New Directors Bring Extensive Aviation, EAA And Business Backgrounds

Three directors have been added to the Experimental Aircraft Association board, which governs the 176,000-member aviation organization. The three new directors ... Jack Pelton, Stuart Auerbach and Darren Pleasance ... bring extensive aviation and business background to the board, in addition to longtime EAA involvement and thousands of hours of flight time.

Pelton (pictured) is the retired President/CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company and has more than three decades of aviation experience. He also served as chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and on the board of the National Business Aviation Association. He holds Airline Transport Pilot and Commercial Pilot certificates, and also flies vintage aircraft.

Auerbach, who has been an aviator for more than 30 years, previously served on the EAA Foundation board and the EAA President’s Council. He is a Certificated Flight Instructor and holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, as well as ratings in single- and multi-engine land and seaplanes, turbojets and rotorcraft. Auerbach is a general partner at Ampersand Capital Partners based in Boston, Mass.

Pleasance, who has more than 6,000 hours of flight time, owns several Experimental category and other light aircraft. He has been a flight instructor, charter pilot, corporate pilot and Alaska bush pilot. Pleasance also is a board member for the International Aerobatic Club and served as president of the Northern California Aerobatic Club. He is a partner for McKinsey & Company in Palo Alto, CA.

“We are very pleased to have Jack, Stuart and Darren join the EAA board,” said EAA President/CEO Rod Hightower. “Along with their impressive business experience, they are all first and foremost passionate aviators and EAA members. Their expertise will be very valuable as EAA aims to grow participation in aviation and inspire the next generation of aviators.”

Pelton, Auerbach and Pleasance will each serve one-year terms as Class III EAA Directors, which by organization bylaws are elected by the EAA board. The majority of the EAA board members are elected by the organization’s membership during the organization’s annual meeting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

FMI: www.eaa.org