AIRO Celebrates 10 Years with Exciting Leadership Transition

Riverside, CA – July 1, 2024

This year, AIRO will celebrate a decade of eliminating barriers to advance the gospel to the unreached. As we celebrate the impact of the last ten years and look forward to the next, we are excited to announce a significant leadership transition. As of July 1, 2024 Luke Womack, Founder and President of AIRO, is stepping down from his role on staff as President of AIRO and is passing leadership of AIRO to our dedicated Executive Director, Matt Sonke. Luke will continue serving as a member of the Board of Directors at AIRO.

Since its founding in 2014, AIRO has eliminated barriers to advance the gospel to the unreached. With a focus on eliminating student debt through The Go Fund and mobilizing mission-ready churchgoers through The Missions Course, we have made significant strides in advancing the gospel to unreached people groups. Luke’s leadership has been pivotal in establishing AIRO’s mission and vision from the ground up, both of which remain deeply embedded in the DNA of AIRO.

“I am confident in Matt’s ability to lead AIRO into this next chapter,” said Luke Womack. “His experience and dedication to our cause are exactly what we need to grow our eternal impact. Matt is uniquely wired to take something good and make it better—I look forward to seeing how AIRO will thrive under his leadership.”

Matt Sonke has been serving as Executive Director since 2021, and coming out of AIRO’s best year ever, he is well-equipped to establish and continue to grow AIRO into this new decade. His role as an elder at Redeemer Baptist Church in Riverside, California gives him front-row access to the essential role of the local church in global missions and insight into the barriers that churches face mobilizing their congregations, as well as the barriers aspiring missionary partners face getting to and staying on the field long term.

Reflecting on this milestone, Matt Sonke shared, “I am honored to step into this role at such a pivotal time. We’ve accomplished so much in the past decade, and I am excited about what lies ahead. Our goal remains unchanged: to eliminate barriers and advance the gospel to the unreached. With our incredible team and supporters, I am confident we will continue to make significant strides.”

As we celebrate this leadership transition, we look back with deep gratitude for a decade of God’s faithfulness. We also look forward to the next decade as we continue to commit ourselves to this great work. AIRO remains steadfast in its mission to advance the gospel and invite others to find their role in The Great Commission. We are grateful to our donors, organizational partners, and friends of the organization who have been instrumental in our journey.

For more information about AIRO and our work, please visit airomissions.com or contact Sarah Murphey at sarah@airomissions.com.

AIRO Celebrates 10 Years with Exciting Leadership Transition