I’ve been a volunteer most of my life. Since 2019 I have served on the Tri-County Airport Authority’s Board of Directors as the Board Secretary, Director of Technology and Emergency Services Director. I work closely the the FAA, Florida Department of Transportation, US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as pilots and aircraft owners across the country.
I am a past volunteer for the Civil Air Patrol (the USAF Auxiliary), serving as a Mission Pilot, Squadron Commander, Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, Air Boss, Logistics Section Chief, Finance Section Chief, Communications Officer, Public Information Officer (during air crashes primarily) and the Standards and Evaluation Officer for aerial photography for the Georgia Wing (we provided all aerial photography for FEMA). I served several of these roles for the Florida Wing as well. My awards for the CAP include for work during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill– what a mess!
I am an Eagle Scout (wow, was that a long time ago) and am a past adult volunteer for the Scouting organization serving as Scoutmaster, District Chairman, Council Vice President (two councils), Wood Badge Course Director (Leadership Training), Council Technology Chairman as well as a brief stint on the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America for aviation-related partnerships. I have served as a Jamboree Scoutmaster and staff member at three National Scout Jamborees (held every four years) and received the Venturing Leadership Award and the Silver Beaver Award by the Northeast Georgia Council.
I am the former Vice-Chair of the Forsyth County Georgia (metro Atlanta) Planning and Development Board, where we dealt with land use planning, zoning and growth issues and concerns as well as greater “Atlanta Region” land use planning, transportation and zoning concerns. In that role I also served on a steering committee to help drive the Master Land Use Plan, a version of which is still in use today.
I have been a life-long Bible student and Bible class teacher, and have served in the past as a Deacon and Elder at in metro Atlanta. Today I continue to teach Bible classes and biblical topics in our local small church as well as help with technology issues; because I’m “handy” and like project management, I also have led a few major renovation projects both here and at a church in the Tampa area as a volunteer.
I am a commercially-rated single-engine and multi-engine (instrument) pilot as well as a commercially-rated seaplane pilot, and continue to fly; I’ve had takeoffs and landings in 46 of the 50 states, including Alaska. But no, I don’t get paid to fly. (I use the commercial rating in order to lower my insurance costs.) I am a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and am a “Young Eagles” pilot (volunteer flights for young people) as well as an “Angel Flight” pilot (flying cancer and other patients to treatments) some weekends.
I have been involved with Amateur Radio for many years in order to provide emergency communications and have their top rating (Amateur Extra), demonstrating detailed electronic knowledge, antenna design, radio propagation and have made contacts around the world. I found that having that level of radio procedural knowledge made the communications requirements of being a pilot much easier!