by Dan Perkins

August 2004, Clarence J. Grisham, Jr. was elected to the Board of Directors of the Organization of Black Pilots (OBAP), the nation's leading professional organization for African American commercial pilots. Although Grisham is not a commercial pilot, he is among the many associate members (members who are not commercial pilots) that contribute to and participate in the organization.

Grisham, who has been an OBAP member since 1998, will serve in a newly created Board position reserved exclusively for an associate member.  Many of the organization's associate members are military pilots who hope one day to become airline pilots.  Grisham is also a military pilot.  He is a major in the United States Marine Corps and a pilot of the KC130 aircraft.  He has served in the Marine Corps for eleven years, and is currently stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"I have always wanted to be a pilot since the age of twelve," said Grisham.  "I use to fly a lot from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta on commercial airliners and thought that would be a really fun job."

Once Grisham decided on a career in aviation, he began asking questions of people to determine the best way to achieve his dreams.  Upon graduation from high school, he went straight to Morehouse College in Atlanta where he earned a degree in mathematics in 1993.

"I was always under the impression that you had to be really good in math to be a successful pilot," said Grisham. "I found out years later that that was just a very small part (of what is required to be successful in the aviation industry.

After graduating from Morehouse, Grisham attended flight school in the Marine Corps.  There, he discovered the importance of discipline, memorization, dedication and perseverance.  "Without those skills, I would not have gotten to the point I am currently in my career," Grisham explained.

Now, as a newly elected member of the OBAP Board, Grisham must also employ administrative skills. It is both an opportunity and a challenge he welcomes. 

As a Board member, Grisham intends to continue to support OBAP's innovative programs such as Pilot's in Schools, ACE Camps, Professional Pilot Development Program and the latest program that is in the works, Project Aviator.  All of the programs afford OBAP members opportunities to support and encourage young people, many of whom are just beginning to discover aviation and the many career possibilities that exist within the field.

The success of OBAP's outreach programs is clear evidence that exposing young people, especially African American youth, to successful pilots helps to elevate their aspirations and focus their development.  It is a fact that Grisham is both proud of and eager to expand upon.  "We as an organization can continue to make a difference in the aviation industry for African Americans in the coming years," said Grisham.

The End