Audrey Poberezny received the Key to the City award at the annual Mayor’s Breakfast in downtown Oshkosh Friday morning. Photo by Ric Reynolds

More than anyone else, Audrey Poberezny is the person responsible for the success of her husband, Paul, and the organization he founded in 1953, the Experimental Aircraft Association. A grateful Mayor’s Breakfast audience formally recognized Audrey for her steadfast dedication to EAA Friday morning when she was presented with the annual Key to the City award.

Overcome with emotion, she accepted the honor with only a few, heartfelt words: "I’m happy we moved here, I love living here, and I thank you very much."

Standing by her side, her husband of 63 years remarked, "I am very proud of my wife’s award, for only I know the training she gave me."

From its founding in 1953 until moving to a formal office in 1964, EAA operated out of the Pobereznys’ basement in a converted coal room. Audrey was the office manager, collecting member dues and performing the bookkeeping and accounting. She also coordinated meetings, typed the monthly newsletter, filed the paperwork, and performed many other vital functions to keep the different parts of the country in his duties with the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

At the annual EAA convention and fly-in, Audrey hosted many people and groups who came to the Poberezny home. She was the recording secretary at meetings, and when someone needed to run to the airport or be picked up from there, Audrey stepped in to offer a ride.

Without Audrey, the organization could never have grown from a Milwaukee-area homebuilders club to the international organization it is today.

Today, she is Paul’s most trusted advisor. And she continues her behind-the-scenes contributions to the EAA in the Guest Relations area.

Paul thanked the hometown crowd for coming out to honor his wife Friday morning. "All my relatives are here…you fine folks."