People In Aviation: May 2019

Dror Yahav stepped into the role of CEO for Universal Avionics (UA) on April 10. Yahav succeeded Paul DeHerrera, who retired after 25 years of service with UA. Yahav joined UA parent Elbit Systems in 2001 and had served as v-p of commercial aviation in the Aerospace Division for the past eight years. The comapany announced additional personnel changes. Marc Bouliane joined Universal Avionics as v-p of strategic business development. Bouliane, who has 25 years of aerospace experience, spent 12 years at Esterline Avionics Systems and CMC Electronics, where he was most recently product director for Avionics Display Solutions, and also has served with Bombardier. Finally, Tal Golan was appointed to the newly created position of rotorcraft business development manager for Universal Avionics. Golan brings 20 years of aviation industry experience to his new role, including that as a pilot of both rotor and fixed-wing aircraft.

USAIG announced a number of promotions and other responsibility changes: Glenn Vallach was named senior v-p and General Aviation Claims Division manager;Katie Callahan was promoted to claims manager in the Airline Claims Department; v-p Timothy Goldrick was appointed accounting manager; Andrew Whitaker, who is in the Eastern branch office, became senior underwriter; Beatriz Palanza is now claims-services supervisor in the General Aviation Claims Department; and, Phyllis Abshire, who is in the Dallas branch office, was promoted to senior underwriting assistant.

Elizabeth Ricci was named CEO of Corporate Wings, an aircraft management firm that is part of the Directional Aviation group of companies. Ricci most recently was v-p of client services for Corporate Wings and previously served as marketing manager and director for fellow Directional company Nextant Aerospace.

Jet Aviation is promoting Dave Paddock, currently senior v-p of regional operations USA, to president of the Jet Aviation group, effective July 1. He is stepping in for Rob Smith, who is moving to the marine systems business of parent company General Dynamics. Smith has led Jet Aviation for the past five years. Paddock, who has 20 years of industry experience, has served with Jet Aviation since January 2007 and also has been v-p and managing officer for the consultancy SH&E.

BACA – The Air Charter Association elected Nick Weston to serve as its next chairman. Weston, who was named to the new role during a meeting of the BACA Council at the Baltic Exchange on March 14, succeeds Richard Mumford, who has steered the group since 2016. CEO of the aviation services company Weston Aviation, Weston is stepping into the leadership spot after having been a member of the association for nearly 25 years and serving both as a council member and deputy chairman.

Boston JetSearch promoted John Beveridge to president, while Drew Callen assumes the role of CEO. Beveridge has served with Boston JetSearch since 2007, most recently as senior v-p. Callen founded Boston JetSearch in 1983 and since then, the firm has completed more than 600 corporate-jet acquisitions.

Cadence Aerospace appointed Nick Guerra chief technology officer. Guerra, who brings 20 years of experience to his new role, most recently was v-p of engineering and manufacturing technology for Perfekta, the Cadence Center of Excellence in Wichita, Kansas.

Hartzell Propeller appointed JJ Frigge executive v-p and general manager, serving as the company’s business leader with a focus on long-term strategy. Frigge began at Hartzell in 2011 as the company's controller after serving as a finance manager at Procter & Gamble for 10 years.

NBAA promoted Mike Nichols from v-p of operational excellence and professional development to head a new division within the Washington, D.C.-based organization as senior v-p of strategy and innovation. In addition, he will oversee NBAA’s professional development initiatives. Joanne “Jo” Damato, most recently senior director of educational development and strategy, was named v-p of educational strategy and workforce development and will lead professional development activities such as the Certified Aviation Manager program and the Professional Development Review Committee. A member of NBAA’s staff since 2001, she will also steer its efforts to address the industry’s labor challenges. Also, Dina Green was promoted from senior director of conferences and forums to v-p of events and will be in charge of the team responsible for registration and sponsorships.

Emily Deaton was named v-p of sales for jetAviva. Deaton formerly held sales and customer support roles with Embraer Executive Jets and most recently led a team in implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning at the Brazil-headquartered manufacturer.

Hal Martin joined Aerion as v-p of global supply chain. Martin brings a lengthy background in supply chain management, having held leadership positions with Aerojet Rocketdyne, Cobham Aerospace and Defense, and Honeywell, among others.

Aviaa is growing its customer success team with a number of recent additions, including the appointment of Don Hitch as v-p of customer success. Hitch joins the firm with a 35-year background in Part 91, 135, and 125 flight operations, including establishing and running the flight department for California’s The Wonderful Company and also serving as president of AMI Jet Charter. In addition, Lori Jones recently became director of customer success. She formerly served with charter operator West Coast Aviation. Sarah Holian, formerly with StrataJet in London, is supporting Aviaa’s UK, European, and Middle Eastern members. Also newly on board as director of customer success is Matthew Suedkam, who was most recently director of flight operations for SpaceX.  

Aireon named Jonathan Astill v-p and general manager of its new Air Traffic Flow Management Services business. Astill previously spent 30 years with the UK’s NATS, most recently as director of alliances, airline, and international affairs.

Kirk Meissner joined newly created sales and support specialist AOne Parts & Logistics as v-p and founding member. Meissner is a former sales manager for CRS Jet Spares and has more than 33 years of business aviation industry experience.

FlightSafety International promoted David Dyche to assistant manager in the Tucson, Arizona center. Dyche, who has 40 years of aviation experience, joined FlightSafety in 2005 as an instructor for the Bombardier Learjet 45 in Tucson, later became Learjet 45 program manager, and most recently was director of training.

Western Aircraft hired Mario Samblotte as interior sales manager. Samblotte spent 26 years at Gulfstream Long Beach, beginning as a plastic/engraver mechanic and holding positions of increasing responsibility, and most recently was operations and project manager for International Aero Services.

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) named Katherine Hilst operations manager for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) program. Hilst, who has owned her own helicopter trekking and safety consulting companies, brings a background as a professional pilot, a safety management expert, instructor, aviation lawyer, and experienced IS-BAO auditor to her new role.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association hired Pamela Cooksey to join the AOPA Aviation Finance team as senior account executive. Cooksey has 30 years of experience beginning in 1989 at the Central Trust Company in Canton, Ohio, where she focused on small piston-aircraft financing; later helped start the first Aircraft Department for FirstMerit Bank in Akron, Ohio; and most recently was with Scope Aircraft Finance in Columbus, Ohio.

Tim Kelly is moving to the position of regional sales manager for the Great Lakes region for Duncan Aviation. Most recently regional avionics sales manager, Kelly joined Duncan Aviation in May 2018 and has more than 30 years of aviation experience with Honeywell and predecessor companies. Separately, Duncan Aviation named Ryan Blake the new Gulfstream airframe sales and services representative in Provo, Utah. A long-time pilot in the Salt Lake City area, Blake joined Duncan Aviation in November 2018 and has also sold medical devices to hospitals and doctors.

Metro Aviation has appointed Stewart Corbin customer communication center training manager. Corbin, who helped create Metro’s CommLab at the Helicopter Flight Training Center, previously had a 23-year career with MedComm, most recently as v-p dispatching services.

Awards and Honors

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) awarded its 2019 Bob Hoover Trophy to Clay Lacy in recognition of his contributions to aviation, inspiration to pilots, and support of young people in aviation careers. Originally from Wichita, Lacy has logged 53,000 hours in more than 300 aircraft types, earned 32 type ratings, set 29 world speed records, and flown more than 2,500 film missions from his home in Los Angeles. He established an FBO at Van Nuys Airport more than 50 years ago, and that business now has a presence in nearly two-dozen locations and employs 500. Lacy was further recognized for his efforts in helping to develop the next-generation workforce.

Also honored during the ceremony were ForeFlight founders Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller with the General Aviation Safety Award; Hawaii state Sen. Kai Kahele (D), a commercial airline pilot and commissioned officer in the Hawaii Air National Guard with the Laurence P. Sharples Award; and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) with the Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Award.

The British Business Aviation Association (BBGA) recently presented its Michael Wheatley Award to Penny Stephens, CEO of Inflite The Jet Centre. The award recognizes outstanding services to the general aviation industry. Stephens learned to fly at 17 and began working at Thurston Aviation, initially as a secretary and later moving into administration. She joined Inflight, becoming involved in all aspects of the MRO business, signing up legacy airlines such as Aer Lingus and Lufthansa to support their BAE 146 regional jets. More than a decade later she redesigned the offices and agreed to support the new Embraer Legacy. Now, the MRO is the largest EMEA authorized service center for Embraer business jets. By 2012, as CEO, she had steered the business into an international center catering to VVIP guests.