Avionics News December 2022 - 60

AEA Board of Directors:
series
Meet the
Mark Cote of Duncan Aviation
B Y C H R I S T I N E
M
K N A U E R
embers of the Aircraft Electronics Association recently elected Mark Cote to the AEA board
of directors. Cote, who serves as vice president of Duncan Aviation's parts sales, avionics/
accessories repairs and satellites, began as an avionics bench and line technician for Duncan
Aviation 34 years ago.
At the company's Lincoln, Nebraska, location, Cote went on to serve in customer service, project
management and program management roles as well as vice president of modifications and completions.
Today, Cote leads the company's production, sales and service of accessories as well as avionics and
instruments repair, and parts and rotable sales. He also oversees Duncan Aviation's network of 29 avionics
satellite locations across the United States.
" Every day is different, which is what I like about it, " Cote said. " I enjoy being in the shops with our team
members as much as I can, so I try to prioritize time for that each day. The rest of my day is typically spent in
meetings with my team members, committees, business partners and customers. "
New to the board, Cote will serve a three-year term through 2025. He recently answered a few questions to
let AEA members get to know him better.
Tell us about yourself.
For me, family comes first. I'm excited to be a first-time grandparent this year. I learn by doing. I enjoy the
outdoors and acreage living. I'm still a technician and gearhead at heart. I'm very blessed to have been given
the opportunities I've had at Duncan Aviation, and thankful to work for a company with a culture where team
members come first.
How did you come to work for Duncan Aviation 34 years ago?
At a young age, I was interested in airplanes, cars, motorcycles and just about anything mechanical. I
wanted to become a pilot, but challenges with motion kept me from pursuing that career. After some research
on college options, I had a friend who encouraged me to consider a degree in electronics. He had recently
graduated from a well-known local program and went on to work for Duncan Aviation. I didn't know anything
about the company at the time, but I enrolled in the program, and two years later, I was working at Duncan
with my friend as a bench and line technician.
Care to share anything about those early days?
My first airplane ride was on a test flight to check a marker beacon repair that I fixed on a Lear 23. The pilot
barrel-rolled the aircraft twice during the test flight. Needless to say, my first flight experience was a doozy.
Did anyone in particular influence your career path?
I've had so many people influence and encourage me in my career it's hard to single one person out. The
common theme was that each of them were willing to mentor me, believed in me and pushed me to take a
chance and try something different. This allowed me to do things I probably wouldn't have done on my own
and motivated me to pay forward what so many people did to help me.
60 avionics news * december 2022

Avionics News December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News December 2022