Monte Mitchell, 83, the former president of the Aircraft Electronics Association, died last week following a brief illness. He led the organization for nearly 20 years during which time he tripled its membership, introduced new programs and greatly expanded the group’s monthly Avionics News publication. He was also a key driver in the passage of the landmark General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) of 1994, which reduced the liability faced by aviation manufacturers and spurred new product research and development.