The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has announced that it will present the organization’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award to Pete Agur at the 2018 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), to be held Oct. 16-18, in Orlando, FL. The Doswell Award recognizes lifelong individual achievement on behalf of and in support of the aims, goals and objectives of business aviation.
Agur is the chairman and founder of The VanAllen Group, an aviation management consultancy. Prior to founding The VanAllen Group in 1993, he began his consulting career in 1985 with the Mescon Group, an organization design consulting firm.
Agur began his aviation career in 1968 as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot and safety officer. From 1973-1985, he was marketing manager and sales representative for four domestic and international airframe manufacturers.
He has served on what today are known as NBAA’s Business Aviation Management Committee and Safety Committee, and has served as chairman of an NBAA convention local committee. He was instrumental in the start of NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference, founded both the NBAA Leadership Conference as well as Georgia State University’s Business Aviation Leadership certification program. In 2006, he received NBAA’s Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) designation.
Agur has served on the Flight Safety Foundation’s Corporate Advisory Committee as vice chairman, and has been a member of the Society of Aerospace Communicators, as well as the Aviation Speakers Bureau. He is a guest lecturer and keynote speaker at universities, colleges and industry programs, and has had more than 100 articles published or cited in a wide variety of magazines, including FORTUNE, The Wall Street Journal, Business Aviation Management Journal, AeroSafety World, Business Aviation Safety Journal, BusinessJet Traveler, Flying Magazine, Career Pilot and Professional Pilot.
Agur holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical sciences from Denver’s Metropolitan State College. He holds an ATP for fixed wing, commercial helicopter and private glider ratings. He also is a former military, airline and civil flight and ground instructor.
“NBAA and the business aviation community are indebted to Pete for his lifelong dedication to the safety and growth of business aviation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Through his extensive service on a number of NBAA committees, and his involvement with many industry safety and performance initiatives, Pete has had a positive and lasting influence on the industry.”
