New This Week

AVweb's search of the news in aviation turned up appointments at the National Air Transportation Association and ClipperJet Inc., a hiring initiative at Great Lakes Airlines, and business aviation student scholarships awarded by the National Aircraft Resale Association. NATA is pleased to announce the selection of Timothy R. Obitts as the association's Senior Vice President for Business Development, Membership & General Counsel. Obitts will lead NATA's development of benefits and products to assist general aviation businesses in better serving their customers. Obitts will also act as the association's general counsel. ClipperJet Inc. announced Matt Morchower, former Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of industry pioneer Marquis Jet, has joined the executive team as ClipperJet's President. Most recently, Morchower was Chief Operating Officer of Magnises, a luxury-based "black credit card" targeting millennials and providing exclusive perks and relevant experiences.

Great Lakes Airlines has partnered with Metropolitan State University of Denver to establish a priority hiring agreement for graduates interested in becoming regional airline pilots, including a guaranteed interview for students who meet specific hiring requirements. Students and graduates will have the opportunity to interview with Great Lakes on the MSU Denver campus twice per year. The first interview will take place on Jan. 9. The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) Business Aviation Scholarship program has announced the award of $23,820 in scholarships to five deserving students. The NARA Business Aviation Scholarship program was established for university students seeking a career in business aviation and, specifically, within the corporate aircraft sales, marketing, finance, legal and insurance community. The five 2015 scholarship winners include Michael Adams, Cory Clifft and Louie Marquez, who are all working on graduate degrees at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Chip Shriver, seeking a graduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University; and Alexander Martin, a senior at Florida Institute of Technology.