The ISTAT Foundation would like to thank Omni Air International, Inc. for their support and generous donation of $100,000 toward the Diamond Plus Roundtable Membership. ISTAT will match the funds by contributing $100,000 to the Foundation to be added to the ISTAT Foundation-Omni Air International, Inc. Scholarship. 

Omni has designated the funds to be used exclusively for the provision of annual scholarships to students participating in Oklahoma State University's aviation program. The Foundation Scholarship Committee will, on an annual basis, select qualified scholarship awardees based on criteria developed by the committee for awarding scholarships. The Foundation would like to thank Rob Coretz, chairman of Omni, for his efforts to make the contribution a reality.

Omni Air International is a privately owned and managed United States FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier entering its third decade of air transportation solutions. The company's headquarters is located in Tulsa, Okla. Omni provides worldwide passenger charter operations to a diverse customer base, including tour operators, scheduled and charter airlines, cruise lines, corporations (shuttles and incentive programs), sports teams, alumni groups, and global government agencies.

Since 1994, the ISTAT Foundation has provided funds for scholarships to students from around the globe studying various aspects of commercial aviation, including finance, leasing, aviation management, aerospace engineering and more. The Foundation reaches out to more than 150 global aviation universities to encourage submission of applicants for scholarships. The Scholarship Committee reviews each of the applicants and arrives at a decision on the most qualified applicants, paying particular attention to career goals, grades and need.

The Foundation has various Roundtable giving levels that are supported by our ISTAT members and non-members beginning at $10,000. The Diamond Plus Level is new this year and offers large donors the opportunity to make a Diamond Plus Level contribution of $100,000 that will be matched by ISTAT.

• Donor makes a single $100,000 donation in 2014, and ISTAT provides a 100 percent $100,000 match for the first three $100,000 donors.

• The entire $200,000 will be held by the ISTAT Foundation on a restricted basis to be used exclusively for a named ISTAT scholarship(s) selected annually by the Scholarship Committee.

• Donor may designate the naming as well as consider one or more aviation universities to be designated for the student scholarships. Donor may also confer on other specifics at the time of the donation.

• The named scholarship will be awarded annually until 100 percent of the $200,000 restricted amount has been awarded. No administrative charges or income will apply to the funds held by the ISTAT Foundation.

• Numerous promotional and recognition benefits will accrue to the donor as outlined in the 2014 Roundtable Annual Giving Levels.

Interested parties can contact Tom Heimsoth at theimsoth@willowaviation.com or Alyssa Anfuso, ISTAT Foundation Headquarters at aanfuso@ISTAT.org.