Priester Aviation is leaning into attracting a more diverse and inclusive workforce for aviation via a collaboration with the David B. O’Maley College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in supporting Project Liftoff.
In addition to a financial contribution of $50,000 in scholarships over the next five years, Priester is providing personal support through direct involvement. Chairman Andy Priester will serve as a mentor and guest speaker in the O’Maley College of Business.
Priester is not new to the classroom. He served as a teacher early in his career. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Dayton. After that came a master’s in educational leadership from Concordia University Chicago. Working with young people has been a lifelong passion of his.
“We are proud to have helped support and launch a program that targets under-represented future aerospace leaders,” says Andy Priester. “Project Liftoff, as part of the world’s preeminent aeronautical university, will transform individual lives and, through them, our industry overall.”
The first Project Liftoff student, Jerry Bracey II, joins Embry-Riddle this fall through Project Liftoff sponsorship. He will study the Business of Flight at the College of Business.
The college prepares students for high-level careers. That ranges from marketing a multi-million-dollar aircraft to creating a strategic plan for a global charter company.
Roughly 94% of its students are either employed or pursuing advanced degrees within one year of graduation.
“The business of aviation has grown increasingly complex, and Project Liftoff helps ensure we have a diverse pool of dynamic, safety-first leaders who are fully prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead,” says Priester. “We hope that our peers will join us in supporting Project Liftoff, enabling more students to experience the distinctive and transformative education provided by the O’Maley College of Business.”