A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has revealed the names of this year’s recipients of its two highest honors, with former NATA chair and current Sheltair Aviation COO Todd Anderson to receive the Distinguished Service Award, while Sheltair’s late founder, Jerry Holland, will posthumously be awarded the William A. “Bill” Ong Memorial Award, its highest recognition.
The Ong Memorial Award is named for the association’s co-founder and first president. It is presented for extraordinary achievement and extended meritorious service to the general aviation industry, and it recognizes Holland’s lifetime of entrepreneurship and leadership.&nbsp;
Holland founded Sheltair in 1963 and grew the company into the nation’s largest privately owned aviation network. Under his leadership, Sheltair expanded its aviation real estate, development, property management, and fixed-base operations while maintaining a family-owned culture centered on service. Today, the company, under the leadership of his daughter Lisa Holland, operates a chain of FBOs and manages more than 4.6 million sq ft of aviation-related properties across the country.
“Jerry Holland’s extraordinary vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to serving others embody the very purpose of NATA’s highest honor,” said NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna. “He built an enduring family business grounded in opportunity, relationships, and a genuine dedication to the aviation community.”
Anderson has more than 40 years of aviation and airport management experience. He was elected chair of NATA’s board of directors in 2023 and now serves as immediate past chair. His leadership helped guide initiatives focused on member value, workforce, safety, innovation, and the future of aviation businesses.&nbsp;A Sheltair employee for more than a quarter century, Anderson was appointed chief operating officer in 2020, and he oversees the company’s day-to-day FBO and real estate operations, strategic growth, marketing, construction, and financial direction while fostering relationships with airports, customers, government agencies, and industry partners.
“Todd brings a rare combination of airport, real estate, operational, and association leadership to every conversation,” added Castagna. “He has consistently made time to listen, build consensus, mentor others, and turn good ideas into practical action. NATA and the broader industry are stronger because of his sustained involvement.”&nbsp;
The awards will be presented on November 10 during NATA’s annual Aviation Business Conference, taking place this year in Denver.

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Sheltair Aviation Founder and COO To Receive NATA’s Highest Honors

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Late Sheltair Aviation founder Jerry Holland will be honored with NATA’s highest award at the association’s annual Aviation Business Conference in November.

Sheltair Founder and COO To Receive NATA Awards

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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