Happy Labor Day, and a special thank you to all who are working the holiday weekend. This time of year (the “ber” months as referred to on social media) is one of my favorites for many reasons, not least because it includes our second flagship event of the year; Cape Cod Classic. Our annual pilgrimage to Provincetown is something I’ve been particularly looking forward to this year as it marks the beginning of our year-long recognition of NGPA’s 35th anniversary! Keep on the lookout for ways to celebrate throughout the year, and be sure to take advantage of the community we’ve built the past three and half decades.
For those headed out to P’town, we can’t wait to see you! Our incredible Events Committee volunteers have been hard at work planning and organizing for what is looking to be a sold-out weekend. Based on prior event feedback, Members can look forward to additional daily events, more meet-ups, a special GA speaker presentation (thanks Russ Prechtl, DCA), an evening airport reception, and more. If you haven’t booked tickets yet, be sure to grab them before they’re gone – only a handful are left.
I’m excited to share a quick update to our annual scholarship program. The application window closed at the end of July, and Scholarship Selection Committee volunteers have spent the past month evaluating close to 300 applications. Semi-finalists will next be invited to complete the final phase of our application cycle, with finalists being selected near the holidays. Thanks to Member’s generous donations, this program year we’ll be able to support members of our community enrolled in flight school, higher education, technical training, and more, with over $600,000 in awards – the most in a single year in our history! Special thanks to the Palmer Foundation, who recently selected NGPA to receive a $50,000 cash grant supporting our 2025 scholarship program.
Join me in welcoming our newest member to the team (staff), Christian Swanson, Member Support Coordinator. Christian originally joined NGPA as student attending Florida Tech, where he co-founded the NGPA student chapter on campus. As he gets settled into his new staff role, Christan will be available for any general support assistance from members, and will work closely with our Membership Committee volunteers on engagement and outreach.
The past few days here in West Michigan have been perfect flying weather, with skies a picturesque blue and a cool “false-fall” breeze. As we head into the fall, I hope you have a chance to catch up with your local chapter, go flying on one of those “good weather days,” attend one of our annual national events, and generally take a moment to connect with your fellow members.
Enjoy the rest of the summer, and hope to catch up soon.
With Pride,
Justin
