Sheltair launches $32,000 scholarship fund in memory of founder

Sheltair, which describes itself as the largest privately owned fixed-base operator network in the United States, has set up a scholarship program worth $32,000 in memory of its founder, Jerry Holland.

Four awards of $8,000 each, called the Jerry Holland Legacy scholarships, will go to applicants who show a commitment to aviation and to furthering their education or careers. The company said the money can be put toward any aviation-related field.

Holland died in 2025. He left the Air Force in 1963 and moved into construction, work that eventually drew him into developing airport property for general aviation. He bought Walkers Cay Aviation at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 1986 and later combined that name with his own to create the Sheltair brand. His daughter Lisa Holland took charge of the family business in 2020, when it had 19 locations between Florida and Colorado.

Lisa Holland said her father valued continued learning and personal development, and believed in backing other people so they could grow, which made scholarships a fitting tribute.

Applicants must explain how the funds would help them. Eligible uses include flight instruction and ratings, maintenance and technical courses, dispatch and air traffic work, airport administration, aviation business and management, aerospace engineering, safety studies, professional credentials, and tuition at a college, university, or trade school, among other options.