The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) yesterday held its annual member meeting at the National Aviation Community Center in Frederick, Maryland, where it elected two new members to the Board of Trustees and heard feedback from 17 members.
“This is a game of inches, I want to be clear,” said AOPA Board of Trustees Chairman Luke Wippler as the meeting began. “We need all of our stakeholders pulling in the right direction. I recognize that we need to rebuild your trust.”
Acting Co-President Katie Pribyl then discussed the state of AOPA’s advocacy efforts, while Acting Co-President Jill Baker presented about the state of AOPA’s finances. General Counsel Fernando Campoamor then provided details about the seven potential bylaw changes announced in April, noting that the bylaws have not changed in decades.
“There are seven potential changes that have been outlined, and those are the things that were perhaps most essential for all of us to focus on,” said Campoamor. “We did this fairly quickly in the past eight weeks. But there is more that can clearly be done, and so when you’re thinking about commenting on what we should be doing or thinking about, not only think about the things that we have proposed, but also think about what else you think needs to happen so that it can be considered by the Board.”
The Board continues to solicit feedback from members on any potential changes until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 5, ahead of a vote to implement them this fall.
Chairman Luke Wippler then opened the floor to invite members to speak. Prior to the meeting, Wippler announced a change to previously announced rules that limited speaking slots to 20 AOPA members and said any member who wanted would be allowed to speak. A total of 17 members spoke, highlighting both the successes and challenges that AOPA faces, and issues they want AOPA to work on.
Members then voted to elect all 11 board members on the slate of candidates to a one-year term, including Peter Burwell and Ryan Samples, who are joining the board for the first time.
Burwell has been an AOPA member for more than 15 years, and flies both fixed-wing and rotor, pistons and turbines. His aircraft of choice are a Cessna Skywagon for weekend flying and a Beechcraft Baron when he flies for business. He leads Burwell Enterprises, a family-owned diversified holding company, alongside his two brothers.
Samples has been a member of AOPA for nearly 30 years and earned his private pilot certificate while in high school. He currently flies a Beechcraft V35 Bonanza, a Carbon Cub, an Icon A5, and a Cessna Citation CJ4. He founded BankOnIT in 2003, building it into one of the country’s leading providers of private cloud and IT infrastructure for community banks, and is a passionate advocate for bringing young people into flying.
“My commitment to you is I value transparency,” said Wippler. “We won’t always agree, but we’ll know where each other stands, and I value optimism. I believe that this group gathered here today in Frederick because you care about GA and the need for a strong and vibrant AOPA. I ask that you lean in, that you be solution-oriented, and be additive to the organization.”
AOPA members can watch a recording of the member meeting in its entirety here.
