Karen A. Kalishek

This is Kalishek’s fourth NAFI Master Accreditation.

Kalishek was an aviation late bloomer. As happens to many pilots, after lessons at a younger age, life got in the way. She became a certified public accountant, licensed real estate broker, bank executive, taught finance courses in graduate school, and for 20 years ran her own firm providing international consulting services in 37 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Then the aviation bug bit once again and did not let go. Kalishek is now a designated pilot examiner and independent Master and Gold Seal flight instructor with ATP, CFI, CFII, CFIME, CFI-Glider, AGI, and IGI certificates. She has a special fondness for antique and experimental aircraft and flies her own Van’s RV-6.

Kalishek is a major in the Civil Air Patrol, serving as a CAP volunteer flight instructor, G1000 instructor, check pilot, examiner, safety officer, aerospace education officer, public affairs officer, special flight release officer, mission pilot, and cadet orientation pilot. Kalishek serves on the NAFI board of directors and is the current NAFI board chair. She is also a member of the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee, Wings Industry Network and FAA Surface Safety Group. In 2014, she founded the Green Bay IMC Club, and serves as its leader and club coordinator. For the past decade, she has held various volunteer positions with the EAA Pilot Proficiency Center, serving on the organizing committee and as a flight instructor or operations manager during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Since 2006, she has served as treasurer of EAA Chapter 651, and is an EAA Flight Advisor for the chapter. Kalishek is a member of Women in Aviation, The Ninety Nines and Women Soaring Pilots Association. Kalishek has served as a FAASTeam Representative since 2013, FAASTeam Lead Representative for the Milwaukee FSDO since 2015, is a WINGS Pro and was named the 2019 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. A passionate advocate of aviation safety, she has created and delivered hundreds of safety presentations to various groups.