Aviation museum president and CEO set for Keystone Series talk

KALAMAZOO—The president and chief executive officer of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo will share his insights on building customer satisfaction and brand recognition for the museum as Western Michigan University continues its 2013-14 Keystone Community Bank Breakfast Speaker Series this month.

Troy Thrash will speak at 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Haworth College of Business in 2150 Schneider Hall, delivering a presentation titled "Building a Museum's Value Proposition Toward a Thriving Community."

The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/keystone-rsvp. Free parking is available in the nearby Fetzer Center parking lot.

Troy Thrash

As president and CEO of the Kalamazoo-based aviation history museum, Thrash is in charge of running all aspects of day-to-day operations, leading the delivery of inspiring and educational exhibits and programs to youth and adults while ensuring the organization operates in a fiscally responsible fashion.

In addition to heading the Air Zoo, Thrash volunteers for the First Robotics regional and international championships as a master of ceremonies and has worked to advance other industry groups such as the federal Interagency Task Force on Aerospace Workforce Revitalization and the Aerospace States Association. 

Prior to his appointment at the museum, Thrash held the position of executive director and CEO of the Da Vinci Science Center, where he led the center's transformation into a sustainable organization, which was critical to the future socioeconomic success of eastern Pennsylvania. Thrash graduated from Villanova University with a bachelor's degree in astronomy and astrophysics.

2013-14 Keystone series dates and speakers

• March 28: President Don LeDuc, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and President John M. Dunn, Western Michigan University