Brenda Watts of Watson, Ark., Elected 2016 NAAA President

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jay Calleja
Phone: (202) 546-5722
 

News Release: Brenda Watts of Watson, Ark., Elected 2016 NAAA President

Arkansas operator becomes first woman to head national ag aviation association

 
ALEXANDRIA, VA – FEBRUARY 2, 2016 – The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is pleased to announce that Brenda Watts has been elected president of NAAA for 2016. Watts owns K & P Flying Service, an aerial application business in Watson, Ark. On a historical note, NAAA is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016 and Watts has made some history herself. She is the first woman to serve as president in NAAA’s history.
 
Watts started doing bookkeeping at K & P Flying Service when the company was founded in 1995. In 1999, she took over as K & P’s sole owner and head of operations. In her 17 years as owner and operator, Brenda has done everything at the flying service except fly her Air Tractor 602 ag plane. She leaves that to her trusted pilot, Don Glasscock. Rice, soybeans, corn and cotton are the main crops in her territory, and in 2015 K & P Flying Service sprayed or fertilized 164,218 acres.
 
As an operator Watts has always been actively involved in her state association, the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association (AAAA), as well as NAAA. She served as secretary of AAAA in 2007–2008 and as AAAA’s president in 2011 and 2012. At the national level, Watts served as the Arkansas state representative on NAAA’s board of directors from 2010 to 2015. She served as NAAA treasurer in 2013 and chaired NAAA’s museum committee from 2012 to 2015.
 
Watts is a high-energy leader who is honored to serve as NAAA’s 2016 president. Like the definition of her last name, she intends to exert high amounts of energy delivering the positive message of agricultural aviation throughout this momentous year for the association. “I’m proud of what I do, and I am completely inspired by the devotion, professionalism and good stewardship practiced by the folks on the NAAA board. We’ve all got the same goals: to make the industry work better,” Watts said.
 
Serving with Watts on her 2016 officer team are Vice President Dominique Youakim of Aerinova Aerial LLC, Mattoon, Ill.; Secretary Graham Lavender of AgAir Update, Perry, Ga.; and Treasurer Darrin Pluhar of Plu’s Flying Service, Ekalaka, Mont. NAAA’s full Board of Directors consists of 42 State, Regional and Allied Industry Directors, the NAAA officer team, the NAAREF  President, the immediate past treasurer and last five past presidents, as well as numerous committee appointees.
The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) represents more than 1,900 members in 46 states. NAAA supports the interests of small business owners and pilots licensed as professional commercial aerial applicators that use aircraft to enhance food, fiber and biofuel production, protect forestry and control health-threatening pests.