Question 1: What drove you to initially pursue a career in journalism?
I’ve always had a reverence for the written word and storytelling. Journalism felt noble. Then I graduated from j-school and learned the going rate for jobs open to me was roughly 15 cents a word. So I switched careers to PR.

Question 2: Who has inspired you along your professional path?
I recently attended Gridiron, a Society of Professional Journalists fundraiser, and was struck by all the named scholarships and how many were my mentors. Key among them: Les Anderson and Randy Brown. I’d include Sonia as a mentor/editor, too. Each set high bars. Stretching myself to reach those standards made me better.

Question 3: How have you found your expertise in journalism to be a benefit to your work at Greteman Group?
The rules of engagement are the same. Hook readers. Embed nuggets to keep pulling them toward your conclusion. Always tell the truth. Factcheck. Use multiple sources. Don’t be lazy. Your readers deserve better.

Question 4: What is your favorite thing about working at Greteman Group?
Good enough is never good enough. We question, dig deeper and ask for multiple options from which to choose the best. We don’t toss out an idea then move on. We work it.

Question 5: If you could instill one solid piece of PR advice into the minds of those beginning to pursue a career path in marketing and advertising, what would it be?
First, I’d say bravo, how wise you are, and what a sure-to-be-glorious journey lies ahead. So much is changing, it makes PR a fresh adventure, a field where you can make your imprint. Next, for those starting out, remember to build and nurture relationships. Protect your reputation by doing what you say you will, delivering your best always and circling back with the media or contact to ensure you’ve met expectations.

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He’s continued living and breathing aviation with his partners at Hatt & Associates, a global aircraft sales company. While the company has helped clients achieve their aviation goals, its website lagged behind its team’s skill set. Hatt & Associates came to Greteman Group looking for a redeveloped site that highlighted their experience and connections, while showcasing the reason they’re all in this business – the aircraft.

We worked with the Hatt team to get to the essence of what makes them special: expertise and passion. Throughout the redesigned site, we told the team’s story through content and visuals. Immediately on the homepage, we shared Hatt & Associates’ bona fides as part of a three-generation legacy that has aviation as its lifeblood, with a network of experience to assist. They look out for their clients and it shows.

The Info Clients Need

Concise copy and elegant, modern design outline Hatt’s extensive range of services. The site doesn’t waste any time showing off the available aircraft inventory to potential buyers, allowing them to easily swipe through planes, without having to go through multiple pages. Background visuals and texturing reinforce the elegance of corporate aviation, and how it facilitates lifestyle and business opportunities.

We introduced compelling calls to action and the ability to chat with team members. Before leaving the homepage, we gave the user ways to access Hatt’s thought leadership. Those insights into the aviation marketplace provide SEO-rich ways to always be reaching the right audience. Whether it’s an update on supply chain disruptions or what an owner needs to know about upgrades on an older aircraft, Hatt & Associates is giving clients the information they can use to make smart financial decisions.

Throughout the site, we made back-end decisions to maximize lead generation without sacrificing user experience. Smart micro-interactions give users an intuitive interface and easy way to connect to the product and services they’re looking for.

Elegance and Functionality

On the aircraft inventory pages, we developed easier-to-use designs and functionality that gives prospects pertinent info without layering on extraneous specifications or photos. Each plane makes an impact on its own. We added a way for prospects to get even more aircraft information while allowing the Hatt team to manage important sales leads.

Hatt’s leadership bios highlight the personality of its team, with striking facts at a glance to show why they’re in the business they’re in. Jayson Hatt, like his dad, soloed as a teenager, while partner Tyler Bowron took his first flight at 7 in an open cockpit biplane. It’s not what you get from a cold, corporate group. These guys know their stuff and why we love flying.

Striking photography of the team at its Colorado base display the present and future of Hatt & Associates. Vintage photos of Brad’s father flying dignitaries such as President Truman connect to its rich legacy.

Hatt & Associates enters a new era with a new website. One that’s clean and sophisticated, authoritative and inviting. It shows why this group is fully your aircraft advocates.

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1. What attracts you to digital marketing?

The fast-paced, always-evolving nature of the industry. When I was starting my internship during my last year of college, I remember feeling extremely unprepared since there were already new strategies and tactics from what I had just learned in my classes. That motivated me to learn as much as I could. I realized I would always need to continue learning to stay ahead of it. I like that challenge.

2. What is your favorite thing about digital analytics and reporting?

Measuring effectiveness and discovering insights. Digital marketing provides so much data to measure, it can be overwhelming to sift through everything to find meaningful nuggets. I enjoy drilling down and gaining an understanding of which efforts are (or aren’t) performing well and producing actionable strategies that improve overall ROI.

3. What has been a career challenge that you experienced and conquered?

With how much this industry changes, I’d be hesitant to claim that I’ve conquered any aspect. But I continue to strive for proficiency in data integrity. Data accuracy and consistency create the foundation to building robust reports that deliver valuable insights. It isn’t easy to set up sophisticated tracking abilities across a variety of marketing channels to holistically observe KPIs. That’s where the magic happens. 

4. Which insights do you feel are the most important when reporting performance to clients?

Whatever aligns with their business goals and objectives. Ultimately, we need to answer “What’s working?” “What isn’t working?” and “What are our next steps?” 

5. What is your favorite part about working on our team?

I have two: working with and being surrounded by such talented colleagues, and having interesting and fun clients to support and help succeed. 

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I’ve had some wild new-business calls in my time, but one I received several months ago ranks at the top. A client referred the founder of Anchor Risk Group to us for possible branding and website support. What made the call so out of the ordinary? I was told that we couldn’t use the founder’s name. There would be no team bios. We couldn’t include any service, product or location specifics.

What?

Uncovering and sharing market-leading points of difference is our forte. How could we do our best job with our hands tied this way?

But as we talked, I quickly understood why. Lives could be at stake if we divulged too much.

Sharpening Skills at the Top

The founder won me over fast. Listening to his story gave me chills. I was talking to someone who has put his life on the line time and again. Who has literally made history. Yet he took no credit. Wanted no accolades. 

Soon our writers were on the phone interviewing active duty military and special missions unit team leads who’d trained with Anchor Risk and volunteered to provide testimonials and background. Like the founder, we found them to be dedicated warriors laser focused on the mission. And they were believers. They’d seen how Anchor Risk’s training affected outcomes in the field. They wanted to lend their voices, albeit anonymously, to Anchor Risk’s cause.

We became believers, too, and tackled this challenge with singular passion. Developing compelling visual assets. Sourcing photography. Creating a stylized, branded look unique to this incredible team. Maybe we couldn’t share details, but we could convey emotion. And this site does.

You don’t see faces, but feel the tension created by high stakes. Remote landscapes. Harsh weather. Small teams. Or one man. Alone.  We also share the immersive, all-inclusive nature of the training. The private, secure properties where instruction happens even in quiet downtimes and rest-and-recovery day activities from swift-water rafting to horseback pack trips. Everything works together toward one purpose: preparing elite teams for virtually anything.

A Mission-Focused, Critical-Thinking Approach

Many people have military experience, but translating that into effective training is a completely different skillset. One Anchor Risk’s founder has mastered. His highly customizable, proprietary process – called mBED – gave us a lot to work with in the site content. It emphasizes not just the pieces of the training puzzle, but how they assemble to reveal the big picture even in high-stress situations. The process also manages to decrease learning time while increasing long-term retention.

Anchor Risk supports U.S. special operations forces with training designed to overcome emerging security threats, hone sniper and reconnaissance skills, and build teams known for high performance, reliable execution and unfailing precision. It also works with product designers and manufacturers to develop ground-breaking, next-generation defense tools.

The newly launched site doesn’t begin to convey the fullness of Anchor Risk’s offerings. But it does what it needs to. To share enough that the person looking for special mission support takes the first step to partnering with Anchor Risk by responding to the online call to action.

The client gave us the response we had hoped for. He proclaimed his new site, “Bad ass!”

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Brand Your Videos to Create an Immediate and Lasting Impression

Our Greteman Group brand personifies stellar creativity, and storytelling. For our videos, we developed a playful, distinctive, graphic style that carries our brand out into the world with consistency and charm. In fact we’ve become known for these wonderful breaks in the usual scrolling boredom. 

Own Your Content

We use video to capture attention, especially in social feeds where they autoplay as viewers scroll past. We work hard to make them compelling enough to entice viewers to stop and watch. We may punctuate your day with a lighthearted message, or a thoughtful sentiment. Either way, we try to make you think and feel. And prompt you to share.

• Celebrate our country’s independence with fireworks delivered from an airplane.

• Salute our veterans’ sacrifice as a field of poppies fills the screen.

• Feel sassy and sexy with a Valentine’s tango.

• Fill yourself with gratitude for Thanksgiving’s bounty. 

• Encourage others to Do Good. Promoting pro bono projects, especially around the holidays, hopefully spurs additional support that makes our world better.

• Share your wishes for happiness with a New Year’s Eve ball drop.

Increase Engagement with Video 

Vision is the most dominant of our five senses, so it’s not surprising that 54% of consumers want to see more videos. Tweets with video increase engagement by 10%. Videos on Instagram generate more engagement than any other content type.

Google Rewards Video

Video increases time on site. This longer exposure signals to search engines that your site has good content. YouTube is the second most popular social network, and Google owns YouTube so make the connection work for you. Social media algorithms prioritize the content users see in their feeds based on the likelihood of what they’d actually like to view. These algorithms consistently push video content up to the top. Incorporating video marketing in your social outreach becomes a commonsense no-brainer.

Video Is Shareable and Trackable

HubSpot reports that 50% of consumers would rather see a video than any other content. 76% say they would share a branded video if they found it entertaining. This shareability means video offers prime opportunities for data collection, enhanced targeting and personalization. So set up those analytics, leveraging UTM codes and hashtags. Video can generate solid traction.  

Plan It and Make It Happen 

Planning and executing video should be an integral part of your marketing plan for ongoing brand awareness. There is nothing like a hard, fast deadline to get the creative juices flowing. Experiment and try new things. A planned content calendar and style guide maximizes our efforts and gives us structure. We build in dedicated time to develop innovative concepts, try out unique new illustration styles, discover cool new music sources and sharpen our storytelling.  

Video and Mobile Go Hand in Hand

Mobile usage is rising fast with 90% of mobile users watching video on their device.  U.S. adults spend approximately 15 minutes daily accessing video apps through their smartphones. And those numbers are going up. All. The. Time. Who doesn’t want to watch a video while waiting in line.  Maximize that time and capture those eyeballs.  

Deploy Your Video to a Variety of Channels

Short, powerful video grabs  attention and evokes emotion like nothing else. Use :15 to :30 clips as the perfect length for the various social channels and if you’re feeling adventurous longer for Instagram reels.  We like square or vertical sizes to capture optimal real estate in the social feeds. Also, don’t forget about email. If you are already creating the assets, spread the love over a variety of channels and adjust it slightly for the various audiences.  

When you need a brand boost, a powerful way to connect quickly and with attitude – from playful humor to somber respect – consider video. It’s an integral and results-generating part of our clients’ marketing plans and our own. It works. 

The post Include Video In Your Marketing Mix. Here’s Why. appeared first on Greteman Group | Marketing Communications.

I helped the Wichita Aero Club make history at its recent gala. The evening marked the official start to my tenure as the first woman to serve as chair of its board of directors. Growing up with a father in aviation, I had a front-row seat (often at 30,000 feet) to this dynamic industry. There were few women. Standing in front of the crowded ballroom, I was filled with gratitude and no small amount of wonder at how far I and aviation have come. The impressive turnout for the evening included state and local elected officials and aviation legends and past trophy honorees Clay Lacy, Paul Bowen and Jeff Turner.

I follow some impressive predecessors. They include, most recently, John O’Leary, Airbus Americas Engineering vice president and general manager; Jeffrey Peier, Klenda Austerman managing member; Patrick Tuttle, then ADR CEO and now Delta Dental of Kansas COO; back to our first chairman, Robert Stangarone, then Cessna Aircraft Company vice president of corporate communications and now New England Air Museum chairman and president.

I consider each of these gentlemen industry friends and mentors. As the first woman to sit on the Wichita Aero Club executive committee, the first to serve as vice chair and now to chair, I’ve never felt anything but warm welcome from fellow board, committee members and Club President Dave Franson (who was also my first boss in my Bombardier Learjet intern days). Their encouragement has meant everything. And so has this club.

An Aviation Club Slow to Take Off

While the origins of the Wichita Aero Club date back decades, the club never took flight. It wasn’t until 2008 in the depths of the recession that Wichita’s aviation community pulled together to get the club off the ground. You could say its platform had me at hello. To foster and promote aviation. To provide a forum for key issues. To gather lovers of flight. To deepen relationships. To further cooperation. These are my people.

A big part of the club’s appeal is how it provides a way to lift each other up and to celebrate those who have elevated this industry. Each year at the gala, we honor one of our own. For this trip around the sun, the spotlight shone on Ron Ryan, a respected leader, pilot, airline founder and philanthropist.  

The always eloquent Franson said it best: “Ron’s vision and unwavering commitment made him not just a great pilot but a true force in the local aviation community and around the world. He embodies creative, resourceful, undaunted entrepreneurship.”

Past honoree Jeff Turner was one of a few close friends who honored Ron during the evening. Turner shared that unless Ryan is out of town for his annual birthday trip or sick, you always know you can depend on him to attend a board meeting for the various organizations he serves in the community. Turner went on to talk about Ryan’s contributions as a board member, “You never wonder what he’s thinking,” which got a good laugh from the crowd.

Our Trophy Winner: Ron Ryan

Ryan has done it all. From Learjet captain to owner/operator of the United States’ largest charter airline. He fantasized about growing up to be a pilot. Even as a young boy in a small Iowa town, he maintained a laser focus on that dream, eventually obtaining his private, commercial, and instrument pilot ratings in only six months, while working as a mechanical engineer at Western Electric. It wasn’t long before he took his first full-time flying job, as chief pilot of a military charter company. In 1966, he added a Learjet type rating and took a job as a pilot with Mid-West Lear Jet in Kansas City, Kansas.

Moving to Wichita in 1968, he became chief pilot for DeBoer & Associates, owned by developer Jack DeBoer. In 1973, Ryan helped transition the company’s flight department into a jet charter service company specializing in corporate executive travel. In 1974, Ryan started flying for George Ablah, another legendary Wichita developer, and the two formed Ryan Aviation Corp., which started as a charter flight operation and cargo carrier. In 1976, he purchased the company and began operating a fueling and maintenance center for aircraft at what is now Eisenhower National Airport.

In 1981, Ryan International Airlines was formed to operate large aircraft and Ryan Aviation upgraded its FAR Part 135 certificate to a Part 121 air carrier certificate. He eventually grew the airlines to an international charter and cargo service with more than 2,500 employees and over $350 million in annual sales. He sold it in 2004 and funneled his tremendous energy into many worthwhile causes.

He tirelessly advocates for military personnel and their families, serves as honorary commander of McConnell Air Force Base’s 931st Air Refueling Wing, is a longtime benefactor and board member of the Kansas Aviation Museum and DOC’s Friends. His broad list of accomplishments and generous philanthropy led to his selection as the 41^st Admiral Windwagon Smith for the 2014 Wichita River Festival. He’s the only Admiral Windwagon to show up at a River Festival event in a Learjet. Don’t you just love that?

Ryan has logged more than 30,000 flying hours piloting 30+ kinds of aircraft. He helped set an around-the-world speed record in a Boeing 747SP. His recently published autobiography, “Making Money Out of Thin Air,” chronicles many of his adventures. Even while giving his acceptance speech Ryan was encouraging attendees to purchase his new book with proceeds from the evening going to Wichita Aero Club. Ryan’s longtime legal counsel and longtime friend, Jack McInteer, commented, “He’s the best salesman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The post Wichita Aero Club’s Gala to Remember appeared first on Greteman Group | Marketing Communications.

My path to marketing started with listening. Turns out, that’s not a bad place to begin. When I was a kid, my brother and I used to pretend we had a radio show. And it wasn’t just a hum-drum radio show where we recorded songs to a mix tape and bantered in between them, oh no. We had segments, special guests and planned topics. The proof is in the cassette tapes that are probably in storage at my parents’ house back in Oklahoma. 

If you would have told me back then that I would do something so similar as a grown-up, I probably would have fainted with shock. 

In 2017, my friend Megan Powers asked if I would be interested in hosting a podcast with her. The idea was to host special guests on each episode to highlight all of the different facets of the marketing industry. This was something that I’d never seriously considered before. However, I was already hosting two weekly Facebook Live shows, so I figured it couldn’t be much different than that, right?

A Platform for Learning
From this, Making a Marketer was born. We’re currently in our fifth season and we’re about to record our 100th episode with with a very special guest. Over the last few seasons we’ve covered all sorts of topics: customer experience with Dan Gingiss, captivating Clubhouse with Judi Fox, accessible marketing with Alex Heinrich , productivity with Erik Fisher, igniting innovation with Duncan Wardle and many more. 

With every episode we record, I become a better marketer. When we dive deep into a conversation with a featured guest about a topic that I may not be very familiar with, and later come out of the recording so motivated and inspired, I can only hope our listeners feel the same way. 

Recently we recorded an episode with customer experience master Dan Gingiss about creating shareable experiences. As a human whose passion is building community around brands, this discussion about creating a space for fans to WANT to be a part of something ignited my soul and reminded me that I truly am living my passion.

Join in the Fun
I encourage you to listen to Making a Marketer as a way to examine different areas of marketing that you may have overlooked in the past. The casual, yet enlightening, conversations make for an easy listening experience, and the caliber of guests is phenomenal.

Co-hosting Making a Marketer has been such a growing experience for me. I know that it’s helped me to become a more curious person, a stronger and more deliberate marketer, and also a better listener. One of my favorite experiences from this has been witnessing our listeners tweet out about their favorite episode or reading their posts about takeaways that have inspired them in their marketing efforts. 

If you feel inspired to listen, we’d love to know which episodes inspire you and why. Making a Marketer is available on Podbean, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

The post Become a Better Marketer appeared first on Greteman Group | Marketing Communications.

She follows in some impressive footsteps. Previous chairmen (in order) include John O’Leary, Airbus Americas Engineering vice president and general manager; Jeffrey Peier, Klenda Austerman, managing member; Patrick Tuttle, then ADR CEO and now Delta Dental of Kansas COO; and Robert Stangarone, then Cessna Aircraft Company vice president of corporate communications and now New England Air Museum chairman and president. Ashley’s tenure officially begins on January 29 at the club’s must-attend annual gala.

Women Have Always Been Part of Our Aviation Heritage

I’m proud of the Aero Club, too. While aviation has long been thought of as men’s domain, in 2010, the club named Velma Wallace the very first recipient of the Wichita Aero Club Trophy. So, it has a history of seeing past gender and focusing on merit. For those of you who only know Wallace as the widow of longtime Cessna leader Dwane Wallace, she was a leading benefactor behind Exploration Place and one of general aviation’s earliest female pilots, with both single- and multi-engine ratings. She spoke softly, but her words carried weight. And made things happen.

And, okay, I’ll say it. I’m proud of the Air Capital, as well. Olive Ann Beech, The First Lady of Aviation, was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company. She navigated Beech Aircraft through its WWII-fueled expansion after her husband, Walter, was hospitalized, and following his death in 1950 served as its president until 1968 and chair till 1982. Both she and Walter received aviation’s highest honors, including induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame. Of course, it’s her spirit I admire most. She commanded respect, kept meetings short and went straight to the source with “See me” notes when she saw issues.

Pride in the Air Capital reaches back even further to the very dawn of aviation. Our book, Wichita: Where Aviation Took Wing, brims with stories of fearless barnstormers such as Ruth Garver and Bertha “Birdie” Horchem. The daring Ruth would walk out onto the wing and jump from her Wichita-built Laird Swallow. Birdie held the women’s altitude record and could do up to 25 consecutive loops as well as a 2,000-foot tailspin. Both died young when their equipment failed them (a parachute in Ruth’s case and a crumpled aircraft wing in Birdie’s). Their trailblazing continues to blow my mind – and make me wish I had known these women.

Congratulations, Ashley, on your rise, and thank you for your dedication to elevating the industry, the club and our agency.

Celebrate With Us Come help us honor trophy recipient Ron Ryan of Ryan International Airlines at the 12^th Wichita Aero Club gala. It’s 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton near Eisenhower National Airport. Haven’t secured your tickets for the gala yet? You still can. RSVP here.

Check out the Wichita Business Journal’s article about Ashley’s new role as Wichita Aero Club chair in its Jan. 20 issue.

The post Shattering the Glass Ceiling. Again. appeared first on Greteman Group | Marketing Communications.

“I help brands develop unique voices that manage to be relevant and authentic while also being human,” says Cole. “You want to feel that there’s a person at the other end of the conversation.”

Cole should know. Her extensive background encompasses 10 years of social media marketing. She’s done everything from owning her own agency to running social media for the globally renowned, U.S.-based Social Media Examiner. She has hosted several live-streamed shows and cohosts her own podcast, Making a Marketer. As she likes to say, “Community is my aesthetic.”

“Jen has learned how to be strategic yet genuine in her approach to social media, which is rare,” says Greteman Group Vice President Ashley Bowen Cook, who oversees the agency’s digital department. “In addition to her proven skills, we appreciate that she does everything with a smile. That helps in any work environment, but especially in today’s fast-paced world. Jen stays nimble and responds quickly.”

Previously, Cole was co-owner of X-Stand Standing Desk, a relationship marketing account manager for NOW Marketing Group and a community manager for the Social Media Examiner. She co-founded DepICT Media and owned Backspace Media. Earlier in her career, she managed social content for Sullivan Higdon & Sink and RSA Marketing.

Cole earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Her volunteer experience includes ongoing, multiyear support coordinating social media for Digital Wichita, managing social media as a 1 Million Cups organizer, and serving as a mentor for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

ABOUT GRETEMAN GROUP

Greteman Group has developed an international reputation as an aviation-specialty marketing agency based in Wichita, Kan. – the Air Capital. Leading aircraft manufacturers, flight support, aftermarket services, fractional ownership, insurance, in-flight Wi-Fi, regional airlines and airport analytics have entrusted their brands to Greteman Group. Clients include FlightSafety International, Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, Clay Lacy Aviation, JetHQ, USAIG, King Aerospace, Signature Flight Support, Vantis, Piedmont Airlines and Aviation Partners. It also supports causes and clients such as the Tallgrass Film Association, Mark Arts, the City of Wichita, Wichita Water Partners, AGC Kansas, GLMV Architecture and MKEC Engineering. The firm is a founding member of the Wichita Aero Club and a longstanding member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Since its founding in 1989, this certified women-owned business enterprise (WBE) has developed a team of purpose-driven pros.

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The Air Capital brims with movers and shakers, but I can’t imagine anyone with the pedal-to-the-medal speed or quick-response agility of Dr. John Tomblin. He melds common sense problem-solving with indisputable genius. The Air Capital is a beneficiary. So am I. (More about that in a bit.)

The December gathering of the Wichita Aero Club featured Tomblin, who serves as senior vice president for industry and defense programs at Wichita State University (WSU) and as executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). He also serves as a distinguished professor of aerospace engineering.

Tomblin oversees 18 NIAR labs encompassing 1.6 million square feet, 1,000 team members, six locations and a budget of nearly $200 million. His leadership has helped NIAR achieve worldwide prominence in composites and advanced materials, triple its annual funding, and expand both its capabilities and its footprint. NIAR stands out as the nation’s largest academic aviation research and development institution.

NIAR’s work for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) makes it a key player in advanced materials and structural concepts for automated manufacturing, rapid sustainment of legacy aircraft and emerging materials for missile-applications. It also supports multiple programs from DoD industrial suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The Magic of the Model

Tomblin’s December 8 presentation focused on innovation in industry and defense programs. While most basic research universities operate under a technology push versus market pull equation that emphasizes the push part, NIAR focuses on the pull. Customers such as Spirit AeroSystems and the DoD come to NIAR with defined problems. NIAR then provides the solution with a viable market strategy. “I can reverse engineer anything,” Tomblin says.

He’s proved it, too. Just last year, NIAR took home the gold in the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Olympics, a worldwide competition to discover new technologies and insights. NIAR validated its digital-twin development expertise through this monumental win.

Creating digital twins is a solution to parts obsolescence that have put aircraft mission capabilities rates at historic lows. Tomblin visited Tinker Air Force Base in July 2019 and, examining one month of data, found that the non-existence of a digital 3-D model was one of the primary reasons for 460 no-bid items. Tomblin understood that developing a digital twin would enable rapid parts design, manufacturing and deployment, getting aircraft flying again.

In November, NIAR partnered with General Electric (GE) to boost 3-D printing with metals. Tomblin said NIAR essentially goes from metal to digital with the digital twin, then back from digital to metal parts.

The Benefits of Applied Learning

NIAR also offers life-changing, applied-learning opportunities for students. That’s where I come in. In 2017, I was one of the few non-engineering, applied-learning students at NIAR. As an undergraduate senior, I was placed at Airbus Americas Engineering to support a six-month business-development project. Those months turned into a year, and I found myself graduating, pursuing a master’s degree and diving deeper into new roles at Airbus. After two and a half years there, an MBA in hand, I joined Greteman Group, proving the success of the applied learning model and the benefits of growing your own. I’ll soon be entering my third year working at an aviation-focused agency in the Air Capital. I love it. Tomblin is helping attract more young talent like me.

By strategically targeting the I-35 and I-70 corridors and treating those prospective students as Kansas residents, Tomblin says Wichita State draws from 30.8 million people, making it the second-largest recruiting pool in the United States. Since the launch of the WSU Innovation Campus, where NIAR resides, Tomblin showed their grants had grown from $54 million to $180 million a year and the annual student payroll is $27 million. The ratio has become a bit more balanced today, too, since my applied-learning days. Tomblin says roughly 70% of the I-corridor-recruited, applied-learning students enroll in engineering.

Tomblin’s presentation deck showed a quote from WSU President Rick Muma, “As a public urban research university, we need to be on the forefront of problem solving for the public and industry.” That’s a big, bodacious vision, but one NIAR’s helping realize.

Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Innovation

Tomblin took questions from Aero Club members at the close of his presentation. But he didn’t answer them all. One that he declined was about Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, and United Launch Alliance, led by Tory Bruno. Wichita’s large number of aerospace suppliers positions us to undertake defense and commercial aerospace manufacturing. In October, Blue Origin announced multiyear contracts with four Wichita suppliers, and in November, CEO Tony Bruno came to Wichita to look us over. He made statements about creating Wichita supplier partnerships that could create jobs with payrolls in the millions. Will NIAR be playing a role? Tomblin wasn’t ready to talk about that.

Telling the Air Capital’s Story

Visitors to our city are almost always surprised and in awe of what has happened here, Tomblin says – through Boeing Wichita, Cessna and Beechcraft – to what’s happening today through NIAR, Spirit and Textron Aviation. For example, NIAR and Spirit’s joint National Defense Prototype Center is working to create a scalable prototype for hypersonic weapons, which travel at five times the speed of sound and change course en route.

Lockheed Martin told Tomblin it is designating WSU a Tier 1 institution. Yet, Tomblin acknowledges that the Air Capital continues to be a best-kept secret.

Let’s change that.

The post Tomblin Reaches for the Stars appeared first on Greteman Group | Marketing Communications.

Recently, Sonia Greteman and her husband, Chris Brunner, were among those honored as new life members of the Wichita State University Foundation President’s Club, signaling their contributions have exceeded a certain threshold. These two have been dedicated supporters of the university and community for years. Both graduated from WSU. Sonia with a degree in graphic design; Chris with an MFA in sculpture. They used their education as launchpads for difference-making careers rooted in the arts. Not an easy place to carve out a niche – or to earn a living.

As president and creative director of the 32-year-strong Greteman Group, Sonia has blazed a remarkable trail. Chris is no less impressive. His stone-and-steel works grace both public and private spaces. But these two have never just been about themselves or their professions. They’ve always looked for ways to give back. Beneficiaries have been the WSU School of Art and Design, WSU Foundation’s National Advisory Council, Ulrich Museum, KMUW/PBS, KPTS/NPR, Wichita Art Museum, Mark Arts, HumanKind Ministries and Tallgrass Film Festival. You get the idea. It’s a very long list.

Donating to Make a Difference

A theme emerges in their giving. They support causes and organizations that help attract and retain the best and the brightest. That inspire, broaden and educate. That make Wichita vibrant. Sonia and Chris set up a foundation to aid in their giving and say it’s one of the best things they’ve done, both financially and philanthropically.

“It makes it really easy to invest in things that matter,” Sonia says. “WSU expands our lives in so many ways. I’d never want to live in a community without a university mindset. It keeps you growing, the true fountain of youth.”

When You Get, Give

As the holiday season begins in earnest and you get more of those end-of-year mail solicitations, let’s devote them more than a passing glance. Let’s think about the things we care about. What we find enriching and uplifting. Then let’s give. With open hands and hearts.

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Passion Backed by Perseverance

The show didn’t lack in new products or major announcements – from winglet mods and flight software to aircraft concept unveilings. (Honda Aircraft sure knows how to roll out a mockup.) There was something to see everywhere you looked. And to hear. A pulsing-light, electronic-dance, marching drum corps set the stage for NBAA CEO Ed Bolen’s bullish welcome remarks.

Speakers inspired and moved us – Gold-medal, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor (the first black woman to pilot a spacecraft), visionary Martine Rothblatt (founder of SiriusXM and United Therapeutics), even comedian Rob Riggle. (Did you know he served in the Marine Corps for 23 years, earning 22 medals, practically a medal per year?) Riggle made us laugh with his comment, “The private flight here was one of the main reasons I took the gig.”

A first-ever newsmakers luncheon included PlaneSense CEO George Antoniadis, Directional Aviation Capital Founder Kenn Ricci and Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter talking about the future of on-demand air travel. One of the Air Capital’s own – Russ Meyer – had a prominent presence at the show, too, as co-founder of CitationPartners. He notes that low used aircraft inventory and rising business jet flight hours make it a good time to be in the biz.

Perhaps no company has seen as many changes over the past year as FlightSafety. Its hard-working CEO Brad Thress has spearheaded many initiatives since taking the left seat. In addition to advancing pilot training technology – much of it developed at its simulator manufacturing facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma – this industry leader’s reimagined brand focuses on the benefits of prepared over proficient. Its messages to train smarter and fly safer could be found throughout the hall and show dailies. FlightSafety’s also updating its training methodology. Because proficient is capable. Prepared is unshakable.

A Brave New World

Lots of conversations swirled around the possibilities of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Revolutionary new aircraft is not the main issue – as was evidenced by the display of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the emerging technologies zone. The challenge: developing a safe, high-performing air transportation system in places previously not served or underserved by aviation.

We were proud of our client Vantis’s role in that effort and their footprint on the floor. A highlight of #NBAA2021 was the announcement of Thales USA as the system integrator for Vantis. North Dakota’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) network will be the first statewide system in the United States to support beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). What does that mean? Business, baby. Think of it as the difference between flying IFR instead of being limited to VFR. Interim Executive Director Trevor Woods did a great job at the press conference on Monday. But then, he has a great story to tell.

Commitment to Go Green

Sustainability proved to be another hot topic. Almost 100 exhibitors signed a green pledge to reduce their carbon footprint at the show, while the convention’s carbon-offset program made it one of aviation’s first carbon-neutral events. All outbound aircraft from Henderson Executive Airport left with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in their tanks. SAF was also available at McCarran International Airport for the first time.

About this time last year, we were helping name, brand and launch Signature Renew. Seeing the fuel truck on the convention floor put us in our happy place. (You can read more about that effort here.) At #NBAA2021, Signature announced its book-and-claim program, enabling the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel credits even where SAF isn’t yet available. Business aviation has committed itself to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 so watch for more and more initiatives that will make that objective a reality.

Missing a Friend

One final, more personal reflection. My colleagues and I sure missed longtime friend and constant NBAA-BACE chauffeur Jack DeBoer, who died last spring. Jack credited his success as an extended-stay hotel pioneer to an early understanding of business aviation’s vital role. In short, he used jets to do deals. He generously gave us a lift to the convention for many, many years.

We loved the ride – especially his Gulfstream – but appreciated the always animated conversation with Jack and his other guests. They were typical of aviation folks. Which means they were atypical. They were freethinkers who put muscle behind their thoughts. Actions behind their dreams.

It wasn’t just the bumped, delayed and rescheduled commercial flights that made us miss our sweet ride. It was the man. Each year, the minute I would get on the plane, Jack’s first question would be, “How’s business?” And like that, we’d be off, talking nonstop till we touched down in Las Vegas or Orlando.

Speaking of which, see you next year in Orlando, Oct. 18-20. We wouldn’t miss it. You shouldn’t either.

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