Someone told me recently, after hearing I’d been elected, that this association has survived every president it has ever had. I’m still not sure exactly how she meant it, but I’ve decided to take it as encouragement. I’m certain, however, that it’s an honor to be writing my first letter to you, even if it is further proof that a generous view has been taken of my qualifications. LPBA has given me so much over the years, especially the friendships I've made along the way. That is why I do not take it lightly that you've handed me the controls for the next year.

My thanks to our immediate past president, James Wade, for his steady leadership and great conferences over the past year, and to the spouses, partners, co-pilots, and other volunteers who’ve helped keep us on course. I also owe a particular thank you to our Executive Director, Karen Griggs, who has been guiding me every step of the way. Very little of what LPBA does happens without someone rolling up their sleeves and going above and beyond, even though they, like all of us, might rather be flying.

As to my focus over the next year- one of our past presidents, Frank Steinberg, put it better than I can: "Our first concern is membership. If we do not solve the problem of declining membership, nothing else will matter." Our conferences, our CLE, the mentoring that happens at the bar afterwards, the Journal, all of it depends on there being enough of us to sustain it. The good news is that the solution is not mysterious. It starts the same way it always has: one person inviting another into the LPBA community. I’ll be working with our membership committee on this, and we may well be asking for your help.

Somewhere right now there is a 1L or an experienced attorney with an interest in aviation, that even if they’ve seen our website, may not truly understand what LPBA can offer, whether it is education or connections with new colleagues. My experience has been that our members and their families make LPBA stand far above other bar associations in every way.

LPBA members helped shape my career. I joined LPBA nearly 20 years ago as a student member the summer of my 1L year after interning with the FAA’s Eastern Region office and a relatively new attorney there, Rob Spitzer, put me on to it. Not long after, during an externship with the Department of Justice, Steven Kirsch encouraged me to write an article for the Journal, an invitation that meant more to me than he probably realized. Years later, my mentor, the late Greg Winton, encouraged me to stay involved with the association. I’m here writing this letter because they, and many others, took the time to invest in me.

So, please keep spreading the word about us to your colleagues, new attorneys, and anyone with an interest in aviation, especially about our conferences. I think once they go, they’ll be hooked. If you’re a regular, keep coming. If you attend on occasion, we want to see you more. If you’ve never been, now is the time.

I look forward to seeing you at the winter 2027 conference in Nashville, February 17–21, 2027, at The Nash Hotel. Between CLE sessions you'll have Music City at your doorstep, from the honky-tonks to the Johnny Cash Museum. The last time LPBA went to Nashville was just as the pandemic fell upon us; I'm not sure what surprise might top that this time, so don't miss your chance to be there with us to find out firsthand. Stay tuned for an announcement on the location and dates for the summer 2027 conference.

Will Slicer, our president-elect, is hard at work putting together CLE programs for the next year, which you will not want to miss. If you would like to be considered as a presenter, or if you have a good lead for him to consider, send him a note.

Finally, if there is anything I can do for you this year, let me know. Call me at (301) 695-2079 or email jared.allen@aopa.org. Tell me what the LPBA is doing well, tell me what we could do better, and tell me who you think we should be recruiting and how. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.

– Jared Allen