AMA IS SEEKING A CFO
By Rich Hanson, AMA President | richh@modelaircraft.org
THERE ARE MANY WAYS to support the mission of AMA, to include the giving of your time, talent, and treasure. Our members support AMA’s mission through their membership dues and donations to our charitable programs.
Many people volunteer their time at events or on committees, and some members provide their talents and expertise to help grow the hobby. Keith Sessions is one of our members who supports the mission of AMA by giving all three to the hobby: his time, talent, and personal treasures.
This year marks the 10th year that Keith has volunteered his talent and expertise as AMA’s chief financial officer (CFO). We are grateful for Keith’s dedication to the hobby and the countless hours that he has invested volunteering as AMA’s CFO. Because of Keith’s work, AMA has a strong reserve and is financially solvent.
Although AMA would greatly benefit with Keith continuing as its corporate CFO, he supports AMA’s Executive Council (EC) term limits and believes strongly in a structured turnover aimed at bringing in diversity, new ideas, and fresh, new perspectives. Completing his third three-year term, Keith plans to step down as AMA’s CFO at the end of the year.
In April 2006, the EC instituted term limits for its elected officers. Shortly thereafter, AMA adopted a term-limit policy in the Standing Rules, which can be found under Article X Section 3. Although the CFO is not an elected position, we applaud Keith for honoring the intent of the Standing Rules to encourage new leadership within the organization.
At its July council meeting, the EC established a search committee chaired by AMA Executive Vice President Randy Cameron. The committee is updating the CFO job description and will be evaluating applications. We are inviting anyone with financial acumen and a passion to serve the hobby to consider applying for the CFO position.
Following are a few excerpts of the job description, functions, and candidate experiences for this volunteer position. You can read the entire job description on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org by clicking on “Current Openings” under the “About AMA” menu listing.
- Serves as an AMA Executive Officer and nonvoting member of the Executive Council.
- Attends and participates in Executive Council meetings.
- Supervise the budget preparation and financial planning for the organization.
- Provides reports to the membership, Executive Council, and staff.
- Works with stockbrokers, investment bankers, and trust department officials.
- Is well versed and able to evaluate all tax-related matters and codes for nonprofit organizations.
- Has a bachelor’s degree in finance with at least five years’ experience.
- An aeromodeling background and 501(c)3 board of director experience are preferred.
If you have an interest in applying or learning more, please submit your résumé to Randy at flyrc@modelaircraft.org. He will share it with the search committee for consideration. It is the hope of the committee to identify a candidate during or shortly after the October 21, 2023, EC meeting.
Thank you to all of our volunteers and thank you, Keith, for your extraordinary work in serving AMA and helping us to grow the hobby!
Two of AMA’s legacy Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have reached a monumental milestone and are celebrating their 50th anniversaries as SIGs: the Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association (PAMPA) and the National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA)!
From Joe Daly’s “Control Line Aerobatics” column, as seen in the April 2023 issue of Model Aviation:
This year marks a milestone for the Control Line (CL) Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) event, and it’s also a milestone for AMA. PAMPA turns 50 years old in August 2023.
For those who do not know, PAMPA is an AMA-recognized SIG that works with AMA to advocate for CL Precision Aerobatics issues. PAMPA was formed in 1973 at the Nats in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where its first general meeting took place and its first officers were elected. It was created shortly after the U.S. Navy ceased sponsoring the Nats.
The first Prop Wash newsletter outlined the goals for the organization and its vision for CL Precision Aerobatics:
- To create an organization composed of CL Stunt pilots to make competition better, to get the event up to date, to influence rule changes, and to look out for the event.
- To establish a member newsletter for ideas, articles, proposals, and polls.
- To establish mail voting on issues concerning CL Precision Aerobatics.
- And the “biggie,” to select the event directors to administer the CL Precision Aerobatics Nats program.
Since its inception and throughout the years, PAMPA has been able to achieve these four objectives by creating the PAMPA skill classes, helping to make competition better and establishing the monthly newsletter Prop Wash, later renamed Stunt News in August 1973. Stunt News, now a quarterly publication, has gone from a simple circular of only a few mimeographed pages to a 100-plus-page, professionally produced newsletter.
NSRCA’s mission is to encourage and promote RC Aerobatics (Pattern) throughout the world. NSRCA assists AMA in hosting the annual Nats, and Pattern pilots compete in a series of regional and local contests across the country.
The philosophy and goal of Pattern flying is to improve piloting skills and to make pilots better at controlling their aircraft. Rather than flying a model airplane around the sky with no particular goal or flight plan, a Pattern pilot is taught to control their aircraft precisely by centering maneuvers, maintaining a flight line parallel to the runway, and ensuring that all radii are identical and roll rates are consistent. This is demanding and addictive!
NSRCA is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of competitive flying. Its goals are to:
- Create a national community of competitive pilots who share information about flying and building Pattern aircraft through printed, digital, and social media.
- Develop new aerobatic sequences for all AMA-based competition classes.
- Encourage fellow sport fliers to increase their skill levels through competition.
- Work with the Academy of Model Aeronautics Contest Board for RC Aerobatics to provide counsel on rules changes based on member feedback.
- Develop and maintain judging criteria.
NSRCA has a monthly publication available to its members called the K-Factor. The official website is www.nsrca.us. NSRCA offers tutorials for its members on topics such as airplane trimming, maneuver presentation, aircraft building, preventative maintenance, understanding Pattern rules and regulations, and how to host a contest.
Various regions of the country host Pattern primers and judging clinics. The goal of these clinics is to teach pilots how to better fly Pattern and for judges to be better judges.
In 2023, NSRCA celebrates its 50th anniversary!
Congratulations to both PAMPA and NSRCA for their achievements and their 50-year anniversaries!
Keep ’em safe, keep ’em flying, and continue to enjoy this great hobby!
