Longtime Missouri aviation advocates Jim and Carolyn Morris were presented the 2016 Friend of
Aviation Award during an April 7th banquet at the Spring Conference of the Missouri Airport Managers
Association (MAMA) held at the Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, Missouri.
The Morrises are both long time pilots, former owners and operators of aviation businesses, and have
served as officers for the Missouri Pilots Association at local chapter and the State level. Carolyn is an
active member of the State Aviation Advisory Committee that advises the Missouri Department of
Transportation (MoDOT) on aviation matters, and she is a former Chair of the Missouri State Aviation
Council.
Special recognition was given to Jim and Carolyn for their leadership and countless volunteer hours to
first establish, and then develop Missouri State Aviation Day into one of the most successful aviation
recognition events in the Country. 2016 is the tenth anniversary of State Aviation Day in Missouri, which
was just held on April 5th at the State Capitol in Jefferson City. The event included a luncheon for
legislators and visits from aviation groups across Missouri highlighting the importance of the aviation
industry to Missouri’s economy.
A recent statewide economic impact study done by MoDOT calculated that the state’s nine commercial
service and 99 public use general aviation airports directly and indirectly generate $11.1 billion in annual
output, and support over 100,000 jobs. This economic contribution was 17% higher than a study done a
decade prior, which shows strong growth.
“State Aviation Day would not be what it is today without the hard work put in by Jim and Carolyn” said
John Bales, Director of the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in his remarks presenting the award. Brian Weiler,
current MAMA President and director of the Springfield airport, said “they are very deserving of this
award and the aviation industry owes them a debt of gratitude.” The Friend of Aviation Award was
developed to recognize individuals that have made a significant contribution to support Missouri aviation.
In their remarks, the Morrises said they were honored to accept this award, “Missouri’s aviation
community is like a family and we have been fortunate to help highlight how vital our airports are to the
communities they serve and to Missouri’s future economic growth.”
MAMA is an organization comprised of administrators and operators of public use airports in Missouri.
We provide a voice on issues impacting airports and offer professional development opportunities for
members through education and networking.
