Mark Baker to step down at AOPA

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Times are changing… It used to be that an accounting team from one of the big four would select the winner. Now it’s given to “exciting digital marketing firms with proprietary algorithms” to pick the winner.

I cynically wonder if the selection process puts a finger on the scale towards a person has a large social media following to boost the AOPA brand reach. (See: the “open to members” AOPA trivia contest at Oshkosh)

 
OneCharlieTango said:
People resenting how much Baker gets paid, the use of the 170, the Citation, the Extra. . . . .you sound just like those who resent “those rich guys in their little airplanes,” who build houses under approach paths and then lobby to have the airport closed.

Envy is ugly. In this case, you might even call it maladaptive. It’s certainly ironic.
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So members can’t determine or complain how their money is spent? Or wasted?
 
Dave Anderson said:
So members can’t determine or complain how their money is spent? Or wasted?
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Exactly. That plane has seemingly been done for months. Give it away don't let these kids bang it around.
 
The drawings and scholarships always seemed to be a little, “iffy”?

Just saying
 
Todd82 said:
Exactly. That plane has seemingly been done for months. Give it away don't let these kids bang it around.
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What does it matter? Whoever wins it will have it sold almost immediately to avoid the tax burden. But we'll hear all about how they plan to fly it everywhere in the article about the winner.
 
Racerx said:
What does it matter? Whoever wins it will have it sold almost immediately to avoid the tax burden. But we'll hear all about how they plan to fly it everywhere in the article about the winner.
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Those kids aren't advancing advocacy for GA or anything of the sort that AOPA dues are for. Therefore I'm not going to donate money to a free flying club for a bunch of kids of Delta pilots.

I actually like Cayla, followed her on social well before she started at AOPA so this isn't negative about her. But seeing that plane become nothing but a flying club for the friends of Cayla was the final frivolous expenditure for me to stop giving money to AOPA.
 
Todd82 said:
Those kids aren't advancing advocacy for GA or anything of the sort that AOPA dues are for. Therefore I'm not going to donate money to a free flying club for a bunch of kids of Delta pilots.

I actually like Cayla, followed her on social well before she started at AOPA so this isn't negative about her. But seeing that plane become nothing but a flying club for the friends of Cayla was the final frivolous expenditure for me to stop giving money to AOPA.
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That we know this at all is a strong indicator that Cayla is doing good work in social media marketing.

My criticism is that AOPA, as the historical voice of general aviation, seems to be focused on areas that don’t seem to benefit the piston-powered ground pounder world. For that, I also support EAA and the RAF.

Ultimately, I think I benefit by having multiple groups advocate for GA. Much like my friend group, I still like and hang out with folks that I don’t agree with 100% of the time.
 
Todd82 said:
Those kids aren't advancing advocacy for GA or anything of the sort that AOPA dues are for. Therefore I'm not going to donate money to a free flying club for a bunch of kids of Delta pilots.

I actually like Cayla, followed her on social well before she started at AOPA so this isn't negative about her. But seeing that plane become nothing but a flying club for the friends of Cayla was the final frivolous expenditure for me to stop giving money to AOPA.
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Ahh. See I thought it was the plane depreciating in value having hours flown off. But I could argue they're getting it beyond infant mortality.

I do agree that social media work can be done without the "club" plane. Go fly in cool planes to cool places with actual members. I don't follow social media so I'm apparently out of the loop. The 300 was a gift. But there's really no need for it.
 
OneCharlieTango said:
People resenting how much Baker gets paid, the use of the 170, the Citation, the Extra. . . . .you sound just like those who resent “those rich guys in their little airplanes,” who build houses under approach paths and then lobby to have the airport closed.

Envy is ugly. In this case, you might even call it maladaptive. It’s certainly ironic.
Click to expand...

It’s a little different when it’s our dues money he’s spending.
 
OneCharlieTango said:
People resenting how much Baker gets paid, the use of the 170, the Citation, the Extra. . . . .you sound just like those who resent “those rich guys in their little airplanes,” who build houses under approach paths and then lobby to have the airport closed.

Envy is ugly. In this case, you might even call it maladaptive. It’s certainly ironic.
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Apples and oranges. I don't care what a rich guy does with his own money. I do care what AOPA member dues/donations get spent on that has little to do with advocacy. The Extra 300 was a "gift", but it doesn't help AOPA do anything meaningful for GA. It's akin to a CEO buying a Ford Raptor for a company vehicle. The scholarships sometimes look the same as how the CEO's kid got the paid internship at his own company. Rich people doing rich-people things with non-profit money.
 
I don't care about the salary (It's market rate for that level), and I really don't care that an aviation organization has planes (Really?). And YES, the CEO of Ford should be driving a Ford Raptor.

IMHO, Baker has done mostly OK. He's leaving it in better shape than he found it. Fuller was a disaster and he had to clean up a lot of messes. Another Boyer would be awesome. My biggest issue is that AOPA is not aggressive at all. They work on the edges and we are better off with them there, but they don't ruffle any feathers and there's not much in the way of initiatives.

The President needs to be a committed Airplane Owner and Pilot.

But I complain, the endowment is way too large and ineffective. They need to put it to use. Hard blitz for MOSAIC for example. Pick a fight from time-to-time.
 
I don't even know the skill set needed to, say, stare down the giant FAA pension mill and refusenik culture. Who is the right person for that? An attorney? A tabloid sensationalist? A lobbyist?

Would the same skill set be able to stop the dramatic rent-seeking of FBOs and public airport spaces?

I'm unaware of any recent success stories so I have no names to throw out. Surely someone somewhere managed to fight the man and win, though? :)

For 1.6MM the dude can afford some mentos. ;)
 
AOPA should just be honest change the name to BJOO. Business jet owners organization and let the piston folks know they are welcome as members.
 
schmookeeg said:
I don't even know the skill set needed to, say, stare down the giant FAA pension mill and refusenik culture. Who is the right person for that? An attorney? A tabloid sensationalist? A lobbyist?

Would the same skill set be able to stop the dramatic rent-seeking of FBOs and public airport spaces?

I'm unaware of any recent success stories so I have no names to throw out. Surely someone somewhere managed to fight the man and win, though? :)

For 1.6MM the dude can afford some mentos. ;)
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My experience with bureaucracy is that most effective change agents work at the margins. The Don Quixote's, while exciting for some, are quickly dispatched with prejudice.

Thread question is what is on AOPA's agenda for change, other than selling ad space in the magazine?
 
schmookeeg said:
I don't even know the skill set needed to, say, stare down the giant FAA pension mill and refusenik culture. Who is the right person for that? An attorney? A tabloid sensationalist? A lobbyist?

Would the same skill set be able to stop the dramatic rent-seeking of FBOs and public airport spaces?

I'm unaware of any recent success stories so I have no names to throw out. Surely someone somewhere managed to fight the man and win, though? :)

For 1.6MM the dude can afford some mentos. ;)
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What if the problem isn’t dramatic rent-seeking of FBOs and the problem is the FBOs passing on the dramatic rents charged by the airports?
 
OneCharlieTango said:
I swear, if Mark Baker gave some of you people a bl** j** you’d complain that he had bad breath.
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Is this Mark Bakers account? Most of us would probably pass on that
jbarrass said:
I don't care about the salary (It's market rate for that level), and I really don't care that an aviation organization has planes (Really?). And YES, the CEO of Ford should be driving a Ford Raptor.

IMHO, Baker has done mostly OK. He's leaving it in better shape than he found it. Fuller was a disaster and he had to clean up a lot of messes. Another Boyer would be awesome. My biggest issue is that AOPA is not aggressive at all. They work on the edges and we are better off with them there, but they don't ruffle any feathers and there's not much in the way of initiatives.

The President needs to be a committed Airplane Owner and Pilot.

But I complain, the endowment is way too large and ineffective. They need to put it to use. Hard blitz for MOSAIC for example. Pick a fight from time-to-time.
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i think this is my biggest issue.
 
Clip4 said:
What if the problem isn’t dramatic rent-seeking of FBOs and the problem is the FBOs passing on the dramatic rents charged by the airports?
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Possible? I have no idea. Someone, say, some sort of association of pilots and airplane owners, might want to shed some sunlight on wtf is going on with fee inflation?

I imagine this stuff affects the EAA planes also in some way. Maybe EAA is going to take the piston advocacy business from AOPA and leave them their jets and wine clubs.
 
tspear said:
Actually GAMI and multiple others said the GAMI STC would not have happened with Baker and AOPA.
BasicMed also passed, largely because of AOPA.
There are plenty more.

Tim
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Let’s also not forget, beating back ATC privatization. If that one piece of legislation had past, bugsmasher aviation would probably be gone by now.
 
Half Fast said:
I don’t know where you get your numbers. Baker’s salary is almost 6x that.
paddockpost.com

Executive Compensation at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) (4) who advocates on behalf of its members (estimated to be 280,000) to “protect your freedom to fly.&#82…
paddockpost.com paddockpost.com
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Pretty sure the captain salary is off by 40% now too

It’s less about what he makes and make about their lack of ability to really drive more tangible results with the war chest and resources they now just seem to enjoy
 
Dave Anderson said:
Pretty sure the captain salary is off by 40% now too

It’s less about what he makes and make about their lack of ability to really drive more tangible results with the war chest and resources they now just seem to enjoy
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I agree. The salary isn’t excessive for the CEO of AOPA. It is excessive for Mark Baker.
 
Rcmutz said:
Let’s also not forget, beating back ATC privatization. If that one piece of legislation had past, bugsmasher aviation would probably be gone by now.
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Wait? I thought the government is bad and the private sector is good?
 
Clip4 said:
Wait? I thought the government is bad and the private sector is good?
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LOL…. Well there are some services that are inherently the governments responsibility. Then there are others they have no business being in!
 
Clip4 said:
Wait? I thought the government is bad and the private sector is good?
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Normally it is, but when farming something out to the private sector is the government‘s idea, it’s kind of like when one of your competitors recommends you to one of their customers….it’s just a little suspicious, and it seldom works out for you.
 
jbarrass said:
IMHO, Baker has done mostly OK. He's leaving it in better shape than he found it.
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Is he? As best I can tell, membership is about where it was when he took the reins. Dues have increased considerably. I think the track record on issues is a bit mediocre.


jbarrass said:
My biggest issue is that AOPA is not aggressive at all.
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No, it's not, and for what he's paid I expect a CEO with a bit more fight in him. The salary isn't way out of line for the job, but I think it's out of line for Mark Baker.

jbarrass said:
But I complain, the endowment is way too large and ineffective. They need to put it to use. Hard blitz for MOSAIC for example. Pick a fight from time-to-time.
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:yeahthat:

Too little bang for the buck. AOPA is heavily funded by the grassroots bugsmasher people, but largely fights battles for the kerosene burners. MOSAIC is very late in coming and is not getting an aggressive push by the AOPA. GAMA seems to be trying to cut its legs off and I don't see AOPA fighting them.
 
How has this thread not devolved into a personal attack on Mark Baker?
 
MauleSkinner said:
Normally it is, but when farming something out to the private sector is the government‘s idea, it’s kind of like when one of your competitors recommends you to one of their customers….it’s just a little suspicious, and it seldom works out for you.
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Let’s be honest. Everyone thinks the government is bad except when the government is subsidizing something they want. Then that part of the government is good.
 
TCABM said:
How has this thread not devolved into a personal attack on Mark Baker?
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He seems like a nice enough guy who genuinely loves airplanes and had a sweet gig. Hard to hate on that. Was he a good leader of aopa? I don't know. Maybe not. I hear they've had worse, and I'm not sure who would be any better.

I know I wouldn't want to appear before congress all the time and rub elbows with the swamp creatures. For 1.5MM i might be persuaded though. It's a political job to be sure. I think he represented pilots well, but didn't drive the organization forward.
 
Jim K said:
He seems like a nice enough guy who genuinely loves airplanes and had a sweet gig. Hard to hate on that. Was he a good leader of aopa? I don't know. Maybe not. I hear they've had worse, and I'm not sure who would be any better.

I know I wouldn't want to appear before congress all the time and rub elbows with the swamp creatures. For 1.5MM i might be persuaded though. It's a political job to be sure. I think he represented pilots well, but didn't drive the organization forward.
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This is a very accurate statement. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, just too much of a politician. I’d do it for 1/2 that salary if anyone wants to nominate me
 
Dave Anderson said:
Nobody mentioned Dan Gryder?
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I'd get lifetime AOPA/DTSB membership instantly. Imagine the hangar spaces freed up from use as storage units.

Dan has a lobbyist in queue already:
 
Half Fast said:
I’m sure AOPA is hard at work on that. Any moment now....
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Mark Baker did a talk and stated that Canada is waiting for ICAO to accept it. It makes it easier for them to push through their process. And AOPA has been working on getting ICAO to accept it.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Long ago I concluded the EAA was a better representative and better value.
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Best is to be a member of all of them.

In dealing with Congress numbers count (voters). So if everyone only joins one organization, they get counted once. Join several, get counted more than once.
 
Jim K said:
....but didn't drive the organization forward.
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Agreed, and I don’t think he communicated openly with the members. He seems to act as though members are akin to rank & file employees in a corporation. Being CEO of a membership organization requires a different style than running a company.
 
Half Fast said:
Agreed, and I don’t think he communicated openly with the members. He seems to act as though members are akin to rank & file employees in a corporation. Being CEO of a membership organization requires a different style than running a company.
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While I don’t disagree, Haynes’ departure left a clear void; I think the bigger problem, which is linked with your thought, was not having a clear succession plan and strategy in place before Haynes left.

The debacle that This Week in AOPA turned into had to be embarrassing for the organization.
 
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