The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has selected James Viola, currently president and CEO of Vertical Aviation International (VAI), to succeed Pete Bunce at the helm of the association. As part of a transition plan, Viola will step into his new role as GAMA president and CEO in March after the conclusion of VAI’s biggest event of the year, Verticon, while Bunce will retire in April after leading the association for nearly 20 years. In the interim, both will work closely together.

“GAMA has an outstanding reputation as a leader across the international aerospace ecosystem and I am honored and excited to work with GAMA’s members and team to further advance the critical interests and contributions of the aviation industry,” Viola said.

“I look forward to championing general aviation’s significant work to provide growth and opportunity for individuals and businesses, enable innovative and technological advancements for safety and efficiency, and support the economic development and welfare of communities across the globe.”

Viola joins just a handful of presidents who have steered the association over its 55-year history. Bunce was the second-longest serving, only behind founding member Ed Stimpson.

“I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Pete, who has done a tremendous job over the last 20 years growing GAMA’s membership, broadening its policy and regulatory reach, honoring our nation’s veterans, and being a staunch advocate for the industry,” said Eric Hinson, GAMA immediate past chair and president and CEO of Simcom International.

Bunce joined GAMA in April 2005 after retiring from a 26-year career with the U.S. Air Force, where he flew F-15s and A-10s; his last assignment was as the director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations liaison. While with GAMA, Bunce expanded the association with rotorcraft members and the growth of the advanced air mobility sector, as well as built up its office in Brussels, tying GAMA in more closely with international leaders. A fierce advocate for the general and business aviation community, Bunce played an integral role in the fight against user fees and privatization, as well as obtaining resources for the industry during the Covid pandemic and seeking key certification reforms within the FAA. He further has championed grassroots aviation.

“It has been a true honor and joy to lead such a phenomenal team of experts that delivers results for its members and the entire civil aviation industry. Over the past two decades, I could not have asked to work for, and with, a more supportive board of directors and fellow GA association head colleagues,” Bunce said. “My wife, Patty, and I will always cherish our time at GAMA and the close friendships we’ve been blessed to forge with so many leaders in the entire GA community. Jim has been one of those good friends who I have had the privilege to work with and build a close professional bond. I look forward to watching Jim take GAMA to new heights as our industry journeys into the most exciting time in aerospace since the dawn of the jet age.”

Bunce’s plans to retire have been widely known in Washington circles this year, and the GAMA board formed a selection committee, which has been searching for a successor for months.

“James Viola has an incredible passion for general aviation and will do a remarkable job representing the interests of GAMA member companies and leading the tremendous GAMA staff. His military, flying, and regulatory experience, along with his proven leadership of a renowned international aviation association, will make him an extremely effective advocate for the economic and societal contributions of the global general aviation industry,” said Chuck Wiplinger, GAMA chair, and president and CEO of Wipaire.

Viola brings a strong operational background as a helicopter pilot and regulator expertise as a former FAA official to his new role. Joining VAI in 2020, he succeeded Matt Zuccaro, who had been the long-serving president of what was then known as Helicopter Association International. His introduction in that role came at the association’s Heli-Expo (now Verticon) convention in Anaheim, California, but he immediately faced his first crisis with the high-profile crash of a Sikorsky S-76B in nearby Calabasas that killed nine people, including iconic basketball star Kobe Bryant. And Viola’s transition period was truncated by the unexpected death of Zuccaro less than a month later.

However, he steered the rotorcraft community through that process and undertook a broad agenda to elevate the association’s international reach as well as its presence before global regulatory authorities, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, and to help streamline and build on the many helicopter safety organizations.

Perhaps among the most notable efforts in his relatively short tenure has been to broaden VAI’s reach further into vertical mobility, recognizing the compatible roles of the rotorcraft industry with advanced air mobility. Thus, this resulted in the rebranding of the association.

Before joining VAI, Viola was already well-known in the rotorcraft and general aviation sectors from his role as director of general aviation safety assurance for the FAA. In that capacity, he was responsible for consistency and standardization of safety oversight activities surrounding general aviation. He also served as the government representative on the International Helicopter Safety Team and the United States Helicopter Safety Team.

As a fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilot, Viola’s aviation career began as a U.S. Army aviator, flying special operations as an MH-6 and MH-47 helicopter pilot. Achieving the rank of colonel, he ultimately became division chief for Army Aviation Current Operations in the Pentagon.

Other industry groups welcomed the appointment. “An industry legend like Pete Bunce is a very hard act to follow, but Jim is capable and up to the task. Jim’s aviation and agency experience, combined with his passion for safety and focus on moving the industry forward, are crucial to continuing the organizational growth, sustainability advancements, and aviation innovation shepherded by Pete for the past few decades at the helm of GAMA,” said National Air Transportation Association president and CEO Curt Castagna.

“GAMA has chosen a proven leader and strong general aviation advocate in the selection of Jim Viola,” added NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We have an outstanding relationship with Jim, and look forward to working with him in his new capacity.”