The 2023 Trustees Award Recipient is…

Congratulations to Mike Beck, this year’s Trustees Award Recipient!  The Trustees Award is given at the discretion of the Board of Trustees to thank special friends of the museum for voluntarily contributing services or making other gestures of goodwill to the skydiving museum in furtherance of its principles and objectives. Mike will receive the award on Saturday, October 7, during the Hall of Fame Ceremony in Arizona. 

Both personally and through his company, DJ Associates, Mike has been a loyal and significant supporter of the museum and the skydiving community for many years. 

During the weekend of the Hall of Fame Celebration, you might find Mike working registration, organizing the book signings, unloading a truck, setting up for the Hall of Fame Banquet or out in the community searching for new speakers for the sound system that blew a fuse.  There is never a need to ask twice…anything needed and Mike is willing to step in and help. These behind-the-scenes jobs are what keep the event running smoothly and ultimately help create a successful weekend!  DJ Associates has been a sponsor of the Hall of Fame Celebration in numerous capacities since the event began in 2010.  Since 2018, DJ Associates has been the t-shirt sleeve co-sponsor.

Mike considers his greatest contribution to the museum his involvement on the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.  Since the start of the Hall of Fame in 2010, Mike has represented the Parachute Industry Association (PIA) on the committee to select each year’s inductees.  Mike says the process is grueling.  “The nominees are amazing people from all over the world, most of whom have dedicated their lives to the industry and/or the sport at some point.  This year, for example, we had a list of over one hundred nominations and out of those, we had to narrow the list to five inductees. The process is so difficult because while you are choosing worthy candidates each year, you are still leaving a list of well-deserving people who have not been selected yet.”  Mike’s participation on the committee has been instrumental to the growth of the process by which inductees are selected.

DJ Associates was founded by Don and Jean Beck (Mike’s parents) in 1976 as a wholesale distributor that has supplied small quantities of webbing, tape, thread and hardware for close to 50 years. Mike joined the company full time in 1984. In 1977, shortly after the company was founded, the idea for the Parachute Equipment Industry Association, now the Parachute Industry Association, was born, and the company was a founding member of the organization.  Mike immediately became involved with PIA and continues to this day holding various integral positions throughout the years. 

Mike has lived in Fort Smith, Arkansas, most of his life. He is a retired Master Sergeant from the Arkansas Air National Guard with a specialty in Avionics and the Maintenance Operations Center.  He has two children and three amazing grandchildren that he spends time with whenever he can.  In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and has been a Hunter Education Instructor for the Arkansas Game and Fish for over 45 years. He enjoys stained glass, both art glass and hot glass. He is also a beekeeper.

Join us for the Hall of Fame Celebration at Skydive Arizona, October 5 – 7…  Register now!!!