The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is shifting its senior management with the decision by Katie Pribyl, senior vice president of aviation strategy and programs, to return to her family’s 130-year-old cattle ranch in Montana as its fourth-generation manager.

After serving with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Atlantic Coast Airlines, Pribyl joined AOPA in 2012 as vice president of communications and moved into her current role in 2016. In that capacity, she has had responsibility for both the Air Safety Institute (ASI) and the You Can Fly program.

Richard McSpadden, executive director of the ASI, will now report directly to AOPA president Mark Baker. ASI recently completed a record-breaking year with its safety programs viewed five million times in 2018, Pribyl noted.

As for the You Can Fly program, Elizabeth Tennyson was named executive director. Tennyson has served with AOPA since 1998, holding various positions with the association’s Flight Training and Pilot magazines, as well as the roles of vice president of publications, vice president of e-media, and senior director of communications. She joined the You Can Fly program in 2017 as vice president of aviation program operations, leading Flight Training and Rusty Pilot teams.

AOPA further will hire a vice president for You Can Fly to assist with day-to-day management.

“Working to get people flying and keep them flying safely has been the most gratifying and important work I’ve ever had the privilege of doing,” Pribyl said in a letter announcing her departure. “With your help, we’ve proven that the You Can Fly program and the Air Safety Institute are critical to the future of general aviation.”