Savannah, GA, January 31, 2008 – Jenny Showalter, customer service manager of Showalter Flying Service and the outgoing chair of the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee, recently reflected on the nine years she has spent on the Committee and the group’s accomplishments during her stint as chair over the past 12 months.

Showalter, who grew up in her family’s Orlando FBO, dove right into the business after college when a key post became vacant on the eve of Showalter Flying Service hosting the Static Display of Aircraft at the 1996 NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention. That also was the same year that Jenny attended her first S&D Conference. “I worked the company booth in Nashville, felt the energy and excitement and wanted to do more,” she said. Shortly afterward, she joined the Committee.

Conference Achievement

As chair, Showalter has led a group of volunteers who have been largely responsible for putting together the 2008 Conference. “I like to say that NBAA provides us with the infrastructure, and we take care of the content.”

As usual, this year’s Conference will have something for everyone. “Every year we try to offer fresh and diverse breakout sessions that suit a wide range of skill levels,” said Showalter, who noted that this year’s sessions are not only labeled by ability level, but are categorized by SEBA level, which ensures that sessions meet the guidelines set forth in NBAA’s Standards of Excellence in Business Aviation Program (www.nbaa.org/seba).

Committee Initiatives

As important as planning the Conference is, the S&D Committee has other year-round responsibilities, said Showalter. Various subcommittees work on projects that include educational initiatives, such as the Schedulers Professional Development Program (SPDP); publicity and communications efforts, through the Committee’s NBAA Dispatch newsletter; regional group outreach; and the Committee’s scholarship program, among others. It’s easy to see why Showalter says volunteering on the S&D Committee “is like a second job.”

As Showalter prepares to end her Committee service, she departs with a sense of accomplishment. “This has been a real growing year for the Committee,” she declared. “We took on nine new members who brought a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and fresh ideas. They came at a perfect time since the Committee is busy preparing to celebrate the Conference’s 20th anniversary in 2009.” She added, “As former chair of the Scholarship Subcommittee, I am proud that they have awarded in excess of $335,000 to schedulers and dispatchers who are looking to excel and succeed. That’s what it is all about!”

To learn more about the S&D Committee and its work, contact NBAA liaison Jo Damato at jdamato@nbaa.org.

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