People in Aviation: May 2016

Aviall appointed Eric Strafel president and CEO. Strafel, who previously served as senior v-p of operations and business development at Aviall, returns to the Boeing unit after serving as v-p of Defense, Space & Security Autonomous Systems for Boeing Military Aircraft.

Million Air Dallas promoted Bob Schmidt to president. Schmidt, most recently v-p and director of operations, joined Million Air Dallas in October 2005 with 30 years of aviation experience. He succeeds Jack Hopkins, who is retiring after a 32-year career with Million Air Dallas.

Frank Ercolanese joined Acass as president. Ercolanese has 30 years of international aerospace experience. He spent the past eight years as a vice president for Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Honeywell promoted Darius Adamczyk to the newly created position of president and COO in a move that reportedly establishes a succession plan for chairman and CEO Dave Cote, who turns 65 next year. All businesses will report Adamczyk, who will be an executive officer of the corporation. Adamczyk has served as president and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies since 2014.

C&L named Larry Dean president of its aircraft sales and acquisitions division, C&L Jet. Dean has 30 years of business aviation industry experience, having previously served with Dassault Falcon, Citigroup, Honeywell, Jet Aviation and Atlantic Aviation.

Matthew Petzold has joined SmartSky Networks as CFO. Petzold has 20 years of communications and technology experience, having most recently served as CFO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, where he played a role in the sale of the company to Valeant Pharmaceuticals.

Global Jet Capital appointed Ed Barnes CFO. Barnes has 20 years of experience as a senior finance executive, including serving as CFO of JetBlue Airways and on the board of aircraft leasing company Jetscape.

Chromalloy named Jim Guiliano to lead a newly formed business unit, Asset Management Services. Guiliano was formerly executive v-p of International Aero Engines and has also held senior roles with Pratt & Whitney.

FirstFlight appointed Bob Salluzzo to the newly created position of COO. Salluzzo, a commercial pilot, had been working with FirstFlight as a consultant and has served as COO and CFO of several public and private companies.

Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP) named Mark Culpepper chief product officer. Culpepper brings two decades of experience as a senior technology executive, including stints as chief technology officer and general manager of global services at SunEdison and as co-founder and director of product management of Digital Island.

Dawne Hickton, former vice chairman, president and CEO of RTI International Metals, was elected to the Corporate Angel Network board of directors. While with RTI, Hickton oversaw rapid growth of the titanium and specialty metal products supplier that culminated in the $1.5 billion sale to Alcoa. She has also served as a corporate attorney at USX and assistant professor of clinical law at the University of Pittsburgh.

Lee Gossett has joined Delta Private Jets as senior v-p of maintenance. Gossett, who has 30 years of aviation experience, moves over to Delta Private Jets from Delta Air Lines, where he spent the last 10 years as director of maintenance.

Nordam named Bailey Siegfried v-p of culture, communications and corporate responsibility. Siegfried retains leadership of Nordam’s Office of Corporate Responsibility and oversight of communications, while taking responsibility for the newly aligned human resources organization.

Brian Barber joined Advent Aerospace as v-p of sales and marketing. Previously Barber was v-p of sales and marketing for Lufthansa Technik’s BizJet and, before that, held management, senior management and executive positions with Heath Tecna Aerospace, Aviall Engine Shop, Pratt & Whitney and AAR.

Wipaire named Amy Hoage v-p of sales and marketing. Hoage previously served with Goodrich, PAS Technologies and Smiths Group.

Aerospace Technologies Group (ATG) appointed Matthew Duntz v-p of new business development. Duntz spent 20 years with Gulfstream, where he was responsible for new business development for the design and refurbishment sites.

GA Telesis appointed Alex Tuttle v-p of its Turbine Engine Group. Tuttle previously spent two years setting up the company’s joint venture with Air China and two years as v-p of global operations and logistics for GA Telesis.

Trevor Lambarth was named v-p of sales in Europe for Guardian Jet. He previously spent 27 years with Bombardier Aerospace, most recently as v-p of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Cutter Aviation appointed Jaret Eccleston regional sales manager. Eccleston, who gained aviation experience working on avionics for both the F-111 and F-15 in the U.S. Air Force, has served with Raytheon Aerospace, Red Bull, Pan Am, Honeywell and Positronic.

Express Jets added Daniel Boone to its sales and management team, leading the Midwest office. Boone, who has 20 years of corporate aviation experience, was formerly with Jet Associates.

Chris Leach has joined the law firm of Carriere & Little. Leach, who has a decade of experience, brings a background of aviation litigation and transactions.

FAI Aviation Group appointed Victor Rudnov director of business development for the Russian Federation and CIS. Rudnov brings a background of commercial and private aviation, having previously served with IBC Corporate Travel, Avolus, Ocean Sky Aviation and Heathrow Airport.

Western Aircraft appointed Jody Harris director of aircraft services. Harris has 17 years of aviation experience, beginning with Western in 1999 as a maintenance technician and most recently serving as senior service manager.

Trey Pendergraft has joined Greenpoint Aerospace as a sales manager. Pendergraft brings 24 years of corporate aviation experience, having previously served as director of maintenance for Dean Foods and Whitewave Foods.

John O’Neill has become a senior aviation consultant for the Chicago-area engineering firm Professional Analysis and Consulting. O’Neill recently retired from BP Amoco after 35 years.

Duncan Aviation named Brian Leffers avionics and instrument manager. Leffers joined the company in 1994 as a parts runner, and his most recent role there was manager of the avionics installation department.

Lorrie White joined Banyan Air Service as an avionics sales representative. White has 14 years of aviation experience, beginning as an avionics technician in the U.S. Navy and also serving with L3 Communications, LB&B Associates and Duncan Aviation.

Western Aircraft added Richard Heitzman as a Falcon MRO sales manager and Andrew Reed as Piper team lead/technical representative. Heitzman was most recently a sales manager for AmSafe and has also served as service center relations manager for Mooney. Reed previously held the roles of director of maintenance for Homer Air, shift leader/aircraft mechanic for Defense Support Services, and crew chief on Black Hawk helicopters as a civilian contractor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Constant Aviation named Dwayne Chandler avionics sales manager. Chandler has 25 years of aviation industry experience, most recently holding the same title for Landmark Aviation.

Steve Fulton, a longtime advisor to Sandel Avionics, has expanded his role to Avilon senior flight-test pilot and PBN advisor. Fulton, who had advised Sandel on the Avilon program, has also been a technical fellow for GE Aviation Systems and co-founder of performance-based navigation specialist Naverus.

Emily Sandoz has joined GrandView Aviation as charter sales coordinator. Sandoz has nine years of sales and customer service experience, previously serving with Cruise Annapolis and Motor Yacht Bayou. o

Awards & Honors

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) presented its Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Government Service to Crystal Maguire, its long-time v-p of operations. Maguire joined Obadal, Filler, MacLoed & Klein, the firm that manages ARSA, in 2004 and left the association last month. For the past 12 years she has provided administrative support, member management, financial oversight, regulatory and legal compliance assistance, communications development and training presentation. She added legal and regulatory counsel after earning her degree from American University’s Washington College of Law in 2010. The award, first presented to its namesake Weston in 2005, honors individuals who embody a commitment to the industry’s safety and success.

NBAA named five recipients of its 2016 International Operators Scholarships: Arthur (AJ) Ramey, Steve Brewer, Mary Margaret Turton, Joshua Hernandez and Pascal Holtkamp. The International Operators Committee Scholarship was established to help recipients seek professional development in business aviation careers, with a focus on international operations. Ramey, a GIII and GIV pilot with Haymon Sports, plans to use the scholarship funds to take the Managing the Corporate Aviation Function program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Brewer, an aircraft dispatcher with Chevron USA, will use his funds to attend the International Operators Conference and pursue NBAA’s Certified Aviation Manager credential. Turton, a senior at Southland Academy in Americus, Ga., plans to study aviation and international business at Auburn University. Hernandez, a senior at Quincy University in Ohio, is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in aviation and aviation management. Holtkamp is a junior at Middle Tennessee State University studying aerospace with a concentration in administration.