In a press conference on Monday afternoon of opening day at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture fly-in, Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman and president, announced the appointment of Rod Hightower as its new association president.
Hightower, of St. Louis, Mo., will assume official duties as EAA’s third president in its history, on Sept. 7. In EAA’s official press release, Poberezny is reported as not retiring, but instead will remain as chairman of the EAA and using his experience and background to foster EAA's business relationships, philanthropy and the organization's endowment. He also will continue to chair the annual EAA AirVenture fly-in.
Hightower’s career spans more than 25 years of business management for manufacturing and industrial companies. Hightower is a private pilot, a longtime EAA member, and has restored his own Stearman biplane. He is a director of the National Stearman Foundation and has helped organize the annual Stearman National Fly-in.
“All of us at AEA are excited to welcome Rod Hightower as the new president of the EAA,” said Paula Derks, AEA president, “Rod and I are both graduates of the University of Central Missouri so we not only share the common interest of general aviation, but are also fellow university alums. I look forward to working with him in his new role.”
For more information, visit the EAA website at: www.eaa.org