Charlotte, NC – W. Ashley Smith, Jr., founder and President of Jet Logistics Inc., was announced as one of the inaugural recipients of the prestigious Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

According to the NBAA, the Dr. Kern Award “honors individuals in the business aviation industry for outstanding professionalism and leadership in support of aviation safety”, which includes the following specific areas: Professional Ethics, Vocational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Professional Engagement, Professional Image and Selflessness. Dr. Tony Kern, a cofounder of Convergent Performance, is a distinguished U.S. Air Force veteran and author of five books on human performance. In the NBAA’s announcement of the award recipients, Mark Larsen, NBAA senior manager of safety and flight operations, noted, “(The recipients) perfectly meet what Kern defined as ‘professional.’ These folks are doing their jobs with the utmost professionalism.”

Mr. Smith’s nomination for the award, which was then vetted by a panel of NBAA Safety Committee Professionalism Working Group members, noted his life long passion and commitment to aviation. Additional merit was placed on his ongoing pro-bono and volunteer board service in the industry for organizations such as the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to foster safety, through training and related proactive measures. Additionally, Mr. Smith’s diverse credentials within the industry areas of 14CFR Part 91, 121 and 135 include being sole proprietor of both an Air Carrier and Certified Repair Station, Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) with multiple type ratings, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&P) with Inspection Authorization (IA), Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE).

“It is always an honor to have your constituents recognize your efforts as being deserving of such an award,” commented Mr. Smith. "To be considered an industry professional that is mentioned in the same paragraph as someone so dedicated to safety and professionalism as Mr. Kern is a true honor, and I’m extremely appreciative of the NBAA for taking the time to consider and bestow me with such a distinction.”

For more information, please visit:

http://jetlogistics.us/

https://www.nbaa.org/news/pr/2016/20161125-088.php