Aviation for Women

MAR-APR 2016

Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.

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76 Aviation forWomen M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 6 ply technician at a company that made telephone sys- tems. This was in the 1980s, and quality circles were be- coming a big part of the manufacturing scene. "Our hu- man resources people would gather groups of workers together to discuss how we could improve our produc- tion processes, and I found those discussions very inter- esting," Lisa said. In time, the company advertised for an HR person to manage the quality circles program, with that job paying four times what Lisa was mak- ing. She was intrigued and applied for the job. "When I walked into the HR department and told them I was in- terested in that job, they looked at me oddly and said, 'Well, we're not sure a technician can make that jump.' When I showed them my résumé with my bachelor's de- gree in education, they were surprised and hired me for the position," Lisa said. "I enjoyed the new training role, but missed the assembly and testing." While in that position, Lisa went on to earn a mas- ter's in business administration in human resources and then a doctorate in science, always remembering her mother's appeal to get a good education. "It was about a desire to please my mom, so I've always gone after every degree and certifcation that I could," she said. B U I L D I N G H E R D R E A M S It was also during this timeframe that Lisa's frst mar- riage ended, and a move found her living under the traf- fc pattern for the Lantana, Florida, airport. "Every day airplanes would fy the downwind leg over my house," she said. "Suddenly my aviation love re-ignited and I knew I couldn't live there and not go to the airport." In February 1995, almost 20 years to the day she soloed, Lisa earned her private pilot certifcate and began re- searching what airplane to build. "All those dreams I had as a kid of building a rocket ship were now becom- ing possible," she said. After considerable research, Lisa chose to build a composite Pulsar XP, a low-wing, two-place airplane. "I joined EAA and learned everything I could before mak- ing my choice. Building the airplane was the most fun thing I'd ever done in my life. I loved every aspect of Right: Accepting the Tony Bingelis Award for accomplishment as an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor from Rick Weiss, chairman of the Homebuilt Aircraft Council, on July 23, 2015. Lisa is the frst woman to receive the award.

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