2021 Board Election

Notice of Election • Candidate Profiles • Cast Your Vote

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Wednesday June 30, 2021 through Tuesday July 27, 2021

Members may cast their votes using the secure online ballot (member login required) Voting begins June 30 and closes July 27, 2021. Our Webmaster can provide any assistance needed.

A member may not vote in this election in person at the annual meeting; it must be done via electronic ballot.

A Presidential-appointed Ballot Certification Committee will tabulate the election results and announce the election outcome at the annual meeting of members on July 30, 2021 at the IAC Annual Membership meeting will be held in the Vicki Cruse Educational Pavilion at the IAC Aerobatic Center at 8:30am during EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

DJ Molny

IAC Ballot Certification Committee Chair

CANDIDATE PROFILES

JUSTIN HICKSON FOR VICE PRESIDENT

I am a candidate for Vice President and I am asking for your support and vote. I currently am a Director on the IAC Board of Directors representing the Mid-America Region and in November of 2020, I was elected by the board to serve on the Executive Committee. These two positions have given me an insight into how the board communicates and I appreciate seeing how the board communicates and works together.

On the National level, I am the Assistant Contest Director for our U.S. National Aerobatic Championships and I’m getting a good overview of what it takes to run a successful contest of this size. At the 2019 U.S. Nationals, I served as a member of the Jury and was a line judge. At Air Venture, when I’m not off attending Kid Venture with my three boys, I volunteer at the IAC Pavilion doing whatever I can to lend a hand.

On the local level, I am an active member of Chapter 78 and have served as the contest director for several contests as well as serving as President, Vice President, and other positions in the chapter. I am an active Intermediate competitor and National Judge and I hear the concerns of the IAC members, volunteers and competitors.

Professionally, I am a Captain with a regional air line flying a Bombardier CRJ-200. For years I’ve helped in the training department as an FAA Check Airman for the airline and currently volunteer as a Pilot Peer Support Volunteer, Critical Incident Response Team, and the Event Review Committee in the Air Line Pilots Association.

I am known as a board member who asks a lot of questions but I always try to consider what the general membership might think of an issue. I really try to see all sides before I make decisions that will affect everyone in the IAC.

I believe our IAC core is aerobatic enthusiasts who are not necessarily competition-oriented. I know that not every member is lucky enough to fly and enjoy aircraft ownership and the majority of the IAC is made up of volunteers with an interest in watching and learning about aerobatics and being around people who fly aerobatics. Those members are the ones who support everything we do. We have to keep those people interested because without aerobatic enthusiast support, competition is nothing more than a practice day at the airport. I am a big believer in taking care of our members because if we care for our members, the members will care for the organization.

One of IAC’s stated goals is to have "...a better understanding of who our members are, identifying their needs in order to adjust our action plans and resource allocation (human and financial) accordingly.” This is why I see it as very important to support the Primary and Sportsman pilots by keeping an eye on category difficulty. I believe in keeping entry level categories flyable, within reach of a Sunday afternoon aerobatic pilot, and most of all - safe! I have a close relationship with the University of North Dakota and we talk frequently about the UND training program. I am a strong supporter of basic aerobatics and training and I want to see pilots achieve their goals with safety being the number one goal.

In closing, I’m asking for your support to help me continue to push these core principles of safety, education, volunteerism, and to help build a stronger and more unified organization that everyone will enjoy.

ROB HOLLAND FOR VICE PRESIDENT

I took up aviation in 1992 to realize my childhood dream of flying aerobatics. I’ve been an active member of the IAC since 2001 when I competed for the first time in Sportsman. Although most people probably know me from air shows or competitions, I have also been an aerobatic coach, taught aerobatics, ran a successful aerobatic flight school and am a huge aviation and aerobatic enthusiast. I like to give back and serve the organization that I love and that has contributed so much to my life. I believe in supporting all aspects of aerobatics. Recreational aerobatics, Upset Training, competition, aerobatic schools, airs hows, etc., are all a part of the IAC and deserves our attention and support. To me it is about safety, fun, education, community, supporting our members, and building our membership base.

The IAC has been very good to me so I've given back by serving as an IAC Director. I now seek your vote for the position of Vice President. I'm running for this position because I believe in the vision of our new President, Jim Bourke, and I want to help him bring this sport to as many people as possible. What I like about the new direction we've taken is that it is so positive. It's about the future, not the past. As Vice President, I would serve on the Executive Committee which would give me more opportunities to help implement ideas like National Aerobatics Day, which I think is exactly the sort of thing the IAC needs. I feel I can help contribute to the continued success of our organization.

I am a strong believer in the IAC's safety mission. As an airshow competency evaluator, I often recommend to prospective air show pilots that they build up their skills with competition flying before trying to fly at a low level. It is a great organization to learn discipline, build skills, be critiqued in helpful ways by your peers all while having a lot of fun.

I am also an advocate for Advanced and Unlimited aerobatics. I know this kind of flying isn't for everyone and the IAC can't spend all of its time and resources on the few pilots who want to fly at this level, but I believe it's important to the IAC's mission that we compete to WIN in world championships. I want to see that happen more than anything, which is why I took on the role of Team Coach for the US Advanced Aerobatic team. We are working very hard to make our country proud and I'm proud to be a part of it! I believe that any sport needs people at the top to look up to. People to help attract the next generation and inspire individuals to get involved in this great sport.

My job as an air show pilot takes me all over the country so I've had the good luck to meet many of you. You know me. You know who I am. I love hearing about your experiences, ideas, and concerns. I believe in open communication and cultivating the great ideas that our members have for the growth and evolution of our sport.

Thank you for your support and for your vote.

JORDAN ASHLEY FOR TREASURER

Hello! My name is Jordan Ashley, and I have been privileged to serve as IAC Treasurer for the past year after being unanimously appointed by the Board in 2020. It was my honor to move into this role after Mr. Bob Hart stepped down. I am now running for reelection as Treasurer in the upcoming election.

I have been a dedicated volunteer for the IAC since 2009, when I began volunteering with Jim Taylor parking airplanes during AirVenture. In 2011 when Jim retired, I moved into the role of

Aircraft Coordination Chairman for AirVenture and continue to serve in this position today. I was asked by Lynn Bowes to take her position as Chairman of the Collegiate Program and was

unanimously appointed by the Board in 2015 when she was elected IAC Secretary. I continue to serve in this position today.

The IAC has been an important influence on my life personally and professionally. I was an active competitor in the Midwest Region with Indiana Chapter 124 during my time as a student at Purdue University and am currently a member of Ohio Chapter 34. While at Purdue, I became a CFI and spent the majority of my time providing aerobatic instruction to students. This community has given me lifelong mentors, coaches and friends who cheer me on in every endeavor.

In my full-time career, I am a director of finance and IT, managing a $2.5M budget and IT infrastructure for a large church in central Indiana. Before transitioning to this role more than six years ago, I was the corporate pilot and staff accountant for a fast-growing textbook company based near my home.

If reelected, I plan to continue working toward modernizing and updating the financial processes of the IAC, and, by extension, bring greater transparency and access to information regarding the financial dealings of the organization. Beginning my first term in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing financial guidance to the Board during an unprecedented time, I am committed to ensuring the continued financial health of the IAC and helping all of our members partner with us to do the same.

I thank you for your consideration and your vote of support in this years election.

BRUCE BALLEW FOR DIRECTOR

I am running for the IAC Board of Directors for another term.

I have been on the IAC Board and have led the Government Relations efforts with the FAA on behalf of the IAC for several years now. My day job is as a corporate pilot for a large flight department in St. Louis, Missouri.

I am an active aerobatic/spin/upset instructor and compete in the Advanced category. I am an advocate for grass roots aerobatics and believe it is essential to the future success of the IAC.

A.J. HEFEL FOR DIRECTOR

Greetings fellow IACer’s,

I'm asking for your vote as a Director to the IAC board. Rather than bore you with a repeat of my life story, which appeared in the Meet a Member column in Sport Aerobatics, I’d like to spend a moment to tell you my thoughts regarding OUR club and where I stand.

The first thing I read in our club’s articles of incorporation is that we are a charitable organization which focuses on aerobatics. Everything we do with regards to our finances should be to use our funds to promote and support aerobatics. I will make sure we’re doing just that.

The first sub-tenant is our club's important goal to work with government folks in order to continue to exercise our ability to perform aerobatics. Over the past couple of years we’ve seen eager government intrusion into our ability to perform aerobatics in everything from ADS-B performance, aerobatic airspace denial issues, to the refusal of smoke oil use due to environmental concerns. I believe this should be the first and foremost concern of the IAC board. In the past, the board hasn’t always been involved and left it to members or chapters to initiate actions for change. I believe the board needs to refocus it’s interaction with governmental agencies in order to preserve our ability to perform aerobatic maneuvers. Without that we won’t have a need for our club.

The second club sub-tenant is to focus on improving aerobatics safety. It doesn’t matter if you're a fledgling aviator or a seasoned aerobatic air show performer we should all approach aerobatic flight with a safety mindset. If we don’t, the repercussions could be devastating. This could lead to everything from exorbitant insurance rates for aerobatic aircraft owners, flights schools, and competitors to increased government oversight or denial. None of which is good. I believe the IAC leadership should interact with insurance leaders to see what safety measures can be done to help mitigate increasing costs. I also believe IAC should make a greater effort into aviation safety aspects with regard to aerobatics and aerobatic training. Our club's magazine is a great tool for that.

The last sub-tenant is aerobatic education and competition. I believe pilots that have received some level of aerobatic training are better equipped and more confident when it comes to handling an aircraft upset situation. Most professional flight training schools provide some level of upset recovery training within their syllabus which could be a starting point for the introduction of aerobatic flight. IAC should do more to promote aerobatic education and training. I’d like to see more interaction with flight schools to insure quality aerobatic training and magazine articles on individuals and flight schools that offer aerobatic training.

As for competition, which seems to be the greatest focus of our board and finances, it is important to point out of our roughly 4,000 members my estimate is approximately 10-15% are active or former competitors. Having competed at both the regional and national level, I always enjoyed the esprit de corps and the spirit of competition with the full knowledge that there is no financial gain from winning, only the self pride of being the best aerobatic pilot for that category in a given contest. At the Advanced and Unlimited categories there’s also the opportunity to be selected by IAC as a U.S. aerobatic team member to represent our nation on the world stage of aerobatic competition. It’s a great honor, but comes full well with the knowledge of little financial support from IAC. Having a winning world team would be ideal but not realistic given other countries teams are supported by their respective governments. Our club doesn’t have the financial ability to do that and I don’t support any increased change in how or what level IAC finances any U.S. team. It seems to me our club funds are better used for maintaining the status quo for aerobatics and growing our membership. The cold reality is we can’t spend a any more than we currently do of our finances for 1-2% of our membership to compete on the world stage for our nation.

So there are my thoughts and how I think about OUR club. I am being as transparent as possible so you know who and what you’re voting for. If you like what you’ve read then I ask you for your vote. If not, thanks for reading.

Fly smart, fly safe, have fun,

DAGMAR KRESS FOR DIRECTOR

Hello! My name is Dagmar and I am asking for your vote for Director on the IAC board. I am hoping to get appointed as Director of the South Central Region if elected.

Flying was a dream that I had as a child, and I decided to pursue that dream by becoming a professional pilot in the early 1990’s. I founded Flugvergnuegen, a flight school which catered to an international clientele and specialized in aerobatic and UPRT training in South Florida. During this time I also competed as a member of the German National team at the 1994, 1996, and later the 2013 WAC.

Grass roots aviation and aerobatics is where I have found the most enjoyment, so in 2015 I accepted a faculty position at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU), teaching aviation classes. Not long after, my students learned of my background and were curious to see what aerobatics all was about. It did not take long for my schedule to be filled with eager students signed up for aerobatic flight instruction, and MSU’s IAC Collegiate Aerobatic Competition Team was formed in 2016.

I have sponsored and coached the team since then, but 2017 was our year of the most success when we won the IAC Collegiate Program’s team trophy, and our students took first and second in the individual competition.

While competition is certainly a part of the IAC, and winning is most definitely fun, competition is not the only component that that makes up the IAC. Safety, airmanship, teamwork, bonding and friendships, and the humble privilege of participation should also be very important to every member of the IAC. Coaching the MSUr team has been very fulfilling, and I am grateful to work in my field of dreams while giving back to the next generation with the hope of sparking the same passion that I had as a child.

I have been an IAC member for 30 years now, teaching aerobatics for the same time, and introducing new aerobatic pilots to the IAC. If elected, I plan to support all IAC members, with special emphasis on the young people who desire to share in our sport.

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt.

BRITTANEE LINCOLN FOR DIRECTOR

Hello, I’m Brittanee Lincoln, in addition to being an active IAC competitor, I currently serve as the IAC Chapter 38, Northern California, President. I am also the IAC Achievement Awards Co-Chair. I am excited about the opportunity to serve the IAC in a greater capacity.

I have experience in leadership positions from my professional background as well as contributing in volunteer roles. Professionally, I have worked in various financial services business for 15 years, including as the Head of Financial Compliance and Risk Management for a global, asset leasing company. Throughout my professional career, I have led various large teams, requiring me to remain objective, collaborate, and lead a team to outcomes which were best for the organization as a whole.

I am a fourth generation pilot; the first female pilot in my family. Aviation was always a part of my life. I have recently made a career change and have been fortunate enough to be able to make my hobby my profession. I have become very involved not only with the IAC but in the general aviation community. I serve the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) as the Social Media Coordinator and am a speaker/instructor for the AOPA Air Safety Institute seminars.

I consider myself an “IAC lifer” and want to work to help boost membership and increase awareness of and participation in the sport. In addition to my willingness to put in the time and effort required to be an effective member of the IAC Board, I believe I will bring energy and enthusiasm for the sport and our organization.

JOHN OSTMEYER FOR DIRECTOR

I am a candidate for the Board of Directors and am seeking your support. I feel that it would be an honor to serve this organization and be a voice for our members, especially the grassroots members.

On my first trip to Oshkosh in 1995 I wandered into the IAC Pavillion and began what has been a lifelong love with the sport of aerobatics. I soon thereafter found my local chapter out of Kansas City and in 1997 flew my first contest in a borrowed Citabria with no inverted system in Basic and was really hooked. Building a career as an airline pilot slowed my progress for a few years but I always kept my eyes on eventually competing. I bought my first plane, a factory Pitts S-1S, while I was living in a room I rented from a friend so I could save money and afford the airplane. I flew that airplane in Sportsman but soon traded it in for a Pitts S-1T and moved up through Intermediate and Advanced. In 2013, I qualified for the 2014 Advanced team with that same stock T model, although personal reasons prevented me from joining the team in Slovakia. I spent four years building a Wolf Wing kit for my airplane, taking 2017 off from competition to complete the project and earning my A&P certificate in the process. In 2018, with the new wings completed, I returned to contest flying and my hard work was rewarded by becoming the 2018 National Advanced Champion.

In addition to flying I am the president of IAC Chapter 15 out of Kansas City, and have held the Vice President and Secretary positions previously. I hold a Certified Flight Instructor certificate and provide Pitts transition training and aerobatic instruction, I am a National Judge and Judging School instructor, have been the CD of our local contest and have been the Chief Technical Monitor at the U.S. Nationals. Also in 2019, I coached the U.S. National Sportsman and Intermediate Champions.

As a board member my goal will be to help the IAC message get out to the larger pilot community and make sure the grassroots pilot’s message gets heard. Be that by helping flight instructors find access to upset recovery and spin training, helping the Sunday afternoon pilot that just wants to do a few loops and rolls or the many friends I have in the competition arena we all have a vested interest in making this organization as great as it can be.

JEFF PETROCELLI FOR DIRECTOR

My name is Jeff Petrocelli and I am above all things a flying enthusiast. I’m what I like to call a “lifer,” as I am the son and grandson of two accomplished and passionate pilots so I grew up in the hangar. Some of my best memories were spent at the airport and I hope to bring my own son to Oshkosh one day as my dad brought me.

Throughout my years growing up at the airport, the IAC has been a constant. This organization has been life-changing for me. I have created and continued a worldwide network of friends that not only share the same passion as me but the same morals and respect for the aviation community. Whether competing in an aerobatic contest, traveling to support the U.S. aerobatic team at "Worlds", or flying into my local FBO, I’ve made friends, real ones, and I will never take that for granted.

I believe that I bring a fair amount to the already strong table that is the IAC. I have ideas and will offer support to my peers’ ideas through effective communication and preparation. I believe we can work together to have realistic goals and dedicate time and consideration to making these goals our reality.

One way we can do that is by appealing to the younger demographic and ensuring our future as an organization. We can do this using my social media experience to create and expand our media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. Reaching the masses, the future, the real population, in order to keep us thriving should be our focus to grow a strong and solid base. Through these communicative platforms we can gain perspective on what this untapped demographic seeks and bring back to the table exactly what we are missing from them.

I don’t believe many of us need convincing to stay in aerobatics which is why I feel strongly that we need to focus our efforts on being more attractive and accessible to this demographic. I have the knowledge, dedication, passion, and narrative to make this happen. I believe the sport of aerobatics is multi-level but we primarily focus on already established pilots. I think we should shift gears and create a welcoming community that can streamline new members by educating them on the IAC even if they do not fly or own an airplane. Passion for aviation is still a passion and you can have it without being a pilot.

There are many opportunities for non-pilots to get involved and strengthen the IAC such as judging, photography, social media, marketing, in person networking, fundraising, community outreach, etc. I am not looking to change what is already here, our organization is amazing and no one can argue that, but what I would like to help change is our future. We should listen to our members and create communication that is heard and valued. Input will only help our core and it is important for everyone to have a voice.

Let’s help add to the IAC with what we are missing. I am up for the task and believe I can be the member for the job. Thank you for your time. My name is Jeff Petrocelli and I am grateful for your consideration.

PEGGY RIEDINGER FOR DIRECTOR

I have enjoyed serving you all as an IAC Director for the past four years, and would be happy to continue in this role.

I am an active volunteer, have served as grading judge or Chief Judge at many contests across the United States, and have been Assistant U.S. judge at four World Championships. I was honored recently to be the Chief Judge at the Estrella Classic all glider contest in February. I have also served as Chief Judge and jury member at the U.S. Nationals several times, as well as judging at the British National Championships, and will be judging this summer at the European Advanced Championship in the Czech Republic.

On the local level, I have been the President of Washington state’s IAC Chapter 67 for over seven years. We are an active chapter that hosts two contests and two Acro Training Camps, plus several practice days each year in Ephrata, Washington, as well as teaming up with Aerobatics Canada chapter 7 from Alberta to host the Can-Am Championship in Cut Bank, Montana. We also represent the IAC in the Northwest by having a presence at the Arlington Fly-In each year. We missed many of these events in 2020 and are seriously excited about resuming aerobatic activities this summer! My husband and I are also members of Chapter 77 in Oregon and Chapter 62 in Southern Arizona.

If re-elected to the IAC Board of Directors I will continue to be an advocate for volunteers. We know that contests don’t happen without volunteers. Whether you are a Chief Judge or someone who runs into town to pick up lunches and bottles of water, all volunteers are important and should be valued. I continue to stand for all those significant others and spouses who support their pilots by volunteering.