Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans to Attend NBAA Convention

Contact: Cassandra Bosco

Las Vegas, NV, October 11, 2004 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is pleased to announce an official visit to the NBAA 57th Annual Meeting & Convention by Commerce Secretary Donald Evans on Wednesday, October 13. This will be the first time since 1989 that a cabinet member has participated in the Annual Meeting & Convention. Evans plans to meet with NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and business aviation leaders regarding growth of the industry, access to foreign markets and trade promotion. Following his meeting, he will take a tour of the trade show floor.

“We are very excited to have a key member of President Bush’s economic team focused on the business aviation community,” said Bolen. “His interest in the show reflects business aviation’s emergence as a significant engine for our nation’s economy.”

Evans joined President Bush’s cabinet on January 20, 2001, as the 34th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, advising the President on many issues, including pro-growth and job-creating economic policies, international trade, business concerns and energy policy.

Evans strongly believes in the free enterprise system, corporate accountability and corporate stewardship. He sees his main mission in government as working to create a climate for U.S. and world economic growth. “President Bush and I share the belief that governments don’t create wealth and prosperity; people do. It is government’s role to create the right conditions in which America’s workers and businesses will flourish,” Evans says.

Born in Houston, TX, Evans attended the University of Texas, majoring in mechanical engineering. He received his M.B.A. in 1973.

NBAA represents the aviation interests of more than 7,700 companies that own or operate general aviation aircraft as an aid to the conduct of their business, or are involved with business aviation. NBAA Member Companies earn annual revenues approaching $5 trillion — a number that is about half the gross domestic product — and employ more than 19 million people worldwide. The NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention is the world’s largest display of civil aviation products and services.

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