Airports Council Launches Educational Foundation to Promote Industry Excellence

November 30, 2021

Dunham Scholarship Endowment to Support Professional Development Globally

 

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced the creation of the ACI-NA Educational Foundation.

“Running a modern, competitive, and resilient airport industry requires continuing education and professional development,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “The ACI-NA Educational Foundation will assist our members by providing additional resources to further promote industry excellence, learning, and networking, particularly among the young professionals soon to lead our industry in the future.”

The ACI-NA Educational Foundation will provide scholarships for courses or educational programs beneficial to airport administration to qualified students, including ACI-NA member employees.

With the launch of the foundation, ACI-NA also announced the establishment of the Oris and Sylvia Dunham Scholarship Endowment.  In coordination with the ACI Fund and the International Airport Professional Community of Practice (IAP CoP), the Oris and Sylvia Dunham Scholarship Endowment will support in perpetuity scholarships for airport executives and other airport employees worldwide to attend qualifying educational programs administered by Airports Council International (ACI) World based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  The endowment was created during a special signing ceremony in Reno, NV, on November 6, 2021 as part of the 2021 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition.

“Global aviation is an interdependent ecosystem and supporting the advancement of professionals around the world will strengthen the entire system,” said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira. “The generosity of Oris and Sylvia Dunham with their Endowment will allow the ACI Fund to further advance the development of airport professionals by awarding scholarships to the world-renowned ACI-ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme. The endowment is quite fitting as Mr. Dunham is a distinguished leader in the airport industry, having held key executive positions in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Dallas along with his role as the first Director General of ACI World.”

”After years of planning, we are pleased to join ACI World in providing scholarships to help airport executives and employees access the educational programs they need to operate safe, efficient and welcoming airports worldwide,” said Oris and Sylvia Dunham.  “Increasing knowledge and skill levels will also provide the individual with tools to improve their own lives as well as benefitting the world’s air travel industry.”

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.