Foundation Board Bio – Bill Lyddon
My father was in the airplane business in La Junta, Colo. and I grew up in a trailer
house located behind our hangar. My brother and I worked washing airplanes and
pumping gas for my father, and we purchased our first airplane when I was 14 years old
and he was 15. An old 1946 Aeronca Champ for $1,150.00. The engine was scattered
all over the dirt floor, but we eventually got it running, fabric work completed and made
the airplane flyable. My first solo flight was in that old Champ on my 16th birthday. I
was a flight instructor by the time I was 19, so I guess you could say that aviation has
been my whole life.
In 1975, we moved to Lamar, Colo. and ran that operation until October, 1990. That is
when
I moved my family to Liberal, Kansas after purchasing the local airport operation at the
municipal airport and we have been here for almost 35 years.
I have been a board member and past President of both the museum advisory and
foundation boards for several years.
Note: We still have that old Champ. My son soloed it on his 16 th birthday and now the
grandkids are getting old enough that I am hoping some will start showing some interest
in flying.
John Smith
President
Member since 1988
Biography
A Liberal native and high school graduate, John Smith attended college at KU, Southwestern
College (KS), and Michigan State University. He graduated with undergraduate degrees in
business and city planning and a Master in Urban Planning degree. He is a certified city planner
and worked for 4 years for the City of Wichita as a planner. After moving back to Liberal in the
early ‘70’s he worked as a planning consultant in southwest Kansas and for the City of Liberal.
He is also a real estate broker and works in property planning, development, and management.
Major community commitments by John have been to the High Plains Heritage Foundation, a
non-profit community foundation of which John was a founding member and its first president.
John was also an instigator, a founder, and the first president of the Liberal Air Museum
Foundation, the founding entity of the Liberal Air Museum, now the Mid-America Air Museum.
John is a licensed pilot for over 60 years with commercial, instrument, single-engine and multi-
engine ratings and is a recipient of the FAA Master Pilot Award.
Tim Strickland
Treasurer
Member since 2014
Biography
From tinkering with radio parts in his childhood basement in Turpin to leading cutting-edge robotics teams in Liberal, Tim Strickland’s career has been defined by curiosity and creativity. Today, he is owner and CEO of TCB Technologies, where he blends AI, blockchain, and mechanical design to build intelligent systems that solve real-world problems—from precision agriculture to securing critical infrastructure.
After earning his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, Tim spent 16 years at IBM guiding emerging-technology teams and pioneering large-scale high-performance computing and blockchain projects. Even amid global initiatives, he never lost sight of his roots: the thrill of debugging a control board or showing a neighbor’s child how a simple circuit works.
Since 2014, he has served on the MAAM Foundation board—now as Treasurer—helping expand its STEM-education outreach across Southwest Kansas. Living in Liberal with his family and grandchildren, Tim believes that early encouragement, community support, and hands-on exploration spark the next generation’s love of engineering—and that by nurturing curiosity today, we build tomorrow’s innovators.
Doug Hibbs
Member
Member since 2015
Steve Merz
Board Member
Member since 2020
Biography
Steve is a retired Seward County Community College Drafting and Design Instructor and Licensed General Contractor in the Steel Building Industry. He graduated from Liberal High School, Seward County Community College, and Oklahoma Panhandle State University with a BS degree in Industrial Arts.
Prior to entering the teaching field, Steve worked for Beech Aircraft in Liberal as a Design Draftsman, where he garnered an interest in Aviation. He also worked for Northern Natural Gas Co. as a Project Draftsman.
Steve is the long-time Chairman of the Liberal Metropolitan Planning and Zoning Appeals Board, taught Kansas Hunter Safety Education for 32 years, and is active in his church. His hobbies are guns and hunting, antiques, reading history, and woodworking. Steve is married with two stepsons and two grandsons.
Brad Bennet
Member
Member since 2025
Austin Downs
Secretary
Member since 2026
Biography
Austin Downs is a native of Liberal and a graduate of Liberal High School. He continued his
education at both Kansas State University and Northern Arizona University, earning degrees in
education with a focus on Career and Technical Education.
Austin has taught at Liberal High School for the past seven years, teaching mathematics as well
as Career and Technical Education courses including welding, print reading, and industrial
safety. He is passionate about hands-on learning and preparing students for success by helping
them develop practical skills, professionalism, and confidence for both college and careers.
Outside of the classroom, Austin has maintained a lifelong passion for aviation. Having been
involved in aviation from a very young age, he has been a private pilot for more than fifteen
years and has remained actively engaged in the aviation community throughout his life. His
enthusiasm for aviation extends beyond personal interest, as he strongly believes in preserving
aviation history and inspiring future generations to explore careers and opportunities in aviation,
aerospace, and STEM-related fields.
Austin looks forward to supporting the mission and goals of the Mid-America Air Museum
Foundation by helping expand aviation education opportunities, promoting STEM-related
activities in local schools, and encouraging young people to become involved in aviation through
mentorship, outreach, and hands-on learning experiences.
