Former AOPA board member dies

Poznansky was a passionate aviator who loved flying—low and slow, high and fast, taking off and landing on pavement, dirt, grass, and water—in his Cub, Cessna 185 on floats, Cirrus SR22, and Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. He flew for fun; he flew for business travel; and he flew in service of charity for LightHawk, an aviation conservation nonprofit, and Angel Flight, a long-established group dedicated to medical transportation.

Poznansky was the founder and managing director of Neato, an insights-driven marketing agency that helps brands understand and connect with college students and Gen Z. He joined AOPA’s board of trustees in 2021. Prior to founding Neato, he was the national collegiate marketing manager for Red Bull North America and led the development and implementation of the company's college marketing strategy and programming.

Poznansky stepped off the AOPA board in 2023 to enable Neato to provide strategic consulting services to the association, charting a path forward for AOPA to increase engagement with members across all demographic groups. “As we implement this strategy in 2024, we will honor his legacy by attracting and supporting more aviators who aspire to experience the fun, adventure, and utility of general aviation as Mike did,” said AOPA President Mark Baker.