Writer

Amy Wilder

When retired industry executive Bob Blouin received a call from Corporate Angel Network (CAN) president and CEO Robert “Bob” Stangarone asking if he’d be interested in serving in the new Ambassador Program for CAN, Blouin didn’t hesitate. The invitation was a chance to give back to an industry that had defined his life.
“Our paths had crossed many times over the years,” said Blouin, whose decades-long career has spanned senior roles at companies and organizations including NBAA, Bombardier/Shorts, Hawker Beechcraft, Imperial Airlines, and Island Airlines, along with other organizations.
He and Stangarone had known each other since the 1980s, when the latter worked for Fairchild Dornier. Both had also worked in Wichita for a time—Stangarone at Cessna Aircraft, while Blouin was at the helm of the Hawker Beechcraft flight department. When Stangarone reached out about the new Ambassador Program last year, it felt like a natural progression.
The CAN Ambassador Program is a grassroots effort to expand the organization’s reach. Ambassadors are seasoned aviation professionals who leverage their extensive networks and industry knowledge to raise awareness about CAN’s mission of arranging flights for cancer patients to access care aboard available seats on business jets.
For Blouin, the decision was deeply personal and serendipitous. He and his wife Kathleen—also a former NBAA official—had spent years volunteering with Angel Flight, flying patients to hospitals like Children’s Hospital Philadelphia and Johns Hopkins. When they sold their Bonanza, they thought their days of service in medical transport were over. Then came Stangarone’s call.
“One door closes, and another door opens,” said Blouin. “It was like a month after we sold the airplane that Bob called and asked if we’d like to be Corporate Angel Network ambassadors.”
CAN’s new Ambassador Program is crucial in connecting more corporate flight departments with patients who require transportation. Ambassadors like the Blouins visit flight departments, FBOs, and industry events to spread the word. And the work isn’t limited to formal interactions. The ambassador’s role is multifaceted. They’re part networkers, part storytellers, and part aviation evangelists. Blouin’s approach is hands-on and personal.&nbsp;
“We keep a packet of brochures and giveaways in our car,” Blouin says. “When we stop at a flight department or FBO, we always have something to leave behind.”&nbsp;
These personal connections help demystify the program and encourage participation. And that stems from the organization’s origins. Founded by Leonard Greene in the early 1980s, following his wife’s cancer diagnosis, and initially supported by cancer survivors like pilot Priscilla “Pat” Blum, who flew the organization’s first mission, CAN has always been about personal connection and compassion.
The program is deliberately flexible. Ambassadors might attend regional aviation events or spread the word through their networks. For Blouin, this means sharing CAN’s story at his monthly aviation lunch club, which includes retired pilots from various backgrounds.
One such conversation led directly to a potential patient. A fellow pilot mentioned a neighbor with metastatic breast cancer who needed transportation from Delaware to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston—precisely the type of mission CAN supports.
The ambassadors are still defining their role. Their first official meeting was a Zoom call, during which Bob Stangarone and his staff provided guidance and answered questions for the scattered ambassadors. It’s a new program, less than a year old, but is already gaining momentum. More than a dozen industry executives, both retired and active, have signed up as ambassadors.
Social media plays a crucial role. Ambassadors are encouraged to share stories, post about CAN, and use their networks to spread awareness.
“In this day and age of networking,” Blouin said, “the more we get the word out through social media, the better.” It’s about creating a ripple effect of awareness and support.
The ambassador program reflects a broader trend in aviation—using industry expertise for social good. For corporate flight departments, participation offers more than just a charitable opportunity. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate corporate social responsibility and use aircraft more efficiently. “The majority of corporations use these airplanes as tools,” Blouin explained. “How can we use those tools to do something meaningful?”
For the Blouins, it’s more than a volunteer role. It’s a continuation of a lifetime spent in aviation, a way to give back to a broader community and an industry that has been their home for decades. “To give back through aviation,” he said, “is a wonderful thing to do when you’ve spent your whole career flying.”
As CAN’s Ambassador Program continues to grow, it represents an intersection of professional expertise, personal dedication, and compassionate service, proving that in aviation, there’s always room to lift others higher.

Wings of Hope: How Ambassadors Are Helping Corporate Angel Network

CAN flights offer comfort, dignity, and hope during one of life’s most challenging journeys

Long-time industry executive Bob Blouin is taking the Corporate Angel Network’s new ambassador program to new levels.

Ambassador Program Helping Corporate Angel Network Spread Its Wings

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Jessica Reed

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.

Certificate expands its commercial operating rights across 34 African nations

Nigerian Bizav Operator VivaJets Secures AOC

Matt Thurber

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Move adds company to terminal procedures charting market

Garmin SmartCharts Revamp Flight Procedures Process

Charles Alcock

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Logistics group Toll has contracted Falcon to support government and defense missions

UAE-based Falcon Group Signs Flight Support Agreements

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Charter flight operators are among the first to embrace the technology

AI Tools Promise Efficiency Leap for Business Aviation

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

In this article

Corporate Angel Network

More In Operations

Nigerian Bizav Operator VivaJets Secures AOC

Certificate expands its commercial operating rights across 34 African nations

Garmin SmartCharts Revamp Flight Procedures Process

Move adds company to terminal procedures charting market

UAE-based Falcon Group Signs Flight Support Agreements

Logistics group Toll has contracted Falcon to support government and defense missions

AI Tools Promise Efficiency Leap for Business Aviation

Charter flight operators are among the first to embrace the technology

Seven Cities In the Frame to be EBACE 2026’s Home

EBAA will announce future plans for its 2026 business aviation show on June 30

Skylegs and C Teleport Unite To Streamline Crew Travel

Solution provides real-time flight change capabilities for positioning crewmembers

Euro Jet Boosts Baltic Presence Ahead of Summer Rush

Personnel added to airports in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

Avincis Sends CL-415s To Fight Fires in Israel

Amphibious fire bombers are part of a fleet of 18 based in Italy

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN