NATA Holds Inaugural Aviation Business and Legislative Conference
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) convened its inaugural Aviation Business & Legislative Conference in Washington, DC in April with more than 100 member companies participating. The conference featured key sessions with Executive and Legislative decision-makers and also included a highly successful congressional reception at the U.S. Capitol Building.
The events kicked off on Monday, April 22 with a luncheon featuring the association's Annual Meeting of Members and Election of Officers. NATA welcomed Clara Bennett of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Greg Schmidt of Pentastar Aviation, and Andy Priester of Priester Aviation to its Board of Directors.
The first day of the Aviation Business & Legislative Conference included information-packed sessions on the following business topics: the opportunities and challenges on the road ahead for business aviation, generational leadership, money-saving Workers' Compensation Insurance advice and disaster preparation. Attendees toasted the industry's best at NATA's annual Industry Excellence Awards dinner and presentation that evening. Top honors went to James P. Miller, Flight Options, LLC/Nextant Aerospace, and Bruce N. Whitman, President and CEO, FlightSafety International with the Distinguished Service Award and the William A. "Bill" Ong Memorial award respectively.
The second-day schedule featured sessions providing information on the latest regulatory and legislative issues from the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration and key senior Capitol Hill staff as well as an update on new healthcare laws. The week's events concluded with NATA's spring committee meetings.
"Our Inaugural Aviation Business & Legislative Conference is another major step in repositioning NATA in Washington," says NATA President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks. "This conference proved to be a great opportunity to confer with our key business leaders and Members of Congress and to recognize a wide range of star performers within our vital industry."