Three Outstanding Students Receive Financial Aid

Airports Council International - North America's (ACI-NA) Commissioners Committee accepted the Scholarship Review Committee's recommendation to award scholarships of $2,500 each to three aviation students, at the ACI-NA Commissioners Committee meeting in Austin, Texas over the weekend. Recipients include Brett Fay, a student at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Gregory Myers from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Robert Hanks, from California State University in Los Angeles, California.

"The Commissioners Committee is proud to honor these students for their academic excellence and leadership," said David G. Jennings, Chair of ACI-NA's Commissioners Committee and Chairman of the Charleston County Aviation Authority. "These dedicated students represent the future of the aviation industry, and the Committee is confident that they will provide a positive influence throughout their careers."

The Commissioners' Committee Scholarship is designed to encourage and promote excellence in the educational areas necessary for effective airport management or operation. The ACI-NA Commissioners' Committee has awarded more than 30 scholarships totaling more than $100,000 to students within the past 16 years.

ACI-NA Commissioners established the Scholarship Fund in October 1993 to recognize students with high academic achievement who are working toward a career in airport management or airport operations. The scholarship program recognizes the importance of the highly specialized education necessary for an individual to receive to fill the extremely complex and multi-disciplined role of being a professional airport administrator or airport operator.

To effectively run today's modern aviation facilities an airport manager or airport operator must have high levels of management, operational and accounting skills coupled with some aviation experience.

Brett Fay attends Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he majors in Aerospace Administration. He has earned a grade point average (GPA) of 3.9 for his academic work in aerospace administration. Fay plans to pursue an occupation in executive management, and is currently working part time for a small airport consulting firm where he coauthored an Airport Cooperative Research Project for the Transportation Research Board on self-fueling operations and federally obligated airports. 

Gregory Myers attends Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management with a minor in Aviation Operations. Within the last two years, Myers has received is private pilot's license and is close to completing his instrument rating. Myers would like to work in airport operations.

Robert Hanks is working on a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology at California State University in Los Angeles, California, and has a cumulative GPA of 3.8.  Hanks served as Lander County, Nevada county administrator, and was appointed to the local County Airport Authority. He currently works for the City of Los Angeles and would like to pursue a career in airport management.

FMI: www.acina.org