Duncan Aviation, a family-owned aviation services company that's been based in Lincoln for more than 50 years, said earlier this month that its president, Aaron Hilkemann, will retire from that position on July 1 and move into a new part-time role as CEO and chairman of the company's board of advisers.
Hilkemann has been with Duncan since 1996 and its president since 1997.
He will be succeeded in the president's role by Jeff Lake, Duncan's current chief operating officer.
“Aaron has been a transformative leader for Duncan Aviation and leaves a remarkable legacy,” Todd Duncan, chairman of Duncan Aviation, said in a news release.
Hilkemann has overseen some of the most turbulent times in the company's history, from changes in aviation security related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks to an economic downturn that led to the company's first-ever job cuts in 2009.
He also played a pivotal role in the company's rebound from those cuts, which included opening a new facility in Provo, Utah, building several new buildings at its headquarters campus at the Lincoln Airport and growing its workforce to a larger size than it was before the recession-era job cuts.
Hilkemann "never altered from the belief my family has that the people of Duncan Aviation are our strongest asset; instead, his style complemented it perfectly," Duncan said.
As for the succession plan, Duncan said that such a move could bring "stress and uncertainty" at many companies.
"That is not the case with Duncan Aviation, though, because through the years, the senior management team formed by Aaron has developed a solid and agile succession plan that was supported by our external Board of Advisors," he said. "This plan includes semi-retirement positions that let Duncan Aviation tap into the knowledge and experience of its long-term senior leaders while transitioning to new leadership."
Lake has actually been at the company longer than Hilkemann, starting his career there in 1993 as controller. He was promoted to chief financial officer in 1998 and chief operations officer in 2008.
"With Jeff’s experience on this team, I am confident that Duncan Aviation will continue to provide excellent services for business aircraft operators and be a great place to work for our team members," Hilkemann said in the news release.
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