The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has made Craig Spence the permanent secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (IAOPA). He was named acting secretary general in May.
Spence, son of General Aviation News Capital Comments columnist Charles Spence, joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in June 2008 as the organization’s first vice president of the newly created Aviation Security Department located within the Government Affairs Division. In December 2009, he was promoted to his current position as Vice President, Operations & International Affairs and is responsible for leading AOPA’s advocacy efforts on safety and security regulatory and operational issues affecting pilots and aircraft. He will continue in this role in addition to his work at IAOPA.
Spence is a commercial pilot, with instrument and multi-engine ratings and more than 2,500 hours of military flying. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management, transportation and logistics from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Business Administration from TUI University. He is also a graduate of the Air Force Air Command and Staff College, and the Air War College.
“With his extensive experience on advocacy issues affecting general aviation in the United States, Spence is the ideal candidate to continue the work of IAOPA to represent general aviation interests around the globe before international organizations like ICAO, the European Aviation Safety Agency, Eurocontrol and Joint Aviation Authorities,” said AOPA President Craig Fuller.
IAOPA represents 470,000 general aviation and aerial work pilots in 70 countries.
For more information: AOPA.org
