People in Aviation - October 2025

Pilatus v-p of research and development Bruno Cervia will be proposed for election as a new member of the board of directors at the company’s annual general meeting next year. Cervia, who joined the company as an aerodynamics engineer in 1986, has overseen the research and development unit since 2009 as deputy CEO. Igor Medici will take over as v-p of engineering on Jan. 1. He has been with Pilatus since 2009 and manages a team focused on new aircraft development. Meanwhile, Ioannis Papachristofilou, v-p of government aviation, will take over as deputy CEO at the start of next year.

Citadel Completions named Gregory Colgan as CEO. Colgan’s 25-plus years of aviation industry experience include serving as the CEO of MRO Holdings.

João Mellão moved from the position of COO to CEO at Amaro Aviation in August. The previous CEO, Marcos Amaro, took on the role of chairman.

Aspen Avionics named Daniel O’Donnell senior v-p and general manager. O’Donnell, a member of the company’s board of directors since 2018, previously consulted for private equity, airlines, and OEMs and had served as JetBlue’s director of fleet strategy and aircraft programs. John Uczekaj, previously Aspen Avionics’ senior v-p and general manager, is now president and COO of Aspen parent company Airo Group Holdings.

Go Rentals, a car rental provider serving private aviation clients, appointed Shawn O’Brien as COO and Martin Elliott as CFO to support business expansion. O’Brien joins Go Rentals after more than a decade at management consulting firm Bain & Company. He previously served as a strategic advisor to Go Rentals for two years, contributing to revenue management system development. Elliott arrives from his position as CFO at global apparel brand Spanx. 

Chris Salley was selected as the next president of FBO Partners. He has been with the company for more than five years. Douglas Wilson is stepping down after 12 years in his role as president. Wilson will join the FBO division of Clay Lacy Aviation as chief business officer.

Gregg Evjen became president of KF Aerospace on September 1. Previous president and CEO Tracy Medve shifted to CEO of umbrella company KF Capital. Evjen has been part of KF Aerospace since joining as a junior engineer in 1989 and has led hundreds of regulatory approvals and engineering projects.

Retired U.S. Air Force general Mike Minihan has joined Gogo’s board of directors. His military career spanned 34 years, including serving as Air Mobility Command commander, and he is a senior advisor for several companies, including Reliable Robotics and Beta Technologies.

Jack Levandowski joined Thales as sales manager with a focus on selling aircraft satcom, audio/radio management, antenna, and external/internal lighting systems to OEMs and MROs. He previously worked with multiple companies supporting Part 121, 91, and 135 operators’ scheduled maintenance and avionics requirements.

Eric Hein is now director of strategy and product development at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). Hein previously served as v-p of defense programs at Spirit AeroSystems and earlier worked at Cessna and Boeing in engineering roles.

Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business chose Maggie Topping as the J. Robert Young Executive-in-Residence for the fall 2025 semester. Topping is Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of human resources and communications and is also an alumna of WSU.

MaKayla Gorski was hired as v-p of sales for managed aircraft at business aircraft charter, fractional, management, and maintenance provider Airshare. Gorski previously was the director of aircraft management at Sun Air Jets.

Air Charter Service appointed Kerry Holder to the position of CFO, effective August 1. Holder’s career began in 1997 at KPMG, and her two most recent roles involved serving as finance director for large companies.

George J. Priester Aviation promoted Eric Bewersdorf, who joined the company last year, to v-p of maintenance. Bewersdorf’s OEM experience spans 25 years, and he also previously coordinated maintenance and delivery for a large Part 135 fleet. Additionally, the company hired Alan Harman as director of maintenance and Alexandra Guras as national director of flight services. Before joining Priester Aviation, Harman maintained a 75-aircraft fleet for a Part 135 operator and worked for a regional private aviation provider. Guras’ background includes aircraft management and dispatch operations, and she has managed performance, compliance, and service delivery while overseeing air medical bases.

Chapman Freeborn, part of the Avia Solutions Group, named Vilma Vaitiekunaite v-p of passenger for Saudi Arabia. Vaitiekunaite previously was CEO of Avia Solutions Group brokerage Skyllence, and she also held the role of chief communications officer for the group.

Metro Aviation promoted operational control center specialist Chad Laviolette to operational control center manager. Laviolette served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army and has more than three decades of military and aviation experience.

Hydrogen-powered uncrewed aerial systems developer Heven named Warren Brown chief marketing officer. Brown’s more than 30 years of experience includes senior marketing roles at Boeing, SAIC, Iridium Satellite, iDirect Technologies, Deltek, and Fortem Technologies.

Alud Davies, media and publications director of Asian Sky Group, was named to the board of governors for the Asian Business Aviation Association. Davies’ experience in research and journalism within the aviation industry spans more than two decades.

Robert Woods was hired as general manager of Appleton International Airport’s Appleton Flight Center. He brings more than two decades of airline experience and previously served as a licensed air traffic controller and instructor for the U.S. Marine Corps. Aaron Mlaker has taken on the role of operations supervisor at the flight center. Mlaker, who served as a tactical aircraft maintenance crew chief in the U.S. Air Force, brings expertise in airline operations and maintenance.

OnFlight hired Joe Carr as v-p of maintenance. Carr previously worked at a major aviation MRO organization for 25 years.

Cadorath hired Ryan Sundell as customer service representative for engine services. Sundell previously supported engine operators at Prime Turbine and Turbine Engine Specialists, and he has also worked at Action Aircraft, Dallas Airmotive, and StandardAero. Jason Hays was hired as Cadorath’s sales and technical support manager for the M250 and RR300 turbine engine programs. Hays’ experience includes aftermarket solutions, engine support, and customer relationship management.

Associated Aircraft Manufacturing & Sales hired Laurie Forand as director of business development. Forand’s experience includes more than two decades in U.S. Army aviation (flying UH-60 Black Hawks, OH-58s, and BE-200/C-12 aircraft) and government contracting.

Brett Braddock has joined Southeast Aerospace as sales and purchasing manager. He has a degree in interpersonal communication from the University of Central Florida and is the latest Braddock to join the family business.

Awards & Honors

John King and Martha King were recognized by the Air Command and Staff College as two of nine individuals who have made significant contributions to air, space, and cyberspace. They gave a presentation to graduating U.S. Air Force officers on leadership and aviation risk management in May during the annual “Gathering of Eagles” week at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher Aircraft, received the Golden Pulaski Award from the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) at EAA AirVenture 2025. Under Chabbert’s leadership, Daher has provided Kodiak 100s and 900s in support of RAF missions.

The National Aeronautic Association announced the seven honorees recognized as 2025 Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Statesmen and Stateswomen of Aviation, which honors the contributions of Americans to aeronautics. Lisa Anderson Spencer is recognized for promoting aviation as a career and teaching about global aviation safety. The association awarded Nia Gilliam for her lifelong commitment to broadening the talent pool for the aviation industry. Rebecca “Becky” Lutte is recognized for contributing to aviation education, holding an unwavering commitment to safety, and influencing aviation policy. Mike McGowan received the 2025 award in recognition of his advancement of skydiving and his skill as an aerial photographer. Robert Sumwalt III, a pilot, former NTSB chairman, and aviation safety advocate, is recognized for his enduring contributions to enhancing aviation safety. The association also recognized Barbara Walters-Phillips for her contributions as an educator, pilot, mentor, and community advocate, and Holly Woodruff Lyons, who has worked to advance aviation policy for more than 25 years and contributed to aviation law as the foremost congressional aviation staffer.

Final Flight

Longtime corporate pilot Johnnie Spotts, 97, passed away on July 12 following a 56-year career in aviation. He began flying a DC-3 for Southern Airways in 1951 while living in Memphis, and transitioned into corporate aviation in 1960. Spotts served as captain and chief pilot for Pitts Oil, Winnebago, and Penn Corp Financial. Notably, he was Frank Sinatra’s chief pilot for almost three decades. During his career, Spotts also flew Elvis Presley, Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, and a young Harrison Ford. Later, he served as captain, chief pilot, and training director at Clay Lacy Aviation, retiring in 1998 as training director for The Air Group.

Retired NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy pilot, and industry advocate James Arthur “Jim” Lovell Jr., 97, passed away on August 7. Lovell commanded the Apollo 13 moon mission in April 1970, retiring from NASA the following year. He stood against the privatization of the U.S. air traffic control system, expressing concerns on behalf of NBAA in a 2017 video along with Lloyd “Fig” Newton, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, Sean Tucker, and Dierks Bentley.