Jerry King is the Founder, Owner and President of King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI) and King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC). Since 1992, King’s companies have been serving government, military, corporate and VIP large aircraft clients on a global basis. While King Aerospace has been recognized for outstanding aviation performance worldwide, King remains focused on his most important life mission – To serve God, Country, and Family and to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
King was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1952, where his father was a distinguished Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a primary emphasis in Marketing from Southwest Texas State University, now called Texas State University. King humorously claims the school’s name was changed after he graduated due to his ‘bad’ college behavior. King was actually a Gaillardian and a founding member of the American Marketing Association Chapter at Texas State University.
After graduation, King eventually went to work at Associated Air Center in Dallas, Texas. He started out by performing various management positions involving a wide range of aircraft maintenance and customized modifications on fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. His success quickly grew and ultimately he became President and an Owner of the firm. Under King’s direction, Associate Air Center became recognized on a global basis as the premier VIP large aircraft interior modification firm. King has been involved in numerous aircraft programs for VIP clients including presidents, foreign governments, royalty, entertainers, large corporations and celebrities, including Donald Trump.
After successfully growing Associated Air Center to nearly 600 employees and earning his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University, King formed King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI) in 1992. KAI was awarded a United States Air Force Contract for Airborne Missile Testing at Tyndall Air Force Base. KAI has been recognized twice for ‘Outstanding Performance in Region 6’ by the Small Business Association. The US Army selected KAI as the ‘Outstanding Contractor of the Year’ in 2013 for the firm’s performance in the United States, Korea, South America and Afghanistan.
In 1993, King formed King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC) to provide aviation services to large aircraft operators. KACC recently became a preferred aviation service provider for The Boeing Company.
King has been married for 25 years to his wife Barbara who is a retired registered pediatric nurse. They reside in Dallas, Texas and have two children. Their daughter Jacqueline was the first person ever to open the cattle gate at an Oklahoma State University (OSU) football game when she attended OSU and was a member of the Rodeo Association. Their son Jarid is a 2013 OSU graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and a Partner at King Aerospace. Jarid is a licensed pilot, played 5 years of football at OSU and also oversees his own aviation firm. King has been a Board Member for the Greater Dallas Boys and Girls Club for 20 years. Both King and his wife, Barbara, have both survived cancer twice and King currently serves on the Advisory Board of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
King is passionately driven to positively influence people’s lives and has embraced Servant Leadership. He created the King Aerospace Cornerstone Principles, which foster an unparalleled culture of ethics and success for the firm’s employees. These principles are summarized by the philosophy of: “Honesty in all Dealings”, “Give More Than You Take”, “Share With Others”, and “Performance Without Excuses is Mandatory.” King strives for continual improvement in his mission to serve God, Country and Family.
November 24, 2015
McCoy Hall 119
9:30 - 10:50 a.m.
9:30 - 10:50 a.m.
