The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has set its executive committee leadership team for this year with Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire, stepping in as chair of the board.
Wiplinger, who most recently was vice chair and has headed the policy and legal issues and technical policy committees for the association, succeeds Simcom International president and CEO Eric Hinson in his new role. Hinson remains active in the capacity of immediate past chair.
Setting the stage for the future transition, Henry Brooks, president of Collins Aerospace Power and Controls, becomes vice chair. Brooks previously was chair of GAMA’s security issues committee.
Meanwhile, Tony Brancato, president of business aviation at StandardAero, joins the executive committee as chair of the airworthiness and maintenance policy committee. Brancato has served on the board of directors since 2021. Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, is extending her time as chair of the communications committee.
GAMA’s electric propulsion and innovation committee will be jointly led by Oliver Reinhardt, chief risk and certification officer at Volocopter, and Ben Tigner, CEO of Overair.
Other members of the executive committee are Frank Moesta, senior v-p strategy and future programs for Rolls-Royce, chair of the environment committee; Thierry Betbeze, CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet, new executive committee member; Carlos Brana, senior executive v-p of Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, chair of the European leaders steering committee; John Calcagno, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft, chair of the policy and legal Issues Committee; Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, chair of the flight operations policy committee; and Charlie Gregoire, president and COO of Redbird Flight, chair of the safety and accident investigation committee.
In addition, Tonya Sudduth, head of U.S. Strategy for Bombardier, is chairing the security Issues committee, and Allen Paxson, v-p and general manager of commercial strategy for GE Aerospace, is chair of the technical policy committee.