Ed Bolen
Ed Bolen, who led the National Business Aviation Association for more than 22 years as president and CEO, has died following a battle with cancer.
Bolen took a leave of absence from his position in August to focus on treatment. He retired from the position in early November.
His death came the day following his induction into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame. Bolen, a native Kansan, was honored for his advocacy on safety, airport and airspace access, workforce development, air traffic control modernization and other priorities. Members of his family were present to accept the award on his behalf.
“We are filled with incredible sadness about Ed,” said Dan Hubbard, NBAA acting CEO and senior vice president of communications. “Ed was not just colleague—he was a mentor to many of us. He accomplished so much and did so with grace and humility. On behalf of the entire NBAA team, we send our condolences and prayers to Beth [Bolen’s wife], Jack, Robert [his two sons] and all of Ed’s family, in this incredibly difficult time.”
Bolen had the ability to unite people around a common purpose, navigate challenges and inspire progress, said Curt Castagna, president and CEO of the National Air Transportation Association.
“Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Ed will be remembered for his uncommon grace and genuine warmth, the relationships he nurtured, and the countless lives he touched through his friendship, guidance, and mentorship,” Castagna said. “Ed devoted so much of himself to making our industry stronger, but perhaps his greatest legacy lives in the people he believed in, the careers he helped shape, and the friendships he held dear. He had a rare gift for making those around him feel valued, and his kindness and generosity will remain with all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Bolen, a private pilot, was introduced to flying by his father, who served on the board of the Salina Regional Airport in Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in economics and where he served as captain of the varsity tennis team. Bolen earned a law degree and Master of Laws in taxation and served as legislative director for then-Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.), and majority general counsel for what is today the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Bolen was key in the passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act in 1994, which revived U.S. aircraft manufacturing of small piston-engine aircraft, boosting the general aviation industry.
He worked across party lines. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a member of the Management Advisory Council to the FAA. He was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry.
Bolen served as president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) before joining NBAA in 2004.
Bolen received numerous awards and honors through his career, including being inducted as a Living Legend into the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
“It’s hard to express how much we miss Ed, and what he meant to so many of us,” said John Witzig, chair of the NBAA Board of Directors. “What we do know is that we can all take inspiration from Ed’s legacy of service, dedication and leadership.”
“It was a privilege and honor to inform Bolen in May that he had been inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame,” Ben Sauceda, president of the Kansas Aviation Museum, said. “His excitement, his joy, his humility stood out. He’ll be missed. We were just incredibly honored to know him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, the NBAA team and all who knew and loved him.”
Related Content
