The recipient of the this year’s NBAA John P. “Jack” Doswell Award, given for lifetime achievement in furthering the goals of business aviation, said the great people he has had the opportunity to work with over the years have meant more to him than anything else.

“The time I served working on NBAA committees and the board, alongside many distinguished colleagues and friends, to support the business aviation community is the highlight of my career,” said Jim Waugh, executive vice president of FlightSafety International. Waugh will be presented with the award at today’s NBAA Associate Member Advisory Council luncheon.

“I would like to recognize the more than 350 members who currently serve on standing committees and encourage others to join. It is an opportunity to help everyone in the industry to be better at what we do,” Waugh continued. Serving with other NBAA committee members, he said, provides the privilege of working with a cross-section of aviation professionals and those who rely on and benefit from the use of business aircraft. It is a unique opportunity to interact with people who share a common goal of making the industry safer and healthier, and helps business aviation continue to grow as a vital part of the overall economy.

He said he would use the award platform to encourage people to get involved in a committee because they “can and do” make a difference. “The reward of participating and contributing to our industry in this way creates a feeling that you can’t get anywhere else,” he said.

Waugh served on the NBAA’s board of directors for a number of years and he was the chairman of NBAA’s Associate Member Advisory Council (AMAC), and served on AMAC’s Education Committee, which developed the popular AvKids program.

Waugh has spent most of his career at FlightSafety International, where he celebrated his 30th anniversary on September 1. After a brief stint in the medical equipment business, he joined FlightSafety as director of marketing and was promoted to vice president in charge of developing marketing, sales, advertising, communications and government-contract programs. During that time, FSI has grown from 16 learning centers to 42 commercial training centers and 29 military locations, where more than 75,000 aviation professionals are taught each year. Waugh, who was promoted to executive vice president, is credited with contributing to the company’s significant growth.

“Jim Waugh is that rare unsung hero, who always gives of his time, talents and energy with no thought of reward,” said NBAA board chairman Ken Emerick. “His work on safety and other issues has been tremendously important for the business aviation community, and it gives me great pleasure to recognize him with the Doswell Award for his legacy of contribution to the industry.”

Waugh learned to fly as a freshman in college, but the lack of 20/20 vision kept him from following his father in an airline career. His father was senior vice president of operations for Pan Am. The younger Waugh went on to earn commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings, staying in civil aviation.

Waugh’s community service and dedication to aviation safety has not been limited to FSI and NBAA. For 10 years, he was co-chairman of the Aviation Symposium for the Risk Insurance Management Society. For nine years, he served as a member and treasurer on the board of governors for the Flight Safety Foundation. He also was a member of the board of directors for FlightSafety Boeing. A member of the New York’s Wings Club, he served as the secretary of its board for 14 years.