NATA Promotes Ryan Waguespack to Executive Vice President

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has announced that Ryan Waguespack has been promoted to Executive Vice President effective January 1, 2022.

Ryan Waguespack

“Ryan’s enthusiasm for aviation and his ability to rally membership engagement across a range of issues—including workforce recruitment and development, air charter safety, and infrastructure and innovation support—are both inspiring and invaluable to the Association’s success. He is proactive in his approach to member outreach and always has a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the industry. His leadership skills, industry knowledge, and can-do spirit make him an ideal Executive Vice President. We are pleased to watch Ryan and our Association programs continue to grow as he takes on his expanded role in the new year,” stated NATA President and CEO Timothy Obitts.

Waguespack joined the NATA leadership team in November 2018 as Senior Vice President of Aircraft Management, Air Charter Services and MROs – advancing a number of programs and efforts, including leading the charge in helping to end worldwide illegal charter activities, raising awareness of the value of aviation businesses to communities surrounding GA airports, overseeing the expansion of NATA’s training program platform across multiple industry segments, and assisting hundreds of aviation businesses navigate financial and regulatory relief programs throughout a time of great need.

As Executive Vice President, Waguespack will continue to lead NATA’s strategic flow of regulatory, industry, and member outreach efforts and programs, while taking on additional responsibility for safety program development and increasing NATA’s focus on helping our industry forecast and prepare for the future of flight.

Prior to NATA, Waguespack held the position of vice president of business development at Summit Aviation and served in various business development roles for charter and management operations, as well as aircraft sales. Waguespack also founded the Alabama Business Aviation Association in 2015.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.