NBAA SDC2024 kicks off - Bolen calls out attack on BizAv, keynoter empowers attendees

The 35th NBAA Schedulers andamp; Dispatchers Conference kicked off Wednesday, with words of encouragement for attendees. Speakers at the annual conference urged the crowd to engage and empower themselves to "soar in their careers." "What you take away from this conference really depends on you," Conference Co-Chair Jessi Litz-Rowden said. "You all are here for the opportunity to learn from the professionals that are in this room. You can connect with people who will have a huge impact on your personal and professional journeys." Fellow Co-Chair Brian Abrahamson spoke of the difficulties in reaching out. "The people here know and understand how important and difficult it can be to get engaged and they are here to support you," he said. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen talked to attendees about the importance of business aviation, which accounts for over one million jobs around, connects communities, plays a crucial role during natural disasters and helps companies to grow and prosper. "Our industry is effectively under attack," Bolen said.RELATED STORIES:Cutter Aviation, NBAA launch fuel program to aid in BizAv advocacyFAA, NBAA weigh in on Biden budget proposal, aviation fuel tax hikeBiden targets jets in State of the Union, aviation groups fire back Bolen referenced the recent inclusion in President Biden's budget request to Congress to hike aviation fuel tax. The BizAv industry has been a focus of numerous tax and budgetary initiatives, including lengthening the depreciation schedule and the IRS plans to audit companies over corporate jet use. Bolen is urging attendees to contact representatives in Congress to let them know the harm these proposals could bring to a vital sector of a crucial American industry.He also highlighted the new CLIMBING. FAST. advocacy campaign launched through a partnership with Cutter Aviation. The program is designed to highlight the many BizAv benefits, as well as its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. CLIMBING. FAST. allows operators to contribute a portion of fuel expenditures to support the NBAA's advocacy efforts. "Help us be our best - get engaged, be empowered," Bolen said.Empowering speakers Keynote speaker, retired Col. Merryl Tengesdal, is the first and only Black woman to fly the U.S. Air Force's U-2 spy plane. Tengesdal said her journey to achieving her dreams began as a seven-year-old in the Bronx, New York, watching Sci-Fi like Star Trek. "They went where no one had gone before," she said. "I thought, ‘I want to do that'." Tengesdal's goal was to become an astronaut, spending her childhood and young adulthood building her skills to achieve her dreams. After completing college, Tengesdal went to Navy Officer Candidate School and became a naval aviator. After a decade with the Navy, she went on to the Air Force and learned to fly the U-2 Lady Dragon. "It takes a team of people to get anything going," she said. "Without that team, the mission's not going to get done. It takes a team to make sure the aircraft gets to the destination - it's because of you. As a scheduler and dispatcher, you guys are the conductors, the maestros." The inspirational speaker urged attendees to think of what skills they have honed for the future and build on that skill set whenever possible. "As a pilot I see what you do and I appreciate what you do," Tengesdal said. "There's going to be some twists and turns, there's going to be a lot of challenges. But if you use those skill sets you've already honed and developed, the journey will be amazing." Award winners During the keynote, longtime BizAv scheduler and licensed dispatcher Chris Algee, CAM, was presented with the Schedulers andamp; Dispatchers Outstanding Achievement and Leadership Award. Algee has been employed with the Birmingham, Alabama-based Encompass Health since 2017, serving as manager of flight scheduling operations and administration. The conference also recognized the SDC scholarship recipients and sponsors.