AAR Airlift Facility Manager Earns Volunteer of the Year Award in Melbourne

Alice C. Davenport to be honored Feb. 1 at Chamber of Commerce banquet

MELBOURNE, Florida – Alice C. Davenport, Facility Manager for AAR Airlift, has been named 2012 Volunteer of the Year by the Melbourne Regional Chamber of East Central Florida. The honor will be presented at the Chamber’s Impact Awards banquet February 1.

Affectionately nicknamed “the hammer” for her ability to get things done, Davenport moved with AAR Airlift to Brevard County two years ago, overseeing the daunting relocation of Airlift’s headquarters from North Carolina to Melbourne and Palm Bay.

“She helped move the entire business, more than 100 employees, equipment and airplanes, and got four hangars, a warehouse and the offices up and running quickly,” said Randy Martinez, President of AAR Airlift. “We didn’t miss a beat with our customers, thanks to her extraordinary project management skills.”

In the transition, Davenport turned to the Melbourne Regional Chamber for trustworthy vendors to perform work at Airlift’s new site.

“We spotted her energy and people skills right away,” said Chamber President Christine Michaels. “We asked if she would like to contribute in a broader way to the community, and she has delivered more than we ever expected, planning and executing events and fundraisers for so many great causes.”

Davenport has been elected to three Boards: Junior Achievement of the Space Coast, the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce, and PREVENT! of Brevard for substance abuse. She also has chaired the Palm Bay Business Council Steering Committee and has served on committees for the Defenders Car Show, which benefits the Police Foundation of Melbourne.

“I enjoy the camaraderie and the satisfaction of seeing events go off well and people benefiting,” Davenport said.

Last year, for example, Junior Achievement reached more than 11,000 students in Brevard County, teaching entrepreneurship from kindergarten up to high school. The Space Coast chapter just won the USA Peak Performance Team award for the second year in a row from the national Junior Achievement organization.

“There aren’t a lot of women in the aviation field,” Davenport added. “I like to show young women that they can do whatever they put their mind to doing, particularly if they work for a progressive employer. Airlift has allowed me the opportunities to be a leader inside and outside the Company.”

AAR Airlift benefits too.

“Large companies like ours come into a community and hire people, but lots of other residents don’t know what we do,” Martinez said. “Alice is a phenomenal ambassador, explaining Airlift’s vital roles not only in the region but across the globe.”

AAR Airlift, which celebrated its grand opening at Melbourne Airport in 2011, provides expeditionary airlift service to government and defense customers around the world with its fleet of more than 60 aircraft. Airlift is currently the largest lift provider to the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan and has assisted missions around the world including Africa and the Western Pacific.

AAR Airlift is a Space Coast EDC Investor, and a member of the Melbourne and Palm Bay Chambers of Commerce. Airlift Group employs over 250 locally, plus an additional 550 pilots, mechanics and technicians supporting aircraft overseas. Airlift recently won a Florida Governor’s Innovators in Business Award in the “Newcomer” category. The award recognizes excellence in business for companies that are new to Florida.

For details on the Impact Awards, see www.MelbourneRegionalChamber.com.