Troy Thrash became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air Zoo on January 28, 2013. In this position he runs all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Air Zoo, an aerospace  and science experience for people of all ages that served over 204,000 participants in 2019.  He is responsible for leading the Air Zoo as it delivers exhibits and programs to inspire and educate youth and adults in aviation, space, and other science and technology disciplines while ensuring the organization operates in a fiscally-responsible fashion.  Under his leadership, the Air Zoo has grown in participation by an unprecedented 71% from 2013-2019, and is on pace in 2023 to reach its highest annual participation ever.

Prior to his appointment at the Air Zoo, he held the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Da Vinci Science Center.  In this position he led the Center’s transformation into a sustainable organization critical to the future socioeconomic success of eastern PA.  The hands-on science center’s participation grew over 60% over four years and its impacts on the region’s students, educators, employers, parents, and others have continued to increase.  Under his leadership, the Da Vinci Science Center became a catalyst for building a skilled regional workforce in eastern Pennsylvania to help the region compete successfully in the global economy.  In 2014, the Office of the President of the United States named Allentown, PA as one of three regions around the country to share a grant to become models by which other regions around the country will mentor and build a future technical workforce.  The Da Vinci Science Center was the convener and leader of the region on that national project.

The seeds of Thrash’s life-long dedication to science and engineering were sewn one evening in Northampton, PA when a seven-year-old Troy was “finally brave enough” to go outside with his golden retriever, Biscuit, to view the majestic universe above with his new telescope (which remains with him to his day). After graduating from Northampton Area High School as a member of the National Honor Society, Thrash earned a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics from Villanova University. Following his studies he worked with the Science Planning Team at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, where he scheduled scientific observations with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope for astronomers across the globe.

Thrash entered the aerospace industry as a Senior Aerospace Engineer for Analytical Graphics, Inc., Malvern, Pa., where he was the Lead Technical Marketer, Systems Engineer, and Programmer of the world’s leading space analysis software. He joined Futron Corporation, a leading aerospace consulting firm in Bethesda, MD, as a Senior Program Manager, and later became Futron’s Division Director of Space and Telecommunications. In those roles, Thrash managed several large-scale projects for clients including the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, International Launch Services, the U.S. Strategic Command, SpaceX, and the National Strategic Space Office.

As Executive Director of the National Aerospace Development Center, Thrash built and managed partnerships with federal and state governments, industry groups, educators, workforce systems, and community developers to help regions across the country build and maintain vibrant technical workforces. 

Thrash also has contributed to several aerospace and educational for-profit and nonprofit organizations – including SkillsUSA Georgia, for which he helped develop a foundation that raises support for high school skills competitions throughout the state; Alphaport, Inc., for which he developed a process for high-tech industries to transfer knowledge from retirees to new employees; and the Transportation Education Foundation of Georgia, an organization he helped create in 2006 and for which he built partnerships and led statewide educational projects.

Thrash also has been volunteering for ten years as an emcee for the FIRST Robotics regional and international championships. He has given time to the Galaxy Explorers program and served as a Civil Air Patrol captain on its Advanced Technologies Team. Thrash has worked to advance other industry groups including the federal Interagency Task Force on Aerospace Workforce Revitalization, the Center for the Future of Museums, the Aerospace States Association, the Institute for Learning Innovation, and the Association of Science Museum Directors.  In Pennsylvania, Thrash was a member of the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre Board of Directors, and was also a member of the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council.  Locally, he has been a member of Southwest Michigan First’s Education Committee, a Board member of the Kalamazoo Rotary, and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Discover Kalamazoo, the county’s convention and visitors bureau.  He’s also enjoyed fabulous volunteer roles over the last several years that include youth soccer coach, Sunday School teacher, set builder for high school musicals, and theatre manager.