Happy Holidays from your UAA President

 
I hope that you and your families have a wonderful end-of-the-year holiday season. It is bittersweet as I end my term as President of the University Aviation Association. However, I will continue to support the Board in my role as past president, and I will mentor and assist the new President, Dr. Ryan Leick, through the next two years. Overall, serving as president over the past two years and serving on the board for over six years has been an unforgettable, serendipitous, and rewarding experience. 

Together, we have made strides in growing the organization, increasing engagement and participation, and promoting aviation to new generations of aviation professionals. We have brought in new members and new institutions and have grown our high-school membership and engagement. We were classified as a medium-sized nonprofit organization as recognized by the IRS, surpassing $500,000 in revenue. Our educational conferences continue to grow, and next year, we will be offering a faculty track as part of our Washington D.C. seminar. Thanks to several supporters, we increased our scholarship funds, giving us additional opportunities to support future generations. We continue to grow our reserve funds, collectively increasing our financial strength to weather economic downturns.

In closing, I want to express my gratitude to our board members, committee chairs, Memphis-based staff, volunteers, and active members. A special shoutout to Dawn Vinson, who has supported me and has been a phenomenal mentor throughout my time on the Board. With your leadership, we will continue to grow as an organization, providing invaluable opportunities and resources for our membership and the industry. I will reiterate my call for all our members to engage at a higher level, get involved with committees, help us promote the importance of collegiate aviation within the industry, and run for board or chair positions within UAA. Finally, I ask that you support our new and returning Board of Trustee members and Dr. Ryan Leick as he leads the organization in the next two years.

I look forward to working with you over the next several years and supporting your needs.

Chaminda Prelis, Ph.D.
President, University Aviation Association