PNAA EXECUTIVE WELCOME
On behalf of our Board of Directors and the PNAA Team , we welcome you to PNAA ADVANCE 2023 , our 22nd Annual Aerospace Conference . Our theme is : Innovate , Collaborate , Accelerate .
First , I would like to thank everyone joining the conference for your support . Also , a hear�elt thank-you to all our corporate circle sponsors . It is through your support that our team can continue to do what we do best .
Perhaps it ’ s the challenging year or coming out of COVID that has me feeling reflective , but I ’ d like to share those reflections with you . As someone who has been in this industry for well over half of my life , I have been through many seasons during my career in aerospace . Many of those were spent attending the PNAA conferences and events , so this organization is very dear to me .
I have been attending the PNAA Conference for many years ( about 12 ): first , as an outside salesperson , then as business development , business owner , board member , and board chair . Now , going into my second year at the conference as CEO , I want to take this opportunity to reflect on what it has meant to me and my career .
Nikki Malcom PNAA CEO & Executive Director
When I first started attending the conference , I felt very intimidated . So much information was imparted from experts and leaders in the field ; it was the first time I started to understand just how vast the industry was and how connected we all are . I knew I loved aerospace and airplanes , but this is when I really started to love the industry itself . Many of those new people took me under their wings and helped me grow .
PNAA was giving my career so much , and I knew I wanted to be a part of it , so I joined the board in 2016 . Since becoming the CEO in 2021 , I have had the privilege of getting to work with the team at PNAA and they have helped me grow as a leader . Seeing a group of people so dedicated to the work we do keeps me inspired every day .
When you think of how you can get the most out of the conference , I would say to not only look at the benefit to your business , but also ask , how can you be personally enriched by this experience ? How can you deepen your knowledge or love of the industry ? How can you deepen your personal relationships with your network ? I can assure you that if you lean into connection , it can have a profound impact on your career .
Having started in the industry at such a young age , you might say the industry helped raise me . And so , I will forever owe a debt of gratitude . My career has taken me places I never thought possible and PNAA has been there all along the way . It ’ s from this gratitude that I serve our industry and support aerospace in any way that I can . Every challenge we face has the potential to help us become stronger , and from that strength we will continue our upward trajectory and help aerospace shine for years to come .
A career in aerospace has the power to change your life . It certainly changed mine , and my passion is helping others grow and continue to enrich this industry that has brought us all so much .
I look forward to connecting with you at PNAA ADVANCE 2023 !
CEO & Executive Director
PNAA ADVANCE / 2023
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2023 ISSUE NO . 31 57
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