300 guests celebrated the newest members into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony and luncheon held on Friday April 11 at the Lone Star Flight Museum located at Ellington Airport. The Class of 2025 (shown in photo above) included Al Cisneros, the first Hispanic pilot with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels; Jeannie Leavitt, the first female U.S. Air Force fighter pilot; and Tammie Jo Shults, one of the first U.S. Navy fighter pilots and heroic airline pilot. The event was held in the Heritage Hangar of the museum among several iconic and historic aircraft. This year’s inductees mark a significant milestone, now boasting 100 members of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame.
Following remarks by museum President & CEO Anna Hawley, board chair Pete Olson presented each of the inductees with the official hall of fame medallion, award and proclamation from the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
In addition to the annual event, attendees enjoyed touring the museum and toasting the new inductees. The event was topped off by a surprise congratulatory video message from Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. In addition to the inductees’ families, friends and colleagues, notable guests included:
- Cyndy Butcher, District Director for State Representative Greg Bonnen
- Briana Little, District Director for Senator Mayes Middleton
- Sarah Jones, Deputy Regional Director for Senator John Cornyn
- Keith Lawyer, husband of Senator Joan Huffman
- Joe Machol, City Council Member of Seabrook
- Mike Foreman, Mayor of Friendswood
- Brian Freedman, President of Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
- Captain Teresa Ferry, Commander, Navy Reserve Center Houston
- Gordon England, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and former U.S. Secretary of the Navy
Special acknowledgment and thank you to the underwriters for the 2025 induction ceremony and luncheon:
- Award Sponsor: Friend of Lone Star Flight Museum, The Patricia Jayne Keefer Foundation, Bette & Ralph Thomas
- Gold Sponsors: Hillwood Development Company, Jane & Charles Szalkowski
- Silver Sponsors: Patrice & Ed Noel, Oaks Academy, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Tavaero Jet Charter, TechTrans International, Texas Southern University
- VIP Sponsors: Angel Flight South Central, The Cisneros Family, DYNO Oil Group, Jeanie Engle, Harco Aviation, LLC, Linda & Barry Hunsaker, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Matthew Noll, Mary & David Novelli, Nancy & The Honorable Pete Olson, Deborah J. Rihn-Harvey, Megan & Jason Ryan, Southwest Airlines, Ellen & Robert Wagnon
The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame was established through a resolution by the 74th Texas Legislature and signed by then Gov. George W. Bush to honor and recognize Texans and Texas companies or organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of aviation. Members of the hall of fame are featured in one of four categories: Trailblazers & Explorers, Military Aviators, Leaders, and Entrepreneurs & Innovators.
Learn more about each of the inductees on the LSFM Texas Aviation Hall of Fame webpage.
