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On the Record With
ED BOLEN, PRESIDENT, NBAA
Like Goldilocks, the National Business Aviation Association has been searching for a leader who's "just right" for the trying times of the new millennium. Pilot and former magazine editor and publisher Jack Olcott fit the organization well for 11 years, but insiders say he was deemed short of political muscle to handle security and access issues in the post-2001 era.
The NBAA board in 2003 replaced him with Shelley Longmuir, former United Airlines lobbyist who had the political horsepower but apparently not the aviation bug. Longmuir stepped down nine months later.
Now comes Ed Bolen, former head of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and there's a "just right" feeling in the air on the 4th floor of 1200 18th Street Northwest, NBAA's headquarters. Bolen, the new president and CEO of the Washington-based advocacy group, brings with him a rich mixture of aviation experience: eight years in the top slot at GAMA; five years on Capitol Hill serving as the top aide to U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and as majority general counsel to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, among other plum assignments.
As holder of an FAA Recreational Pilot Certificate, Bolen's no Chuck Yeager, but he is quite qualified to pilot the interests of aircraft manufacturers and flight departments in Washington. Working aviation issues for a senator from Kansas, Bolen became necessarily immersed in the business climate at Bombardier, Cessna and Raytheon, companies which make up the second largest industry in the state behind agriculture. His focus on product liability reform made him a key player in the passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. During his GAMA years, Bolen's extra-curricular activities included being appointed to the FAA's Management Advisory Council and the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. He says a combination of 12-hour work days and weekend family catch-up time have prevented him from remaining an active pilot.
One of Bolen's priorities from the start has been to stabilize the ranks. Bob Blouin, svp of Operations, left the organization in August and was replaced last month by Steven J. Brown, former FAA vp of Operations Planning. Meanwhile Pete West, svp of Government and Public Affairs and 17-year employee, announced that he'll be leaving in November. A search is on for his successor.
Aside from rebuilding his senior staff, Bolen says his highest priority is assuring access to airports and airspace for business aviation. The problem is highlighted by government efforts to impose General Aviation landing slots at Chicago O'Hare, the continued ban on GA at Washington Reagan National Airport, and ongoing environmental issues like airport noise curfews. On the horizon are issues with how business aviation will pay its way. Bolen says there are sure to be renewed efforts to introduce user fees in 2007 when the current excise tax method expires, efforts NBAA will work to quash.
Bolen says the solutions to business aviation's many issues are not only political but educational—teaching lawmakers, government executives and security types the role of GA in transportation and the economy. "Many business models incorporate or assume a business aircraft to reach production facilities in rural communities," he says. "I'm not sure that's well understood." The same goes for security. "We have to build a case for access," he adds. "We have to make sure people understand the benefits." Priority though it may be, Bolen says NBAA does not have any new educational programs on tap at the moment.
Overall, Bolen says the organization is "very strong and "sound" but that there's "a lot of potential for growth" in the government affairs side given the clout of its 7,600 member companies. "Lobbying is my priority and will be a significant part of my focus," he says. "We can do a better job of leveraging those numbers into real political muscle."
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