NBAA Announces Recipients of 2015 Leadership Conference Scholarships

Feb. 10, 2015
Each scholarship, valued at $2,000, is intended to cover expenses associated with attending NBAA’s 2015 Leadership Conference, which takes place from Feb. 24 to 26 in Tucson, AZ.

Washington, DC, Feb. 10, 2015 –  The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today announced that its Corporate Aviation Management Committee (CAMC) has selected five individuals as recipients of the 2015 Leadership Conference Scholarship.

Each scholarship, valued at $2,000, is intended to cover expenses associated with attending NBAA’s 2015 Leadership Conference, which takes place from Feb. 24 to 26 in Tucson, AZ. The Leadership Conference is designed for current and future leaders from every sector of the business aviation industry – from aircraft operators to vendors that provide products and services within the industry.

The Leadership Conference Scholarship, now in its 11th year, is sponsored this year by United Technologies, donations from the CAMC members and an anonymous donation. Representatives will be on hand at the 2015 NBAA Leadership Conference to recognize this year’s recipients.

This year’s scholarship winners are:

  • Freeman Blakney: Blakney is a Birmingham Flight Center contract pilot and flight instructor in Birmingham, AL. He sees this conference as an opportunity to help him prepare for a leadership role in business aviation.
  • Russell Canter: Canter is a full-time student at Kansas State University, and has worked as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic at Fort Riley, KS. He served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, including two years in Iraq.
  • Jared Hicks: Hicks is a pilot for Dialysis Clinical Inc. based in Nashville, TN. He holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University and is a member of the Lakota tribe in South Dakota.
  • Lee Pelkey: Pelkey is assistant chief flight instructor at the Birmingham Flight Center in Birmingham, AL. He holds a bachelor's degree in aviation management from the University of Oklahoma, and his goal is to be a business aviation chief pilot.
  • Scott Reeves: Reeves holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University and is a pilot at QuikTrip Corp. He aims to develop his skills in management and leadership with what he learns at the 2015 NBAA Leadership Conference.

For more information about NBAA's Corporate Aviation Management Committee, contact NBAA’s Director of Professional Development Jay Evans at [email protected]. Visit the Leadership Conference web page at www.nbaa.org/leadership.

NBAA offers numerous scholarships to promote professional development and business aviation careers. For more information about NBAA scholarships, or to download application forms, visit www.nbaa.org/scholarships.