All Good Things …

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced on 09 June 2023 that Greg Principato, the organization’s president and CEO, will step down from the positions he so sagely and competently filled since 2016.

NAA board chair Jim Albaugh set forth: “On behalf of the board of directors I want to thank Greg for all he has done for the NAA. Greg not only successfully built a strong foundation for the NAA’s next chapter, he also provided impressive strategic leadership during COVID. We are grateful for the expertise and knowledge he provided over the last seven-years.”

A survivor of over four-decades in Washington D.C. Mr. Principato began his career on Capitol Hill. His introduction to aviation came in 1986 when his mentor, Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles, recognized the young Principato’s executive abilities and assigned him important roles in the legislative effort by which the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established. Governor Baliles also involved Principato in foundational work salient to the opening of the famed Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.

In 1993, a Clinton administration appointment saw Principato named executive director of the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry. Thirty-years later, the Commission’s report Change, Challenge, and Competition is referred to still. The Commission laid the groundwork for the passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act—a 1994 amendment to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 intended to mitigate the dire ramifications of prolonged product liability on general aviation aircraft manufacturers. The act also helped settle debates over the deregulation of airline routes and fares, and the pursuit of open skies international air service agreements.

A passionate advocate of aviation and the aviation industry, Principato came to the NAA from the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), prior to which he served as president and CEO of Airport Council International-North America (ACI-NA)—the trade association for U.S. and Canadian airports. Under Principato’s leadership, the ACI-NA aligned the aims of U.S. and Canadian Airports and better focused the organization’s long-term strategic aims.

Mr, Principato stated: “The NAA has been an essential part of America’s aviation history … Leading NAA was a dream come true for me personally, and a wonderful opportunity to add to NAA’s unique and historic legacy. I will be forever grateful to the board and membership and can’t wait to see what is next for the entire association and the aviation industry.”

Mr. Albaugh added: “Greg leaves a remarkable legacy. He will be remembered at NAA as a person who expanded the reach of the organization and drew in all of the varied elements of aerospace.”

The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. A founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the NAA is the oldest national aviation club in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. In addition to serving as steward of some of the world’s most storied and prestigious aviation awards, the NAA certifies all national aviation records set in the United States.

FMI: www.naa.aero