National President's Message

New Year, New Focus

By CDR Emily “ABE” Stellpflug, USN

First and foremost, it is an absolute honor to serve as your NHA National President. Thank you to CAPT Will “Easy” Eastham for guiding the organization through a challenging year and a half and hosting a fantastic 2021 Symposium and Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In. I am humbled by this opportunity and energized to lead NHA in its endeavor to provide meaningful content, connections, and opportunities for professional growth to each of the members.

Planning for Symposium 2022 is underway! This year’s theme is “The Human Advantage” and we are laser focused on highlighting the human element of Rotary and Tilt Rotor aviation. Our people give us a distinct advantage over our adversaries in the high-end fight through our ability to innovate, maneuver outside of TTPs, and lead. The Symposium planning team, led by CAPT Steve “StevO” Thomas, is fervently developing events that target individual readiness to enhance warfighter capability. There will also be some great opportunities for members to reconnect and have some fun such as the Members’ Reunion at a local Norfolk brewery and the annual golf tournament at Top Golf. It is shaping up to be a spectacular week, so start making your plans now. I look forward to seeing you all at the Symposium in Norfolk in May!

The theme of this Rotor Review issue, Leadership and Culture, is a topic that is at the very core of Naval Aviation. When I consider “culture," my previous squadrons come to mind. Specifically, the connectedness within the organization and the commitment to uphold established standards. As leaders, we are responsible for setting those standards and embodying the culture that we desire. I recently attended the Air Boss’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit, which reinforced for me the importance of healthy culture and inclusion within a squadron. One of my key takeaways was that leadership must cultivate an environment in which its members feel truly included and empowered to speak up and contribute to the mission. This is fundamental for a squadron or flight crew to achieve max performance. This issue aims to explore what Leadership & Culture means to others and open a dialogue that enhances our operational capability. I am encouraged by the NAE’s push to have leadership and culture at the center of our warrior ethos and hope this issue expands each of your horizons.

Happy New Year and Fly Safe! V/R ABE, NHA Lifetime Member #481