From the AMA:

M U N C I E - It’s with sadness that the AMA announces that former AMA Executive Director Jim Cherry died on December 2 at his home in Panama City. Cherry had resigned his post in August to return to Florida to be with his family.

Jim was instrumental in several projects with AMA, including introducing AMA to the League of Cities, helping develop AMA’s reworked long-range strategic plan and implementing his Program of Work concept that helped guide the AMA’s staff of 55 at the 1,100-acre International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie.

“During his nearly four years as the Academy’s Executive Director beginning in 2006, Jim launched a number of important initiatives for AMA,” said Dave Mathewson, AMA president. “The entire model aviation community will miss him, and all of us at AMA extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Lynn, and his family.”