FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2000

Long Beach, California -- During its 69th Annual Convention and Trade Show, this week, the National Association of State Aviation Officials presented its year 2000 Distinguished Service Award to Bruce F. Mundie, director of the Maryland Aviation Administration Office of Regional Aviation Assistance.

"Bruce's achievements are an outstanding example of how much can be accomplished by one tireless, dedicated state employee on behalf of the aviation community, people of his state and the nation," said NASAO President Henry Ogrodzinski.

Since 1987, Mundie has been responsible for the regulation, licensing and registration of more than 140 airports in Maryland. His efforts to improve and preserve Maryland's airport infrastructure led to the development of an airport equipment loan program, which has raised the level of safety and standardization of airports across the state. He initiated the first state financial assistance grants to airports not eligible for federal aid and concurrently initiated the first grants for the construction of new air passenger service terminals at four additional airports. In an effort to enhance safety and open eight more airports to all-weather commercial service, Mundie single-handedly set off in pursuit of commissioning automated weather stations and will turn those fully commissioned stations over to the airport owners when the project is completed this year. He has designed and installed a test replacement for 27 visual approach slope indicators, in the state, which previously did not meet with FAA acceptance. Once certified for use, these replacement units will provide an even safer airport environment and save the state over 95 percent of the cost of new, commercial equipment. He encouraged the founding of the Maryland Airport Managers' Association, bringing together their expertise and experience to solve mutual problems.

An avid promoter of aviation, Mundie has been at the forefront of several aerospace education initiatives to foster aviation careers in Maryland's young people. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Opportunities Skyway, an anti-dropout program for at risk students across the United States. He is a charter Advisory Board Member of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's School of Airways Science and the originator of a program to use a state-funded control tower as a training facility for the university. He also co-founded "Take It To The Top," an annual workshop that attracts teachers from a five-state area to learn how to inspire students using aviation to teach the arts and sciences.

Formerly a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Mundie has 40 years of experience in all types of aircraft from light single-engine to the Boeing 707. He is a former airport manager and was the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics Deputy Director before coming to Maryland.

"In his free time and on weekends, Bruce can usually be found at general aviation open houses, promoting aviation safety and displaying the accomplishments of the Maryland Aviation Administration. His tireless efforts and successful accomplishments set a standard for the rest of us to emulate," Ogrodzinski said.