Will handle all aspects of activities for the university, from contracting to community relations

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has appointed Joni Hunt as director of university air show events. Hunt will oversee the contracting of civilian and military performers, as well as marketing, advertising, and community relations. Her responsibilities include theme and sponsorship development, entertainment, logistics, security, related events, revenues, and operating expenses.

Hunt's first show will be the Florida SkyFest October 29-30, 2005, at Daytona Beach International Airport, adjacent to the university's Florida campus. The show will feature the best civilian and military air show performers in the world, along with a full array of aircraft on display. She also will handle Embry-Riddle's involvement with other air shows, such as in Prescott (AZ), location of the university's western campus.

Before joining Embry-Riddle, Hunt was executive director of the International Council of Air Shows Foundation and served as director of public relations for Airshow of the Stars. She also has worked as a flight dispatcher and flight control supervisor at Piedmont Airlines and as a customer service manager at the Lightship Group, an advertising agency specializing in airships.

Hunt graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Aviation Business Administration and a Master of Aeronautical Science degree, specializing in human factors in aviation and aerospace systems. She also holds certificates from the FAA in aircraft dispatching, high-altitude physiological training, and traffic management.

Joni Hunt is the daughter of Jack Hunt, who led Embry-Riddle's accreditation as a university in 1970 and served as its first president. "I am proud to be a part of Embry-Riddle and to be back home working with such talented and dedicated professionals," she said.

FMI: www.erau.edu