Lewis Alumni Feature: Harold Ebenroth '95

Originally from Lockport, Harold Ebenroth ’95 grew up fascinated by the planes he would see flying into the Chicagoland airports. As a teenager, the father of one of Harold’s friends was an active member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and worked at the Lewis airport, where he also had his own plane based. Spending time with his friend’s father is what helped Harold realize that being a pilot was something he wanted to – and could – do.

Years later, he enrolled at Lewis University where he officially set out on his journey to pursue his calling as a pilot.

Harold was chosen to serve as a flight instructor intern during his senior year at Lewis before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Maintenance. For the next few years, Harold worked as a full-time flight instructor to pay it forward and teach the next generation of Flyers. He then accepted a new position as an assistant chief pilot in which he served as a liaison between the flight and maintenance department on campus.  

Through networking and relationships developed at Lewis, in October 1997, Harold was hired on as a first officer for Mesaba Airlines. After working as a commuter airline pilot there for over 7 years, he left to work for a startup Chicagoland corporate FAA Part 91 flight department as Maintenance Director. Less than one year later in 2005, Harold was promoted to Director of Operations – a role that brought him back to Lewis Airport where their operations were based.

In 2009, the flight department he worked for closed and the aircraft he was flying was sold to an organization based out of Germany. This company was new to corporate aviation and needed Harold’s skills and expertise to expand. He was hired on shortly after to create, build and develop a corporate flight department. This is where Harold has worked ever since, most recently as the CEO and President of Airservice Bremgarten.

Lewis University provided Harold with a strong foundation on which he was able build upon throughout his career.

“I have fond memories of my Lewis experience,” says Harold. “I was afforded many opportunities to develop my skills and education – from field trips to O’Hare for airport management classes to my flight instructor internship. These experiences helped mold and shape me as a professional, and the skills I first learned at Lewis have helped me throughout my career for the last 20+ years.” 

In fact, everything that Harold has experienced throughout his career has helped him to realize how valuable the attributes of Lewis’ mission statement truly are.

“Knowledge and wisdom go hand-in-hand and have been vital throughout my career. Moving to a different country, and embracing and learning the culture, has helped me grow in the areas of fidelity and association. And in my current role as CEO, justice in my actions and interactions with shareholders, employees and colleagues is critical.”

Today, Harold lives in Kandern which is a small town in Southwest Germany. He enjoys spending time with his wife of 26 years, Lisa, and his four children, including 3 that are in high school.

What started as a childhood dream for Harold, evolved into a successful career that has granted him the opportunity to see the world. 

Harold encourages today’s Flyers to be prepared, be patient, and be flexible. “The industry of corporate and commercial aviation can be very rewarding, but also very volatile. Being well-rounded in your education at Lewis can help you weather the storms, as well as stand out during the good times of the industry,” he adds.