Jeff Josselyn, 31 

Lead Engine Builder, Yancey Enterprises

Years at Yancey Enterprises: 2

Nominator: Grainger

Education: BS Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy; Associate Degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Chaffey Community College

About Jeff: “Following my education at the Academy and subsequent naval flight training, I operated SH-60B LAMPS helicopters from surface combatants during Operation Enduring Freedom. After serving 10 years in the military with a background in aviation maintenance, I transitioned into the specialized field of war bird aviation and began working at Yancey Enterprises. It is here where I am fulfilling my second dream of building and restoring World War II-era fighters. With support from the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship program, I then enrolled in the aviation maintenance technology program at Chaffey Community College in 2010 in order to obtain my airframe and powerplant license, which developed my technical skill and gave me the education I needed to maximize my impact at Yancey.”

Why a career in manufacturing? “I decided to pursue a career in manufacturing so future generations could appreciate the aircraft that represent the United States’ past. The war bird community is small, and the people I work with are the last of their generation, with virtually no one in my age group manufacturing and restoring the engines that keep these aircraft in the sky. If it weren’t for my work and the work of my colleagues, these aircraft would be sitting stagnant in a museum instead of flying safely in the sky, marveling the masses with their grace and historic character. In addition, the educational support I received was also a huge factor in making a career in manufacturing achievable. If it weren’t for the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship I received to get my additional technical education, my career would not have the ‘wings’ it has today.”

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