2017 AMT Next Gen Award: Joshua Gibbs

As a child Joshua Gibbs wanted to be a U.S. Marine. His Uncle Jeff was a mentor, and he was a helicopter pilot in the Army and always pushed Gibbs for excellence. During his initial military training Gibbs was drawn to helicopter maintenance and flight.

After the military, he was a contract instructor for Kawasaki Helicopter in Saudi Arabia and trained the Saudi helicopter crew chiefs how to maintain their helicopters. After that he attended MIAT College of Technology and earned his A&P license. His first position out of school was with Turbine Marine in Florida. They recruited him to overhaul T-53 turbines for offshore race boats. It was not long until the owner decided to expand into the industrial market and they were coupling the same turbines with generators. This is when he stepped into more of a supervisor roll and assisted with the R&D of the new units. Years later RedViking hired him to coordinate the machine build on their helicopter dynamometer stands. Through experience and training he was promoted throughout his five years there to the director of integration operations.

He is currently with JEM Engineering as their operations manager. He runs the day-to-day operations for the engineering and production of antennas both for aerospace and other industries.

Nominated by Amy Kienast, Director of Career Services, MIAT College of Technology: "During his role with RedViking, he partnered with MIAT College of Technology and developed a Machine Builder Co-op program where A&P students were hand selected through an interview process to work at RedViking Engineering to gain skills in an aerospace environment. He also volunteers his time on the MIAT Program Advisory Board and assists with curriculum development, equipment acquisition, and speaking to current students about careers in aviation and aerospace. His passion for getting youth interested in hands-on careers has also spilled over into the community and he is a member of the I-275 Industrial Corridor Committee that is focused on getting youth interested in the skilled trades."

Gibbs says, "I have and will continue to help the industry by attending speaking engagements where I can talk to the younger generation about the future and how the aviation industry has improved my life."

As for the future he intends to be the vice president of operations by the time he is 40 and also plans to own his own vineyard.