Family-owned Priester Aviation will pass its leadership torch to a third generation with the announcement that Charlie Priester will transition to chairman emeritus, while his son, Andy, will take over as chairman. Since the 1980s, Charlie had led the on-demand aircraft charter, management, and consulting firm that his father, George, founded in 1945.
Andy Priester, a graduate of the University of Dayton and Concordia University, became president and CEO of the Chicago-based company in 2013, and under his tenure, the company’s aircraft fleet has expanded nearly tenfold. Over the past several years, Priester has increased its operations and staff, while introducing its Centerline Jet Card program.
“For more than 75 years, the Priester name has meant so much to aviation and to the people with whom we’ve built strong relationships,” noted Andy Priester. “So much of that credit goes to Charlie, who took the company to new heights over the past 40 years. His vision and connections within the industry and to people have been invaluable to our success.”