The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will bestow its prestigious Pillar of the Association Award to longtime NBAA executive team member Doug Carr, in recognition of his career-long accomplishments on behalf of the association and its members.
The award will be presented during the kickoff of the Military Connect program at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. Carr has served the nation with distinction as a six-year veteran of the U.S. Navy.
Having most recently served NBAA as senior vice president for safety, security, sustainability and international operations, Carr retired in August after 28 years with the association. His work helped strengthen business aviation safety, preserve access to airspace and airports, and support operators flying internationally.
“Doug’s work is woven into the fabric of NBAA,” said NBAA Interim Chief Operating Officer Dan Hubbard. “Whenever our members faced a security challenge, questions about compliance with a complex safety rule or a barrier to international operations, Doug brought the expertise and persistence needed to find a workable path forward. This award recognizes the lasting difference he has made for NBAA and the people it serves.”
Carr joined NBAA in 1998 as manager of domestic operations. His responsibilities grew through roles in safety, government affairs and regulatory and international affairs, becoming a leading voice for business aviation in discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and aviation authorities abroad.
He contributed to FAA work on flight and rest requirements, led the agency’s Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment aviation rulemaking committee and helped develop the U.S. regulatory framework for fractional aircraft ownership. Carr also led development of safety management system (SMS) standards for business aviation and helped establish the International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations or IS-BAO.
Following 9/11, he helped establish NBAA’s Security Council and devised the security program that restored business aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carr worked with the FAA to address restrictions affecting recurrent training and medical certification.
Internationally, Carr represented business aviation interests at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), worked with aviation authorities in Europe and Asia and helped establish CBP’s business aviation preclearance program in Shannon, Ireland. He also served as corporate secretary for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and as chair of the NGPA.
Before joining NBAA, Carr worked in government and industry affairs at the National Air Transportation Association. He holds degrees in aviation management and aviation flight from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a commercial, multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot and certificated flight instructor.
NBAA presents the Pillar of the Association Award to a current or former team member for career-long accomplishments on behalf of NBAA and its members. Formerly the Staff Lifetime Achievement Award, the honor is not presented annually.
