ISTAT Jetrader - Spring 2023 - 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Truly Grateful
T
his will be my final
message to you
as ISTAT Board
president, as my
term expires in
March. In reflecting
back, I am struck by
the resilience shown by our industry,
not just with respect to ISTAT but also
the broader aviation finance and leasing
community. When I assumed my role
as president, we were in the midst
of a global pandemic. Air travel had
nearly ground to a halt, and fears were
rampant that many companies in our
industry would wither and be forced
out of business. On a micro level,
ISTAT, which touts itself primarily as a
networking organization, was forced to
provide only online offerings. Suffice
to say, it was a strange and somewhat
perilous time for ISTAT. Indeed, my
initial speech to our membership was
I've been most fortunate to be able to work with
an incredible team who not only are immensely skilled
at what they do, but also are a tremendous joy to work
with. I owe them all a debt of gratitude and my thanks.
not at our annual meeting during our
Americas conference as it traditionally
would have been; instead, it was
recorded in a conference room at
our association management firm.
Our membership numbers began to
decrease, and our financial position,
2 * THE OF F I C I AL PUBL I CAT I ON OF ISTAT
while still strong, began to suffer. At
the time, nothing was as it should be.
Fast-forward two years, and I am
proud to say that ISTAT has weathered
the storm. During the past year, we
successfully held conferences in
San Diego, Marrakech, Singapore
and Panama City, and hosted holiday
parties in Dublin, London, Tokyo
and New York. Our Professional
Development Program (PDP) remains
in full swing, having ongoing classes
in Europe and America, with the goal
of starting our first classes in Asia
in 2023. Our Appraisers Program
remains the gold standard of our
industry, and we have more practicing
ISTAT Certified Appraisers than
ever. Through it all, we remained
committed to funding the ISTAT
Foundation, allowing it to continue
its mission to provide scholarships,
grants and internships, as well as
humanitarian aid, all with a focus on
aviation. We recently set a record
for membership at ISTAT and now
boast in excess of 5,100 members in
our organization.
I certainly take no individual
credit for the progress we've made
over the past two years. Rather,
our successes and growth are a
tribute to our hardworking board and
committees and our staff who make a
difference every day in advancing the
needs of our organization. I've been
most fortunate to be able to work
with an incredible team who not only
are immensely skilled at what they
do, but also are a tremendous joy to
work with. I owe them all a debt of
gratitude and my thanks.
ISTAT Jetrader - Spring 2023

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