Kelli O'Donnell

Kelli O'Donnell is a private pilot for land and sea and is working on her commercial certificate. She has been a member of The Ninety-Nines since 2016 and of the Florida Suncoast Chapter since 2017. As a marine biologist for NOAA Fisheries, she plans to start her own aviation marine biology business utilizing seaplanes. This would allow rapid response to coral reefs affected by natural disasters and physical damage. She states, “seaplanes could be utilized for offshore sea turtle releases and faster transport of scientific samples collected in remote, offshore areas. These seaplane trips for researchers and/or their samples that currently take days could be reduced to a few hours, resulting in reduced stress on species and reduced staff time out of office.”

In addition to her regular job, she inspires others to become involved in conservation of endangered species via aviation with her volunteer work with the non-profit Turtles Fly Too. Recently, she received the prestigious Ninety-Nines International Award of Achievement for Humanitarian Efforts for this work. She also encourages and inspires women with their seaplane flying goals by co-founding the Facebook group Seaplane Sirens (Women who charm the winds) and serving as a Field Director for the Seaplane Pilots Association, where she runs the “Women Making a Splash” scholarship.

While her flight training journey has been met with multiple delays outside of her control, she states, “I'm a firm believer in any step forward, even a baby step, is still a step closer to achieving the goal. I know I will get there and am grateful to The Debbie Franceus Memorial Aviation Foundation for helping me achieve my ambitions.”