Henry Ogrodzinski, a “beloved gentleman-statesman” of aviation who for the past 18 years served as president and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials, died at his home in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 65.
Ogrodzinski, known as Henry O to friends, began his aviation advocacy work at the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in the 1980s. In addition to managing all public and media communications for EAA, he also testified frequently before Congress on aviation issues.
Ogrodzinski graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee with a B.A. in journalism-mass communication. He started his career at Delco Electronics, which manufactured navigation and flight management systems. In 1988 he joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association as head of its communications program, and later moved to Gulfstream, where he was vice president of marketing and communications and a corporate officer.
He left Gulfstream to become the President and CEO of the United States Air and Trade Show in Dayton, Ohio, and in 1996 accepted the position as President of NASAO and the association’s nonprofit Center for Aviation Research and Education.
Ogrodzinski also served on the boards of directors of the National Aeronautic Association, the Aero Club of Washington, the Airport Cooperative Research Program, the Board of Nominations for the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Selection Committee for the Collier Trophy.
“The general aviation industry has lost one of its best advocates and beloved gentlemen-statesmen,” said GAMA President Pete Bunce. National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen echoed those words, saying, “Henry was one of our industry’s great statesmen, and his passion for general aviation was infectious. We will miss him greatly.”
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