Shelly Snyder Simi

Shelly Simi is currently head of Simi Communications & Event Planning located outside Annapolis, Maryland. Prior to starting her own company to focus on media relations, communications and meeting planning activities, she served as Vice President of Communications for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) in Washington, DC. For over 15 years, Simi was the industry spokesperson and educator at GAMA, working daily with both the news media and the aviation community in promoting general aviation and the manufacturers of general aviation aircraft, engines, avionics and related equipment.

Simi is a Founding Board Member of Women in Aviation, International. She is a contributing editor for Aviation for Women magazine and serves on the WAI Conference Planning Committee and Pioneer Hall of Fame Selection Committee. She has served as President of the Aero Club of Washington and is a past Board of Trustee member of the University Aviation Association. Ms. Simi is a founding member and past chairman of the National Coalition for Aviation Education and a founding member of the Aviation Communications Coalition of Washington.

Ms. Simi was presented the 1999 University Aviation Association Estridge Award in recognition of her dedicated service to aerospace education. In 1997, she was presented with the National Coalition for Aviation Education Mervin K. Strickler, Jr. Aviation Education Leadership Award for her commitment and outstanding contributions to aviation education.

Prior to joining GAMA, Ms. Simi worked as the Flight Operations/Fuel Coordinator for Federal Express Corporation in Memphis, Tennessee. She attended George Washington University's Public Relations Certificate Program in Washington, DC and has a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Aviation from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.