AIN Media Group co-founder and chair emeritus Wilson Leach joined a slate of three other individuals who are the 2023 recipients of the National Aeronautic Association Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Statesman and Stateswoman of Aviation Award. Established in 1954, the award honors “outstanding living Americans who, through their efforts over an extended period of years, have made significant contributions to aeronautics and reflected credit upon America and themselves.”
Along with Leach, safety expert Gregory Feith, champion aeromodeller Jim Richmond, and veteran communications and marketing executive Robert Stangarone are this year’s honorees. Previous recipients have included luminaries such as Chuck Yeager, Olive Ann Beech, Clay Lacy, and Marjorie and Katherine Stinson.
“The history of aviation is marked by great people who have impacted the industry in extraordinary ways with their life’s work,” said Amy Spowart, president and CEO of the NAA. “This award serves to recognize these remarkable people. This year's awardees represent excellence in vital industry sectors. From safety to leadership and beyond, this distinguished group is excellence personified, and we are honored to recognize them and their contributions to aviation.”
Leach is being recognized for “his extraordinary dedication to serving the aviation field over more than half a century and perseverance in nurturing AIN from a small publishing company into an industry leader.”
In 1972 Leach and his friend and colleague, the late Jim Holahan, launched what was originally called The Convention News Company with the idea of publishing a daily print magazine at the growing National Business Aircraft (now Aviation) Association Annual Meeting and Convention. In the fall of that year, they published three well-received dailies plus a post-show summary for the convention held in Cincinnati.
From there, the company grew with the establishment of the Aviation International News monthly magazine and now it has evolved into a multifaceted digital, print, and events organization that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Alongside Leach, Feith is being recognized for “his lifetime achievements as an aviation safety expert, champion of best practices, and advocacy elevating aviation safety awareness and training for the next generation;" Richmond for “significant advancements in aviation, earning hundreds of aero sports awards, inspiring youth into aviation-related careers, and serving the U.S. as an aero sports competitor and in the military;” and Stangarone for “his nearly five decades of skilled leadership as a communicator, strategic thinker, journalist, and chronicler of aviation history."