Six individuals were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards during an April 27th banquet at the Spring Conference of the Missouri Airport Managers Association (MAMA) held at the Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, Missouri.
Missouri’s state aviation program and airport system are among the best in the country. Highlights include a protected State Aviation Trust Fund and dedicated funding from state taxes on aviation fuel sold in Missouri. Hundreds of airport improvement projects across the state have been completed through grants from MoDOT’s Aviation Section.
Much of the groundwork for the aviation programs that benefit all Missouri airports today came from the hard work of these six individuals. Combined, they had over 150 years of service within Missouri aviation. They were instrumental in the formation of MAMA and worked together as a strong voice on issues impacting airports.
Recipients of MAMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award are as follows:
- John Drainer (Retired), Jefferson City Memorial Airport, 1973-1996
- Lloyd Parr (Retired), MoDOT Aviation Section, 1974-1997
- Bob Stuart (Deceased), Malden Regional Airport, 1981-2000
- Ed Noyallis (Retired), Kansas City Downtown Airport, 1980-2003
- Rob Hancik (Retired), Springfield-Branson National Airport, 1972-2004
- Dick Hrabko (Deceased), Spirit of St. Louis and Lambert Intl. Airports, 1964-2009
Each recipient received an etched glass award and the home airport received a plaque honoring the person for display. The organization is also putting a permanent MAMA Lifetime Achievement display in the terminal of the Jefferson City Memorial Airport.
“The state aviation community today owes much to these individuals and MAMA is proud that we are giving them this deserved recognition” said Brian Weiler, current MAMA President and director of the Springfield-Branson National Airport. Â Dennis Wiss, incoming MAMA President and director of the St. Charles Smartt Airport, said “our organization continues to grow and is thriving today because of their vision and hard work.”
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.
