This month, twenty board members from the MARCH Foundation visited Elizabeth City State University to observe the training of the next generation of aviation professionals. With their support and funding, the foundation aims to highlight the significance of investing in the future aviation workforce and creating a more diverse talent pool of pilots. Last year, MARCH provided $100,000 to ECSU to support its aviation program.
“We’re excited to continue supporting innovation at ECSU, where the next generation of pilots and aviation leaders are pursuing their dreams,” said Eric Leufroy, a MARCH Foundation board member who spent more than 34 years at UPS. The ECSU Division of Student Affairs and University Advancement hosted Leufroy and fellow active and retired UPSers.
MARCH is an acronym for Mutual Alliance Restoring Community Hope. This foundation was established 26 years ago to support the education of African American youth. Kenneth B. Jarvis, a long-time community business and civic leader, founded the group consisting of African American executive men, all of whom retired from United Parcel Service (UPS) and initially sponsored MARCH with their personal funds.
Through this partnership with MARCH, the university aims to establish a pathway for opportunities for workforce readiness and preparedness of the students, as stated by Karrie G. Dixon, Ph.D., ECSU Chancellor.
“Partners like the MARCH Foundation dramatically enhance ECSU’s ability to attract and retain talent that fuels the aviation industry,” Dixon said. “Philanthropic generosity like this provides support to talented students when skyrocketing tuition is out of reach.”
ECSU is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the only four-year aviation education program in North Carolina. Dr. Kuldeep Rawat, Ph.D., Dean, School of Science, Aviation, Health & Technology explains that the offerings at ECSU will address the Aviation Workforce Shortage and Needs.
Commercial air travel is predicted to increase from 858 million annual enplanements to about 1.3 billion by 2040. As a result, 264,000 new pilots will be needed over the coming decade. Unfortunately, according to Rawat, African Americans and women are heavily underrepresented in aviation. Zippia reports that only 2.2% of airline pilots are Black.
MARCH board members are no strangers to breaking barriers. Several members are featured in “Black Voices from Big Brown: Untold Stories of African Americans at UPS,” an award-winning book created and produced by members of the UPS African American Business Resource Group (AABRG), Corporate Chapter. As such, students picked up leadership gems throughout the 1.5-day campus visit.
“The foundation of effective leadership is built on continuous learning and a desire to be better tomorrow than you were today,” said Sean Horton, a Flight Standards and Training Assistant Chief Pilot with UPS Airlines, who volunteered his time.
Horton traveled from Louisville, KY, to the Elizabeth City, NC, campus via a UPS flight that stopped in Richmond, VA. Upon arrival, he joined the MARCH Board Members, including Joel Stenson, the Senior Vice President of Operations Technology at UPS. Horton mentioned that aviation-specific leadership requires adept critical thinking, dynamic decision-making, and maintaining a calm demeanor during stressful situations.
“It was a privilege to spend a day with literal [UPS] living legends and pioneers of our industry,” Horton added.
