Board names Nicole Alexander as incoming president

The Wichita Aero Club (WAC) board of directors today announced that founding member and president Dave Franson will be retiring on June 1. Franson, who has headed the organization since its founding in 2008, will transition to emeritus status and serve as a member of the board going forward. The board has selected Nicole Alexander to succeed Franson as president of WAC.

“Dave Franson was among the founding members of the Wichita Aero Club and has done a remarkable job in guiding the organization as executive director and president during its first 14 years,” said Ashley Bowen Cook, WAC Chair and Greteman Group Vice President. “We are pleased that he will remain involved with the Club and extremely grateful to him for his leadership and commitment to WAC and Wichita over the years. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”

“I have had the great privilege of being involved in the aviation industry for almost 50 years,” Franson stated. “It has truly been a blessing and a calling for me as I have worked with and learned from an exceptional array of outstanding leaders. Being a part of the Wichita Aero Club has been a distinct honor and privilege—a fitting cap to a most enjoyable career. I have great confidence that Nicole and the WAC board will continue to grow and expand the Club’s contributions to the Air Capital and the industry.”

Alexander brings a wealth of experience to the Wichita Aero Club. Earlier this year, she started her own consulting business, Nicole Alexander Co, after more than 15 years in the public and private sectors. A graduate of Kansas State University, she joined the staff of then-Kansas First District U.S. Congressman Jerry Moran as press secretary before moving to Hawker Beechcraft Corp. She spent nine years there leading communications and public affairs as the company transitioned to Beechcraft Corp. and subsequently became part of Textron Aviation. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at AGH CPAs & Advisors, Wichita’s largest certified public accounting firm.

“Nicole is a familiar and highly respected member of the aviation community, and we are extremely pleased that she will succeed Dave as we enter a new era for the Aero Club,” Bowen Cook said. “Nicole’s skillset and experience are perfectly suited to the Aero Club. She has a well-established network of contacts in the local business community and aerospace industry, exceptional experience as a communications professional, and knowledge of the industry’s key issues and priorities. She will make this transition a seamless one.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to work within aviation once again and build on the foundational work of Dave and many others at the Wichita Aero Club,” Alexander said. “Dave helped train me when I started in the industry, and I am glad he will remain involved while also beginning to enjoy his retirement years. I look forward to working with Ashley and our established board as WAC enters this next chapter.”

The board invites Wichita Aero Club members, aviation supporters and friends of Franson to a retirement reception in his honor on Wednesday, May 18 from 4-6:30 pm at the Scotch & Sirloin, 5325 E. Kellogg Dr., in Wichita. Registration details will be available online at wichitaaero.club in the coming weeks.