Ed Bolen, who led NBAA through 22 years of growth, has died

Ed Bolen, who led NBAA for 22 years, has died. He had retired as the association's president and CEO on November 6, weeks after taking medical leave for cancer treatment that kept him away from NBAA-BACE and out of the office since September."We are filled with incredible sadness about Ed," said Dan Hubbard, NBAA Acting CEO and SVP, Communications. "Ed was not just our colleague — he was a friend and a mentor to many of us. He accomplished so much, and did so with grace and humility."Ed Bolen's career had an amazing trajectory — the perfect mixture of politics, aviation and manufacturing. A native Kansan, he was introduced to flying by his father, a board member of the Salina Regional Airport. His professional journey began as legislative director for Senator Nancy Kassebaum. In that role, his impact on aviation became apparent in 1994, when he was a key player in passing the General Aviation Revitalization Act. That law capped manufacturer liability and is widely credited with saving the piston and light jet market after decades of decline, fueled by a series of multi-million-dollar lawsuits. He went on to serve as president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) from 1996 to 2004. Not one to rest on his laurels, he also chaired the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics before becoming NBAA's president and CEO in 2004.Twenty-two years of fights NBAA didn't loseAt the time Bolen took over, the association represented an industry that fell short in its ability to explain itself, its benefits, and challenges to Congress. Under Bolen's direction, business aviation earned a seat at the table regarding airport access, airspace modernization, safety rulemaking and workforce policy. NBAA's membership crossed 10,000 companies for the first time under his tenure. And when the major airlines and House Transportation Chair Bill Shuster pushed hardest to privatize ATC in 2017, Bolen and NBAA formed the front line of defense, a line that has held through repeated attempts since.Another major challenge arrived in 2020 with the advent of the COVID pandemic. Bolen was instrumental in getting general aviation's commercial operators, small charter companies included, covered under the Payroll Support Program and the Paycheck Protection Program. He later testified to Congress about that effort in March 2021. Two years later he helped launch Climbing Fast, a coalition of ten business and general aviation associations built to speak with one voice on workforce and infrastructure policy, a problem he had spent two decades working around informally."General aviation has had no better friend than Ed Bolen," AOPA Acting Co-President Katie Pribyl said in a statement on his retirement, crediting him with protecting airports and holding off user fees and ATC privatization across four administrations.Additional accolades came from the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which named him a Living Legend in its International Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2025, he received the Alpha Eta Rho Award, the aviation fraternity's highest honor, for his commitment to the industry's future leaders. Earlier this year, he received the Clay Lacy Friendship Medal from Flights to Freedom, which transports human trafficking survivors to their loved ones, or to support groups. Finally, Bolen was inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame on Nov. 10 for his advocacy on the many issues challenging aviation today.What NBAA does nowNBAA's board named Dan Hubbard, the association's senior vice president of communications and Bolen's interim chief operating officer during his medical leave, as acting CEO. A search committee chaired by Matt Byrd, the NBAA board's vice chair and chief executive of Hillwood Aviation, will run the process for a permanent successor.Bolen spent 22 years making sure business aviation had an advocate in the room whenever Washington made decisions that affected it. Whoever follows him inherits an association with a clear path forward and big shoes to fill."It's hard to express how much we miss Ed, and what he meant to so many of us," said John Witzig, Chair of NBAA's Board of Directors. "What we do know is that we can all take inspiration from Ed's legacy of service, dedication and leadership."