[JYO] Phil Boyer announces Retirement

AOPA's Boyer Retiring, New President  Craig Fuller   
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%20President%20Phil%20Boyer,%20who's%20been%20hinting%20at%20retirement%20for%
20several%20years,%20announced%20today%20that%20he'll%20"get%20my%20life%20bac
k"%20at%20the%20end%20of%20this%20year%20after%2018%20years%20as%20president%2
0of%20AOPA.%20Replacing%20him%20will%20be%20Craig%20Fuller,%20a%20former%20Was
hington%20heavyweight%20who%20is%20currently%20executive%20vice%20president%20
at%20the%20Washington%20PR%20firm%20of%20APCO%20Worldwide.%20He%20came%20to%20
Washington%20as%20President%20Ronald%20Reagan's%20assistant%20for%20cabinet%20
affairs%20and%20served%20as%20Vice%20President%20George%20H.W.%20Bush's%20chie
f%20of%20staff.%20Fuller%20has%20been%20a%20pilot%20for%2040%20years%20and%20"
is%20as%20comfortable%20with%20fellow%20pilots%20and%20'hangar%20talk'%20as%20
he%20is%20facing%20a%20Congressional%20committee,"%20said%20AOPA%20Chairman%20
William%20C.%20Trimble%20III.) , Editor-in-Chief

 
  Phil  Boyer       Craig  Fuller 
AOPA President Phil Boyer, who's been hinting at retirement for several  
years, announced today that he'll "get my life back" at the end of this year  
after 18 years as president of AOPA. Replacing him will be Craig Fuller, a  
former 
Washington heavyweight who is currently executive vice president at the  
Washington PR firm of APCO Worldwide. He came to Washington as President Ronald 
 
Reagan's assistant for cabinet affairs and served as Vice President George H.W. 
 Bush's chief of staff. Fuller has been a pilot for 40 years and "is as  
comfortable with fellow pilots and 'hangar talk' as he is facing a 
Congressional  
committee," said AOPA Chairman William C. Trimble III. 
Trimble said they hired Heidrick and Struggles a year ago to find Boyer's  
successor and there was one primary prerequisite: The successful candidate 
would 
 be among the 597,000 certificated pilots in the U.S. The search boiled down 
to  100 contenders and Trimble said Fuller quickly rose to the top. It was 
clear  that Craig Fuller, a recognized leader in business, public affairs and  
association management, would be ideally suited to carry-on Phil's tremendous  
legacy. 
Phil Boyer's E-Mail to the Press:
My apologies in advance for this somewhat impersonal email, but since news  
travels so fast today - I wanted to share some with you prior to the rumor  
mill. 
I have made no secret in the aviation community that I have had a retirement  
plan for several years - and wanted to make sure prior to stepping down I was 
 leaving a world class set of AOPA organizations and the best management team 
to  continue our leadership position in general aviation ADVOCACY, 
INFORMATION and  EDUCATION. 
At the end of this year, I will be able to "get my life back" and enjoy the  
GA that AOPA fights so hard to preserve for member pilots like many of us. 
Every  great team needs a coach, every great business needs a CEO and every 
great 
 association needs a President. To that end I share with you in advance of  
Monday's official announcement the following: 

June 30, 2008 
AOPA CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCES THAT PHIL BOYER WILL RETIRE,
CRAIG L. FULLER  SELECTED TO BE NEXT AOPA PRESIDENT
FREDERICK, MD - William C. Trimble III, chairman of the Aircraft  Owners and 
Pilots Association Board of Trustees, today announced that AOPA  President 
Phil Boyer will retire at the end of 2008. 
Experienced Washington public affairs executive Craig L. Fuller has been  
selected by the AOPA Board of Trustees as the next president of the  
influential 
414,000-member pilots association, the world's largest aviation  organization 
which represents almost 70% of U.S. pilots. 
"Phil informed the Board some four years ago he would retire in three  years. 
We convinced him to continue his extraordinary leadership of AOPA for  
another year," said Trimble. "Now, we must move on, but AOPA and the entire  
General 
Aviation community are in a better place for his inspired 18 years at  the 
controls. 
"Starting last year to find AOPA's next leader, a Board of Trustees search  
committee hired national search firm Heidrick & Struggles to help identify  
final candidates from among 597,000 U.S. pilots. After hundreds of interviews  
and painstaking review of 100 potential candidates, it was clear that Craig  
Fuller, a recognized leader in business, public affairs and association  
management, would be ideally suited to carry-on Phil's tremendous legacy. 
"Craig is a committed 40-year pilot, aircraft owner and AOPA member," added  
Trimble. "He is as comfortable with fellow pilots and 'hangar talk' as he is  
facing a Congressional committee." 
Fuller left his native California in 1981 to be Assistant to the President  
for Cabinet Affairs in the Reagan White House. In 1985, he became chief of  
staff for Vice President George H.W. Bush at his request, traveling with the  
Vice-President to every state and 60 nations overseas. 
Later, after working with international public affairs organizations in  
Washington and Philip Morris Companies Inc. in New York, he became president  
and 
CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) linking  
retailers, manufacturers and suppliers in that industry. He will be leaving  
his 
current post as executive vice-president at global public affairs and  
strategic 
communications company APCO Worldwide in Washington to become AOPA  president. 
Fuller learned to fly at Buchanan Field in Concord, California, while still  
in high school and flew with the UCLA flying club at Van Nuys while earning a  
B.A. in political science. He has a Master's degree in urban studies from  
Occidental College in Los Angeles, where business travel in his early public  
affairs career fostered purchase of a Cessna 172RG Cutlass based at Santa  
Monica. He now logs 200+ hours a year in his Beech Bonanza A36. 
He is a director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, active in The Aspen  
Institute and a former trustee of The John F. Kennedy Center for the  
Performing 
Arts and the George (H.W.) Bush Presidential Library Foundation. He  and wife 
Karen reside in Northern Virginia just outside Washington, D.C. 
"Being selected by the Trustees as only the fourth president of AOPA in 70  
years is a tremendous honor and a serious responsibility," said Fuller. "I am  
fully dedicated to ensuring that the best days of General Aviation remain  
ahead of us. And AOPA is ready with a strong organization bolstered over two  
challenging decades by an individual we all admire." 
AOPA chairman Bill Trimble added, "Phil Boyer transformed the Aircraft  
Owners and Pilots Association into a forward-thinking and tech-savvy leader  
for 
vastly changed times in General Aviation. The GA community will remember  
Phil's 
remarkable contributions that prepared us for the 21st Century." 
Enhancing AOPA management skills and member service, Boyer engineered a 40%  
growth in membership despite the declining U.S. pilot population. His many new 
 ventures funded novel GA advocacy and member benefits, all while holding 
AOPA  annual dues at $39. 
"Phil orchestrated regulatory and legislative backing for civil aviation  use 
of GPS satellite navigation, led consumer support for aviation product  
liability reform that was decisive in Congress, and averted onerous user fees  
during three FAA re-authorizations," said Trimble. 
"Moreover, he facilitated General Aviation's return to the skies following  a 
long post-9/11 grounding by talking sense -- and common-sense cooperative  
programs -- with lawmakers and security officials." 
"I have often mentioned that this day would come, on schedule, as planned  
with my family and the AOPA Board of Trustees," said Boyer. "Now, it's  
official. I am delighted Craig will captain AOPA on the 'next leg' of this  
remarkable 
journey to preserve and advance General Aviation." 
Fuller is to take office on January 1, 2009, following formal election at  
the Trustees' September Annual Meeting of Members. He and Boyer will be  
working 
together on the transition for the remainder of this year. 
-AOPA- 




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