AAR Chair, CEO David P. Storch Named to Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Board

May 8, 2013
Storch advocates nationally for enhanced STEM programs to build a skilled, technical labor force, commissioning the special report "The Mid-Skills Gap in Middle America: Building Today's Workforce in 2011.

WOOD DALE, Illinois, May 8, 2013 — AAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David P. Storch has been appointed to serve on the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum Board. The board is comprised of distinguished supporters of the aerospace community who provide leadership, advice and support to the museum's director.

AAR (NYSE: AIR) is a global aerospace and defense contractor that hires people with advanced and applied STEM capabilities, from helicopter pilots to avionics technicians to aircraft mechanics. Storch advocates nationally for enhanced STEM programs to build a skilled, technical labor force, commissioning the special report “The Mid-Skills Gap in Middle America: Building Today’s Workforce” in 2011.

“I have been fascinated with flight and space exploration since childhood. So it is indeed an honor to be appointed to serve on the National Air and Space Museum Board,” said Storch. “The history and technology captured at the museum makes it a national treasure that fuels imaginations and inspires greatness in children and adults.”

The museum has the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It is a vital center for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics.

In 1996, Storch became only the second CEO in AAR’s corporate history. AAR has been recognized as the top supplier of aircraft parts in the world and applauded by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for its public-private partnerships to align aviation curriculum with industry standards.

The National Air and Space Museum is charged with commemorating the national development of aviation and spaceflight, and with educating and inspiring the nation through the preservation and display of aeronautical and spaceflight equipment and data; the development of educational materials and programs; and through research into the study of aviation and spaceflight and their related technologies.

About AAR

AAR is a global aerospace and defense contractor that employs more than 6,000 people in 17 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial, government and defense customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Technology Products. AAR’s services include inventory management and parts distribution; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; and expeditionary airlift. AAR’s products include cargo systems and containers; mobility systems and shelters; advanced aerostructures; and command and control systems. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. For more on industrywide job opportunities, see AAR's Mid- Skills Gap study<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001F3wSfl1TUic6U0Q5oeb1lD6qylUxq78OKTL34m2D76ZycuU25VdGSTLF46SRQ9EfqJP-gXOczZ36PXHnlEinkvFvf3HZ39QTR-3vH7lJNQJ7noc0D6592A==>.