Avionics News December 2012 - 35

was talking on the phone with Hal Shevers, DENNIS SCHMIDT, Sandia Aerospace Sporty’s founder and chairman, when we I have one very fond memory of Monte. I was relaeach received the news announcing the Oct. tively new to the AEA – I think it was my second in16 passing of Monte R. Mitchell, former president ternational convention when Monte was introduced as of the Aircraft Electronics Association. “Monte the ﬁrst executive director of the association. I did not Mitchell was a great guy,” Shevers said. He paused know Monte then, but remember the rousing cheers and added, “All I can say is he must have been so he received from the established icons of the industry. proud of his daughters.” In time, I learned why they had such enthusiasm. He A few years back, I had the opportunity to interwas a great leader for the association. We will miss view Mitchell for Avionics News for a proﬁle of his him dearly. post-retirement activities. Although I had known Mitchell for years, it was the ﬁrst time we had an in-depth conversation, and one story stood out. Mitchell described the day he and other aviation industry executives were invited to the White House for the signing of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. He made it clear that although he certainly respected the ofﬁce of the president, he had little respect for its current resident. In short, Bill Clinton was not someone he admired. On the day of the ceremony, the executives were briefed on protocol and told they each would have a ﬁnite amount of time alone with the president – something like two minutes – and were warned to not take more than their allocated time. Mitchell was the ﬁrst one invited into the Oval Ofﬁce where he was introduced as Monte Mitchell of Independence, Mo. Monte Mitchell (far left), who was AEA president at the time, witnesses President Bill Clinton sign the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 in the Oval Ofﬁce of the White House. “Ah, Independence!” beamed President Clinton. “I’ve been there to visit the Harry Truman Library.” The president then, at some length, deMARSHALL PUCKETT, AvReps scribed his impressions of the visit. Mitchell couldn’t help I ﬁrst met Monte Mitchell when he was with Wilcox feeling the clock ticking, but listened to the president. Electric at the 1970 AEA International Convention in “This is hard for me to admit,” Mitchell said, “but I Kansas City, Mo., but we did not become fast friends was impressed and charmed by President Clinton. He until he joined Bonzer as vice president of sales. At was so knowledgeable, and he treated me like he had that time, I was running a distribution operation (AAI), all the time in the world to spend with me.” which was Bonzer’s exclusive aftermarket distributor. I contacted some industry leaders who knew Together, we pioneered the market for low-cost radar Mitchell well, and here are their fond remembrancaltimeters. es of him. These are just a few of the many people Monte was then recruited to become the executive whose lives Monte touched with his zeal and grace. Continued on following page He will long be remembered.
AVIONICS NEWS

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DECEMBER

2012

Avionics News December 2012

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