ISSUED: 13 October 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s Hunter Carlos Willis Aviation Program announces the formation of a distinguished advisory board that will help further develop the academic program, which the College of Business plans to offer as a multi-disciplinary concentration within the Business Administration major beginning in the fall of 2023. The program will place an emphasis on the management skills required to successfully work in the aviation industry and have career advancement opportunities.
“Shepherd’s aviation program, the only one of its kind in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, will help address the urgent needs of the aviation industry,” said Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix, Shepherd University president. “This new program will assist with the projected need for more employees in the aviation sector and support the rapidly growing businesses emerging in this region. Shepherd is committed to training tomorrow’s aviation leaders.”
Those who participated in the first meeting of the Hunter Carlos Willis Aviation Program advisory board meeting are (front row, l. to r.) are Ronce Almond, senior counsel, United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix, Shepherd president; Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, founder and president, Lowenstein and Associates; The Honorable Ty McCoy, president, Thiokol Technologies; Dr. Ben Martz, dean, Shepherd College of Business, back row, Charles Craft, retired American Airlines pilot and friend of the board; The Honorable Scot Faulkner, board chair, former deputy associate administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, and former chief administrative officer, U.S. House of Representatives; Tom Willis, partner, Glenloch Legal, PLC; and Dr. George Ray, Shepherd assistant professor of business administration.
The new board, which had its first meeting on September 30, is chaired by The Honorable Scot Faulkner, former deputy associate administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and former chief administrative officer of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Members include Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, founder and president, Lowenstein and Associates; The Honorable Ty McCoy, president, Thiokol Technologies; Dr. Ben Martz, dean, Shepherd College of Business; Tom Willis, partner at Glenloch Legal, PLC and Lt. Col., U.S. Army National Guard; The Honorable T. Allan McArtor, former president of Airbus North America and former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; and Nic Diehl, CEO and executive director, Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.
The advisory board supports curriculum development and vocational guidance for the Hunter Carlos Willis Aviation Program. Faulkner said this includes outreach and engagement for student recruitment, internships, and placement with major airlines, air services, and airports such as Dulles International, Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International, and Reagan National. Faulkner mentioned opportunities are also available at regional airports in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Hagerstown and Frederick in Maryland, and Winchester and Leesburg in Virginia.
Faulkner also sees the advisory board serving as a liaison between Shepherd’s program and the Air National Guard, local Junior Air Force ROTC programs, and major supply chain air hubs for companies like Proctor & Gamble, Amazon, Clorox, and Macy’s.
“We have brought together national leaders in aviation and aerospace,” Faulkner said. “Our first meeting was filled with amazing energy and ideas on making Shepherd University the premier program preparing young people for dynamic careers managing aviation operations and global supply chains.”
Faulkner firmly believes that Shepherd is perfectly positioned to ignite a regional aviation renaissance.
“It is very exciting to forge partnerships for business development, expanding aviation career opportunities, and becoming a viable and sustainable solution for meeting America’s aviation challenges,” he said.
For more information, visit the Hunter Carlos Willis Aviation Program webpage.
About Hunter Carlos Willis
Shepherd University’s aviation program is named for a remarkable 19-year-old who ultimately lost his battle with bone cancer, but whose courage and passion for flying live on through this innovative academic partnership. Hunter Carlos Willis aspired to attend Shepherd University and become the first student in the aviation program. His friends and family established the program in 2022 to honor and remember him.
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