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Mike joined AOPA as managing editor of AOPA Pilot magazine\nin 1994 and quickly became an integral player on the media team. Over the\nyears, he has led the magazine production process for AOPA Pilot and Flight\nTraining magazines, shepherded the growth of AOPA ePilot and other email\nnewsletters, developed our digital magazine strategy, and, of course, wrote\nmany hundreds of magazine features and news articles. He most recently held the\nrole of Technical Editor and Director of Business Operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mike\u2019s first love was photography. He learned darkroom\nskills on his own in junior high school and went on to earn a photojournalism\ndegree from Western Kentucky University. From there he worked at various\nnewspapers as a photographer, photo editor, and editor. An interest in aviation\nled him to co-found The Southern Aviator, a tabloid covering aviation in the\nSouth before being hired at AOPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, Mike was the main organizer of the Atlanta\nPhotojournalism Seminar\u2019s photography awards program, always looking for ways\nto assist other photojournalists. He also served on the board for that program.\nIn recent years, he has served on the board of the International Society of\nAviation Photographers. In addition to photography, Mike excelled at\nvideography and most recently earned a Part 107 sUAS certificate in order to\nuse drones to provide yet another perspective to his photography and\nvideography imagery. He also was a private pilot with an instrument rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his decades of service at AOPA, he became well known\nin the aviation industry\u2014and widely admired for his big grin and helpful\nattitude. When tasked with helping the average aircraft owner to understand the\nemerging ADS-B mandate, Mike, as usual, dove into the topic and soon became an\nindustry expert on the subject, writing dozens of stories and speaking at\ndozens of events on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMike\u2019s always positive and helpful attitude opened many\ndoors for him and gained him great respect here at AOPA and around the\nindustry,\u201d said AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker. \u201cAll of aviation has\nsuffered a loss with his untimely passing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mike\u2019s passing leaves an especially giant hole at AOPA as\nhis wife Janette also works at AOPA. She and Mike met at AOPA decades ago when\nJanette worked in the AOPA Communications Division. They married in 1999 and\nbetween them have three children: Jennifer, Matthew, and Bridget. Janette now\nworks in the AOPA Pilot Information Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWords cannot convey the grief we feel with the passing of\nour friend and colleague,\u201d said Tom Haines, AOPA Senior Vice president of\nMedia, Communications, and Outreach, and editor in chief. \u201cAnyone who has ever\nread a story in our magazines or our email newsletters has benefited from\nMike\u2019s expertise. He and Janette are a part of our family here at AOPA. His\npassion for knowledge and educating will be missed for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Memorial donations are appreciated and can be sent to\nKentucky Steam Heritage Corp., 499 Kirkland Ave., Irvine, KY 40336; the Animal\nWelfare Society of Jefferson County, 23 Poor Farm Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430;\nthe AOPA Foundation (www.aopa.org) or the charity of your choice. If you\u2019re\nable, donate blood or platelets in his honor\u2014even one pint makes a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n