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PAMA, SAE International Affiliation Ends
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: The July 2005 affiliation of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was intended to help PAMA pro
Word Count: 188
The July 2005 affiliation of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was intended to help PAMA provide more services to its members, but that venture is now over. PAMA announced yesterday that it is ending its affiliation with SAE, will hire a management company to run the association “and will focus exclusively on programs and support for aviation maintenance managers, aviation mechanics and the aviation maintenance industry.” At the time the affiliation was formed, SAE said that PAMA had 3,000 members but that number has declined, according to PAMA board chairman Clark Gordon. Membership growth “is going to be a huge focus,” he said, as will plans for two trade shows each year starting next year. The fate of the PAMA/SAE Institute professional development programs has not yet been decided. “We are working with SAE to determine the status of the certification program,” Gordon said. John Casker is continuing as PAMA’s president, according to Gordon. PAMA is in the same financial state as when it joined SAE and has the same board of directors and thus, he said, “the separation is simple.”