Dr. Joel A. English, president of the Aviation Institute of MaintenanceLongtime Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) executive Dr. Joel English has ascended to become president of the nationwide network of aviation trade schools, as well as lead the Centura College and Tidewater Tech families of post-secondary education providers.
English, who helped champion the McKinley Park neighborhood's AIM campus at 3711 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, also helped AIM grow its total campuses nationwide from 11 to 15 locations, more than any other institution certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
“There has never been a greater need for a skilled, certified workforce in my lifetime,” English said. “It is our schools’ responsibility to be a solution and a resource for employers in the communities we serve.”
Massive Demand
Dr. Joel English, right, reviews the AIM Chicago campus in November 2022 with, from left to right, AIM Vice President Pat Thomas, AIM Chancellor Dr. Kenneth Alexander, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.AIM first began accepting students at its McKinley Park campus in 2021. As previously reported here in the McKinley Park News, the massive demand for skilled aviation technicians has inspired local incentives, guaranteed employment pipelines and cooperative relationships with Chicago high schools and colleges.
Like AIM, the three Centura College campuses and Tidewater Tech in Southeastern Virginia focus on trades education for industries desperately seeking qualified employees: wind and solar energy, healthcare and other skilled trades.
Dynamic Leader
Gerald Yagen, the schools’ founder and English's predecessor as president, said English was an ideal pick for "the next generation of leadership." Yagen will remain as board chairman.
"Dr. English has been a dynamic leader within the communities we serve nationwide for the past 20 years," Yagen said. "He has built our name and reputation as an important source of certified aircraft mechanics for airlines and aircraft manufacturers worldwide."
Former Writing Professor
English has been an executive at the three education institutions since 2003 and worked as their executive vice president since 2020. Prior to that, he taught writing at Old Dominion University; his Ph.D. comes from Ball State University for rhetoric and composition.
English's passion for education is inspirational, said Dr. Kenneth Alexander, mayor of Norfolk, Virginia, and the institutions’ chancellor. "Dr. English is a champion for the communities he serves and for the students who enter the doors of our institutions."
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