People in Aviation: September 2017

The Senate on August 3 confirmed Robert Sumwalt as a member and chairman of the NTSB and David Pekoske as assistant secretary of homeland security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA). A pilot for 32 years who has amassed 14,000 flight hours, Sumwalt has served on the Board since August 2006 and was previously vice chairman. He formerly managed a small flight department for a utility company in South Carolina and has served as a member of NBAA’s Safety Committee. Pekoske, who was also confirmed on August 3, fills the role vacated by Peter Neffenger earlier this year. Pekoske had a 33-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring in 2010 as the second-in-command and COO of the service.

Delta Private Jets named Gary Hammes president. A 30-year airline veteran, Hammes was most recently COO at Virgin Australia and has also served as senior v-p and COO at World Airways and Astar Air Cargo.

C&L Aviation Group appointed Tim Brecher president of C&L Engine Solutions. Brecher spent 15 years leading GE Aviation’s Engine Leasing, Trading and Acquisitions business and has 27 years of aviation experience.

Andy Hudson was appointed to the board of governors of the Asian Business Aviation Association. Hudson is CEO of Down-Route, an international business aviation bookings and expense management provider. AsBAA also named Caspar Baum to the board of directors, further reinforcing the association’s presence in Southeast Asia. Baum is director of aviation for Surbana Jurong, a Singapore-based consultancy focusing on infrastructure and urban development.

Global Jet Capital named Christopher Paul senior managing director and general counsel. Paul, who has 20 years of experience practicing law, joins Global Jet Capital from CIT Aerospace, where he was general counsel.

London Biggin Hill Airport appointed Gary Chapman CFO. Formerly Chapman was finance director at Nippon Yusen Kaisha’s (NYK’s) Energy Transport business in London, and before that he spent six years as the group’s European head of tax.

Jet Access Aviation has added a number of executives. James Jones joined the company as vice president of sales after spending 14 years working with luxury brands in the apparel business, among them Ralph Lauren. Rebecca Boren brings 16 years of sales experience, including a decade in private aviation sales and marketing, to her new role in owner and client services. The company also expanded its operational control center with the additions of Diijon Lyn Shue, Shawn Wilkinson, Robert Levino and Paige Verville. Shue has 10 years of aviation experience, beginning in line service and later as flight operations supervisor. Wilkinson has 20 years of both on-demand passenger and cargo charter experience. Levino brings 17 years of experience in private aviation and on-demand charter experience with a range of aircraft types and with international travel. Verville has 11 years of aviation experience, including a stint at Gulfstream Aerospace and several charters in the dispatch department.

The Aerospace Industries Association appointed David Silver vice president of civil aviation. Silver previously spent 20 years with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, logging stints as director of engineering and regulatory affairs and as deputy fleet chief of the Boeing 787 program. He also served with the Washington Army National Guard for 22 years.

Jetcraft appointed Danie Joubert vice president, sales, based in Johannesburg. Joubert, who will represent Jetcraft in Africa, formerly was COO of Absolute Aviation Group and before that held roles at Adonai Aviation and ExecuJet Aviation Group.

Air BP appointed Matt Elliott chief commercial officer, based in Sunbury on Thames, UK. Since joining Air BP in 1994, Elliott has held roles in sales, marketing and operations and most recently was managing director of BP New Zealand.

Aircraft Propeller Service named Stephen Aragon vice president of operations. He brings 20 years of manufacturing operations experience, having previously served with General Electric’s Aircraft Business Group, Medtronic, Pentair, Quad Graphics and OptimWorks.

The Giles Group added Steve Boyd and Tony Janco as senior associates. Boyd has experience in aircraft and systems design and engineering, as well as human factors, having worked with both the FAA and Boeing. Janco has a background in air carrier line maintenance and technical support and also has held inspector and advisor positions with the FAA.

Roy Gioconda was appointed director of maintenance for Guardian Jet. Previously he was a senior managing consultant for IBM Global Business Services’ Digital Operations and has also served with Camp Systems International, American Airlines, Flight Options, Jet Logistics and FlightWorks.

Elliott Aviation hired Mitch Boyles as director of avionics at its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Moline, Ill. Boyles brings 40 years of aviation experience, half of it in business aviation experience, to his new role, having held avionics management roles at Gulfstream, Midcoast Aviation, StandardAero, StarPort Aviation and AMI Aviation Services.

Dallas Aeronautical Services (DAS) named Rick Armstrong director of technical sales. Armstrong joins DAS with 30 years of aviation experience ranging from composite/sheet metal repair and manufacturing to component overhaul, including with Aerocell Structures and Aero Fabricators.

Brian Walker rejoined Cutter Aviation as regional sales manager for the Eastern U.S. Walker originally joined Cutter in 2007 as operations manager for the FBO in McKinney, Texas, and since then has held management roles at other Cutter facilities, as well at Signature Flight Support’s Houston Hobby facility. The company also promoted Christopher Gradisar to manager of aircraft services in Addison, Texas. Gradisar, a former floor inspector for Raytheon Aircraft, joined Cutter in 2005 as chief inspector for the maintenance facility at Dallas Executive Airport and later became service supervisor.

Kasey Harwick was appointed director of maintenance for Duncan Aviation’s facility in Battle Creek, Mich. Harwick joined Duncan in 1999 as an interior shop assistant and was most recently airframe department manager at the facility in Lincoln, Neb.

Stevens Aviation appointed Tony Raines large-cabin sales representative. Raines has 32 years of aviation experience, beginning as a lead mechanic with the U.S. Air Force and later holding roles as director of maintenance and quality assurance at Flightworks and director of maintenance at Presidential Aviation.

Rebecca Groom Jacobs has joined Florida-based consulting firm Groom Aviation as communications director. Jacobs previously spent three years at Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) in Wichita and before that worked in marketing at Piper.

Straight Flight added Jennifer Stoffels as technical sales representative in Englewood, Colo. Stoffels has 20 years of general and commercial aviation experience, most recently serving as a technical sales representative for Stevens Aviation.

Aspen Avionics expanded the role of director of flight operations James Buck to include regional sales manager, covering Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. Buck, a retired Marine Corps aviator, has 20 years of flying, flight training and flight-test experience.

West Star Aviation named Jason Cohen technical sales manager, Challengers/Globals. Cohen, who has 28 years of aviation industry experience, joined West Star in 2011 as customer support manager for Bombardier.

Duncan Aviation named Nick Hansen safety specialist at the facility in Lincoln, Neb. Hansen, who spent nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps, joined Duncan in 2012 as a return to service inspector.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty appointed Joshua Jeter as an aviation underwriting specialist. Jeter previously spent six years with Ironshore Insurance Services as an assistant manager of aviation and reinsurance and has also served as an aerospace maintenance technician, crewmember and first sergeant for the Air National Guard in Mississippi and Alabama.

The Helicopter Association International hired Matt Callan as director of regulations and international affairs. Callan joins HAI from the U.S. Coast Guard, where he had the rank of captain and most recently was the designated lead for the Transportation Industry Study at the National Defense University, Eisenhower School, located at Fort Lesley McNair in Washington, D.C.

Kelly Gray joined C&L Aerospace as regional sales manager for corporate aircraft parts in the Western U.S. Gray has two decades of aerospace parts replacement, repair and overhaul experience, having previously served as a sales and service program manager for Heroux-Devteck and component overhaul manager for Bombardier.

CEFA Aviation has named Claire Freudenberger director of international communication. Freudenberger, who also joins the company’s executive committee, has a 15-year business and communications background in the automotive and construction industries.

Professional Aircraft Accessories hired Michael Fantaski as a regional manager for the western region. Fantaski most recently served as director of sales for Flightcraft and before that spent 11 years with Dassault Falcon as a regional sales manager.

Awards and Honors

Sheltair chairman, CEO and founder Gerald Holland was inducted into the Florida Aviation Business Association Entrepreneurial Excellence Hall of Fame on June 20. The hall of fame honors individuals who make significant contributions to Florida’s business aviation industry.

Holland jumped into the business world in 1963, when he established a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate development and construction firm, Holland Builders. Over the next 25 years that firm grew and expanded into other areas, including the aviation industry, resulting in founding of Sheltair Aviation in 1988.

Sheltair began with the construction of two FBOs and has grown into a chain of 17 facilities along the U.S. East Coast, 11 of them in Florida. Sheltair also encompasses aviation property management and leasing, office and hangar construction, among other activities. In addition to being honored for the growth of Sheltair, Holland is recognized for the resulting investments in airport facilities, creating numerous opportunities for the general aviation community.