Marshall University President Brad D. Smith announced today that longtime aviation executive Bill Noe, for whom Marshall’s flight school is named, has been named Chief Aviation Officer for the Division of Aviation at the university.
Noe, an accomplished pilot, and former President and Chief Operations Officer for NetJets, a global private jet company, has served as a trusted advisor to Marshall’s aviation program since its conception in 2017.
Smith said the vision for the chief aviation officer is to lead both the Bill Noe Flight School, a four-year baccalaureate program, and the aviation maintenance technology program, an 18-month degree, opening this fall in partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College.
“I could not be more excited for Bill to take on this new leadership position,” Smith said. “He is a forward-focused thinker and perfect for a transformational role that hinges on the rare combination of an innovative commercial opportunity combined with an academic foundation. Bill is committed to the success of not only this program, but Marshall University as a whole. We are lucky to have him on board.”
Noe, currently a Marshall board of governors member, will step down from the position to take on the aviation leadership responsibilities.
“My career in aviation began right here in Huntington, almost forty years ago,” Noe said. “It has taken me all over the world many times over and now has landed me back here, right where it all started. It is an exciting time in aviation, but even more so for Marshall University.”
Noe will assume his new duties on September 6.
Marshall’s Division of Aviation operates the two aerospace programs through cooperation agreements with West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston and Tri-State Airport in Huntington.