The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has named business aviation flight attendant Rebekah Knaster as the recipient of its first Cheri Rudd Memorial Scholarship, for exemplifying business aviation’s commitment to exceptional customer service.
Knaster was awarded a $2,500 scholarship to attend accredited professional training courses focused on advanced customer service.
This annual scholarship was created in memory of Cheri Rudd, who as NBAA’s longtime manager for office coordination established a professional and cordial standard of customer service that epitomized the association’s dedication to excellence.
Rudd joined NBAA as a receptionist in 1990 after serving in similar positions with several Washington, DC, firms. She quickly became known by everyone associated with NBAA as a trusted resource, dedicated to answering people’s questions, helping solve their problems, and getting them whatever information was requested in a timely manner.
Rudd, who passed away in 2018, was one of the first NBAA employees inducted into the association’s Order of the Orange Crate, which recognizes staff members who make NBAA a great organization.
“Cheri was a warm and gracious person who brought experience, understanding and kindness to everything she did at NBAA,” said association President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The Cheri Rudd Memorial Scholarship keeps her memory alive and inspires others to commit themselves to the highest level of professionalism.”
The Cheri Rudd Memorial Scholarship was created by NBAA, in coordination with NBAA Charities, to support business aviation professionals demonstrating exemplary dedication to professionalism, life-long learning and helping others.
Funds of up to $2,500 are awarded to recipients to attend professional training opportunities, including but not limited to the following sources: NBAA Leadership Conference, NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), Disney Institute and Ritz-Carlton. Learn more about the NBAA Cheri Rudd Memorial Scholarship.
NBAA Charities offers monetary and training scholarships for both students and aviation professionals, such as flight department managers, pilots, maintenance technicians, schedulers, dispatchers, flight attendants and flight technicians. These scholarships, which total nearly $100,000 annually, are administered by NBAA standing committees and would not be possible without the generous financial support of NBAA member donors.
