Does AOPA hire anyone to work in GA airport advocacy?

[N918KT]

Hello all. At one point or another, I considered working for AOPA because I really want to support GA and GA airports.

As you may know, I got a bachelors degree in aviation administration and most of my course work in college relates to airport management and how airports run. I am also planning to seek accreditation from AAAE as a Certified Member, which will expand my knowledge in airport management.

On AOPA's website, I noticed that in addition to the thousands of AOPA Airport Support Network volunteers, there are also airport regional managers for each U.S. region. I am wondering if there is a way to work for AOPA in GA airport advocacy or if they offer some kind of job in GA airport advocacy?

 

[JB1842]

I know a guy who worked for AOPA doing just that years ago. He's the manager at an airport in VA now. I have no idea how he got the job, and we weren't in contact when he did it.

 

[wsuffa]

Just be aware that the internal politics and operations of membership non-profits are completely and distinctly different than corporations. Yes, AOPA hires some folks from time to time, I've met a few folks that worked there at one time or another.

 

[Irish_Armada]

They have regional government affairs managers who are basically lobbyists for AOPA. They are broken down into 7 regions (see here: http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Airports-and-State-Advocacy.aspx). I have met their west region lobbyist (who covers CA, HI, NV, and AZ) on a couple of occasions because I also hail from that slimy profession. So if you're interested in being a real advocate for them, you have 7 regions to potentially choose from, but I presume the competition is stiff.

 

[airdale]

Just be aware that the internal politics and operations of membership non-profits are completely and distinctly different than corporations ...

Yes. I say it a little differently: Any organization that does not produce a measurable output inevitably becomes primarily political in its internal operations. This brings most government organizations into the generalization.

The reason is pretty simple and understandable: Absent any objective measure of individual results, management is left to make decisions based on who likes whom and who knows whom. A highly unpopular salesman who brings in half of a company's gross sales will keep his job forever. A highly unpopular grant administrator will lose hers in short order.

 

[wsuffa]

Yes. I say it a little differently: Any organization that does not produce a measurable output inevitably becomes primarily political in its internal operations. This brings most government organizations into the generalization.

The reason is pretty simple and understandable: Absent any objective measure of individual results, management is left to make decisions based on who likes whom and who knows whom. A highly unpopular salesman who brings in half of a company's gross sales will keep his job forever. A highly unpopular grant administrator will lose hers in short order.

No disagreement, but a Government organization is a distinctly different animal internally from a membership organization from a corporation. Much, much different constituencies and much, much different ways of dealing with others. (There is a fourth type of organization which is a trade group/standards body which also has it's own internal politics).

 

[jonnyjetprop]

http://www.aopa.org/About-AOPA/Join-the-AOPA-Team/Current-Openings

 

[timwinters]

but I presume the competition is stiff.

I've spent a fair amount of time with two of them and both were quite inept. I just assumed that they were both someone's daughter/son/sister/brother/aunt/uncle and got the job because of that.

The competition may be stiff because you might need to be related to someone to get the position. Nepotism seems to be the rule of the day at AOPA.

 

[MichiPilot]

I've spent a fair amount of time with two of them and both were quite inept. I just assumed that they were both someone's daughter/son/sister/brother/aunt/uncle and got the job because of that.

The competition may be stiff because you might need to be related to someone to get the position. Nepotism seems to be the rule of the day at AOPA.

I'll bite. Why do you say that?

 

[wsuffa]

The competition may be stiff because you might need to be related to someone to get the position. Nepotism seems to be the rule of the day at AOPA.

I haven't seen that at all.

But the pay at membership organizations is typically not all that good, so many folks move on after a while.