EAA
Tom Poberezny
Tom Poberezny is uniquely qualified for his role as President and CEO of
EAA, the 170,000-member international organization that represents the
world of recreational aviation.
Poberezny is a member of the prestigious Centennial of Flight Commission, officially charged by the U.S. Congress with "coordinating and publicizing public activities celebrating the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and commemorating a century of powered flight." The Commission’s role is to encourage the broadest national and international support for programs, projects and events that will "involve, educate, enrich and inspire the maximum number of people."
As President of the EAA Aviation Foundation, Poberezny is directing the Foundation’s effort to become an innovator in aviation education and outreach. The Foundation’s education efforts have greatly expanded in the last several years, including development of the "Vision of Eagles" initiative and the Science-Math-Technology (S-M-T) project, which will develop methods to motivate students utilizing aviation-based curricula.
Poberezny is also Chairman of the organization’s annual convention — EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — an aviation gathering with an attendance of 800,000 people and 12,000 airplanes at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each year.
Poberezny graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in industrial engineering. He developed an interest in competitive aerobatics and within a few years, won the 1973 U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and earned a place on the American team that captured the 1972 world title at Salon, France. In 1972, he also joined Gene Soucy and the late Charlie Hillard to form the "Red Devils" (later "The Eagles") Aerobatic Team. For 25 years, the trio was one of the world’s premier air show acts.
Poberezny is also active in numerous civic and aviation organizations. He is also a founding member of the U.S. Aerobatic Foundation and has served on many other regional, national and international governing and educational boards.
Randal Dietrich
Randal Dietrich, who has more than 12 years of experience producing
national touring events, has been named Executive Director of EAA’s
"Countdown to Kitty Hawk" initiative, which is celebrating the
centennial of the Wright brothers’ first flight by re-creating it in
December 2003 at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
In this new role, Dietrich will be responsible for a national promotional program for Countdown to Kitty Hawk, help coordinate the nationwide touring, and work closely with program sponsors and other organizations involved in the project, along with other key elements.
"It is a privilege to be joining EAA and its members in celebrating the Wright brothers’ first flight," said Dietrich. "This is the single most significant moment of the last century, and Countdown to Kitty Hawk will allow a global audience to step back in time."
Prior to joining EAA, Dietrich most recently worked as Executive Producer of the Bancroft Arnesen Expedition. That project followed two women as they skied across Antarctica in early 2001. Inspired by Earnest Shakleton's historic voyage aboard the Endurance, the expedition marks the first successful women's crossing of the continent and one of the longest ski treks in history. The title sponsor was Volvo. In that role, Dietrich handled marketing, sponsor relations, media coverage and identity issues for the mission.
Previous to that, he gained event management experience with such diverse programs as the Twin Cities (Minn.) and Chicago AIDS Ride cycling events, and coordinated logistics for a 100-person, 3,000-mile bicycle trip in support of The Hunger Project, which culminated at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle.
Dietrich graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology, psychology and sport management. He has also done post-graduate work there in the area of sport management.
