You helped me understand and I can better inform prospective students now.” Mr. Murray rose to the occasion and made a difference in the way admissions personnel perform their daily tasks. At our annual education conference this year, Mr. Murray was selected as “Teacher of the Year” from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Chesapeake, VA. He is an incredibly proactive instructor. Picture yourself sitting in a classroom trying to learn the complexities of how a propeller governor operates in conjunction with all the other technicalities of the propeller. Now the instructor asks the students to learn some lyrics to the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. This out-of-the box thinking has benefited and motivated many of his students. His commitment to his students is extraordinary."
As for his role in giving back to the industry he says, "I currently train future generations of mechanics and help people pursue their dream of working in aviation maintenance. It is a very rewarding career."
Murray would like to continue teaching and would also like to learn more about the methods used to both teach and implement aviation maintenance and safety. Perhaps he will go into business for himself one day.
