A joint event with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) and Hesston College Aviation, on June 4 will provide an opportunity for those with interest in international economic development or the aviation industry to learn more about opportunities within south central Kansas.
Hesston College Aviation will host the MEDA Kansas Network Hub for its quarterly gathering and catered meal at 5:30 p.m. at the Hesston College hangar at the Newton City/County Airport, 502 N. Oliver, Newton, Kan. The evening programming and meal are free though donations are welcome to help with expenses. Reservations are required by Friday, May 31 at meda.org/kansas-event or by contacting sballard@harperindustries.com or 620-896-7381. Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted until maximum capacity is reached.
The evening’s programming will include tours of the Hesston College Aviation facility and airplane fleet, meeting the instructors, and demonstrations on the Redbird MCX Advanced Training Device. Program director Mike Baker and other college representatives will also share about Hesston College’s 48-year history in training pilots and the recent addition of a four-year bachelor’s degree track in aviation-professional pilot, which will be offered as an option along with the two-year associate degree track beginning in fall 2019.
Along with pilot training, Hesston College also offers a plan of study in aviation-air traffic control, and is the only program in the state of Kansas and one of 36 nationwide to be approved as a Collegiate Training Initiative program by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Baker has served as director of Hesston College Aviation since July 2018. A graduate of Hesston’s aviation program, Baker worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation/FAA – Wichita Flight Standards District Office (US DOT/FAA – FSDO) as a front line manager in the General Aviation Operations Unity and Flight Safety International Certificate Management Unit from 2014 to 2018. He had previously served US DOT/FAA – FSDO as principal operations inspector and aviation safety inspector, as well as ground/simulator/aircraft instructor with FlightSafety International (Wichita), and manager, flight trainer/chief instructor/instructor pilot with International Flight Training Academy (Bakersfield, Calif.). He holds a master of business administration degree from Tabor College – Wichita, and a bachelor of science – professional pilot from Utah Valley State College (Orem).
For MEDA, partnering with a variety of educational and industry organizations, allows for wider awareness and support of its work being done around the world. Founded in 1953, MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty in developing regions. Last year, MEDA helped 91 million families in 60 countries around the world. Learn more at meda.org.