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From left: Dana Donati, CEO of Breaking Down Barriers, with Gwen and Doug Parker, founders of BDB, at the Frontiers of Flight Museum [Photo: BDB]
How a Dallas-Based Nonprofit Called Breaking Down Barriers Is Helping Students Soar in the Aviation Industry
by Nicole Ward, DRC Data Journalist | Mar 18, 2025
Under CEO Dana Donati, the 501(c)(3) co-founded by former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker provides education and opportunities to those lacking the resources to pursue a career in aviation. In some cases, it all starts with a VR headset that puts them in the cockpit of an Airbus or a Boeing.
![Erica Kosemund, Chief Brand Officer, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Gillian Breidenbach, Chief Partnership Officer, North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; Chief Gary Batton, Chief of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Monica Paul, Executive Director of Dallas Sports Commission and President of North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; John Hobbs, Senior Executive Officer of Communications, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; and Heidi Grant, Senior Executive Officer of Commerce Administration, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, celebrate Choctaw Casinos & Resorts becoming an Official Dallas World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter. [Photo: North Texas FWC Organizing Committee/Choctaw Casinos & Resorts]](https://s24806.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/FIFA-Choctaw-dec-2025.jpg)
