Bob Havens to Receive Henry Kimberly Award
By Zach Baughman, EAA 530987, Museum Exhibit Coordinator and Katie Meyer, EAA 1133651, HR Business Partner
Each year EAA recognizes a local area volunteer with the Henry Kimberly Award, highlighting local volunteers for their support, commitment and leadership. This year Bob Havens of Appleton, Wisconsin, will receive the 2014 Henry Kimberly Award at the Hall of Fame dinner on November 13.
Bob has been volunteering since 2011 as a Docent in the EAA AirVenture Museum. Bob went on to join the Docent Advisory Committee in 2012 and since then has been working with EAA Staff to create the docent and tour guide training programs. He now serves as the trainer for all new docents and tour guides. He can also be seen around the museum multiple days a week giving museum tours, working with the Boy Scout program, and volunteering at museum events.
His involvement does not stop there, as Bob takes an active role in recruiting new docents.
It is a natural position for Bob, who became fascinated with aviation as a young boy and enlisted in the US Air Force in 1966, where he served for six years as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer on KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and B-52 bombers. His service included 30 months stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, from where he flew combat missions over Vietnam.
After his service, Bob went into the electric motor business working in sales and marketing. Bob’s first exposure to volunteerism at EAA was when he brought a customer to AirVenture Oshkosh. After his retirement, Bob made the decision to become a volunteer with EAA. That surprised his co-workers, who asked him what there was to do at EAA outside of AirVenture.
Bob resides in Appleton with his wife of 47 years, Nancy. They have three children and seven grandchildren. We congratulate Bob as the newest recipient of the Henry Kimberly Award, as he has been indispensible to the docent program, bringing a high level of customer service to provide the best possible experience for museum visitors and helping ensure that all new docents share that same attitude.
The Henry Kimberly Award was created in 2000, when EAA President’s Council member, Don Jones, made a donation to honor the spirit and volunteerism of Henry Kimberly, who was a major Oshkosh business leader and early EAA supporter to bring both the fly-in and EAA headquarters to Oshkosh. The award shows the importance of local, year-round volunteers to the vitality of EAA.
