by Mark Baker
AOPA President and CEO
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine April/May 2022 online issue
I OFTEN TALK about the programs, initiatives, and services we develop to maintain and protect your freedom to fly here at AOPA. But, like other successful organizations, our work on your behalf is only as strong as our team. We can only get the job done if we have the right people doing the right things in the right places.
However, it seems that everywhere you look, there are those who want to rob us of this freedom. Airports are under threat from uninformed politicians; laws are being enacted across the nation that are designed to be roadblocks in the sky; and airport neighbors are not being, well, very neighborly.
From the day I joined AOPA, I have been blessed to have an amazing team—with the talent, can-do attitude, and strategic approach we bring to the office every day.
It’s no wonder that among the more than 220 staff we have here at AOPA, the average tenure is nearly 10 years on the job. Give people a clear mission and vision, the tools to be successful, and the support they need—that’s a recipe for success, for employees and our members.
I must take time this month to recognize three special colleagues who will be moving on to their next chapters after long and successful careers here at AOPA protecting your freedom to fly.
Tom Haines
After 34 years at AOPA, Tom Haines has decided to retire from his role as senior vice president for media, communications, and outreach (see AOPA Pilot, April 2022, “Waypoints: And That’s the Way It Is,” p. 20, and “Milestones: Tom Haines to Retire,” p. 34). Tom has been a prominent face of AOPA and general aviation. He has been one of the industry’s April 2GA through a period of tremendous change and expansion. Under his leadership, Tom has guided and reshaped the group that brings you the story of general aviation through print, digital media, video, and events.
No doubt you have come to rely on Tom’s reporting on AOPA Live This Week, a program he helped develop. He certainly has been one of my go-to people during my tenure, and I thank Tom for his incredible and even-keeled leadership and expertise.
Melissa Rudinger
Also retiring from AOPA after 30 years of dedicated service is another familiar face: Melissa Rudinger. Melissa has served AOPA and the GA community in many important roles. She was a key liaison to the FAA in her government affairs position, protecting general aviation from overly restrictive policies in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Melissa helped to enable the safe integration of drones into the national airspace system and advocated for the NextGen modernization initiative. Melissa also assembled a great team at the AOPA Foundation and put it in excellent shape for the future. A reminder that the AOPA Foundation funds important programs here: You Can Fly and the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
Many of you also know Melissa through her time as an AOPA Live This Week co-host with Tom. AOPA and the general aviation industry are better off today because of Melissa, and we wish her the best in her next chapter (see AOPA Pilot, April 2022, “Milestones: Melissa Rudinger Starts Own Company,” p. 35).
Ron Golden
One more person I’d like to recognize has served our members in a critical, but behind-the-scenes way. Ron Golden is retiring after 42 dedicated years at AOPA, most recently as our deputy general counsel. Over his decades of protecting your freedom to fly, Ron’s many accomplishments include helping to form and launch the AOPA Legal Services Plan, now with 73,000 members. Ron has represented AOPA and our members in state supreme courts, federal district courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and has defended general aviation rights in landmark cases.
A heartfelt thank you to Ron for his years of tireless devotion to AOPA, and for helping to protect our members’ cherished freedom to fly.
Tom, Melissa, and Ron are emblematic of the incredible team here at AOPA, and I will miss their daily guidance. The good news is that all three are active GA pilots, so I plan to still see them on the ramp!
Now don’t get me wrong. You don’t have to be “seasoned” to make an impact here at AOPA on members’ behalf. In fact, many great new people have joined the AOPA team over the past few months, and I’m excited to see how their contributions benefit the community.
Maybe that’s why we’ve only had five presidents in AOPA’s 83-year history. There’s nothing magical about the leaders, but there is something very special to the people who support them—and you.
