Powering Up Service
We need your help to achieve our goals for the industry. By Mark A. Schlaefli
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HAVE A BOTTOMLESS SUPPLY OF OPTIMISM about the value VAI brings to our industry and our mem- bers. As an aviation business owner, I have personally experienced our association’s positive impact on my
operations. As chair of the Board of Directors, I also have visi- bility into our future, including our strategies to deliver an even better return on our members’ investment in us. Over the past few years, VAI has been working hard to
develop and deliver value to our membership through a solid plan of five strategic initiatives. Our members were instru- mental in developing that plan, and the incomparable VAI staff are working hard to execute those initiatives and power up our industry. But they can’t do it alone: we want you to join us in ensuring our strategic initiatives are relentlessly executed, leading to a unified, thriving, sustainable industry. And before you turn the page, let me explain how becoming a VAI volunteer will help your association—and you! Giving back to the industry is a necessary element of a
complete career, one providing you with that all-important paycheck, personal and professional growth, and the satisfac- tion of accomplishing meaningful work. Looking beyond the immediate, local needs of your inbox or organization will expand your horizons, as will collaborating with other VAI volunteers. Speaking personally, it’s been humbling and rewarding to work with professionals from all sectors of this great industry. The open call for Board of Directors candidates will be out
soon (election results will be announced at VERTICON 2025 in Dallas in March), and we’re looking to add excellence and expertise to our board. Recruiting members with the right skills, experience, and passion for VAI’s mission is essential to build- ing a board that can effectively provide staff with the strategic
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MARK A. SCHLAEFLI is the owner and operator of Dakota Rotors, a Part 135/133 operator in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West, who began his one-year term as chair of the VAI Board of Directors on Jul. 1, 2024. Mark holds an ATP rotorcraft certifi- cate as well as instrument, CFI, and CFII ratings.
POWER UP DEC 2024
FROM THE BOARD
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