Story ID: 003 People
People in Aviation
By: Kait Wilson
Caption: A review of industry job title updates, leadership changes, awards recognitions, and honoring the memory of those who have taken their final flight.
Word Count: 1607
David Allen was promoted to COO at Elevate Aviation Group subsidiary Keystone Aviation. Allen joined Keystone in 2018 and has more than 35 years of experience in the industry, leading various business functions involving operations and safety at TAC Air, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, and US Airways. At Keystone, he assisted with establishing the organization’s safety management system.
Airbus appointed Thomas Toepfer as CFO following the retirement of Dominik Asam. Toepfer—Covestro’s CFO and labor director—will join Airbus on September 1. Xavier Tardy, executive v-p of finance for Airbus Defence and Space, will ensure continuity during the interim period in addition to his current role.
Ashley Bowen Cook was appointed president of Greteman Group, succeeding the company’s sole owner and creative director Sonia Greteman, who will transition to chair of the board while continuing to serve as creative director. Cook’s career in aviation includes previously interning in the Bombardier Learjet public-relations department, working in events and marketing for Bombardier Flexjet in Dallas, and serving as the first female board chair of the Wichita Aero Club.
Embraer appointed Roberto Chaves to the newly created role as v-p of global procurement and Dimas Tomelin to the new position as v-p of strategy, digital, and innovation. Chaves joined Embraer in 2001 and most recently served as director of procurement. Tomelin has been with Embraer for 21 years and has served as director of strategy for the past three years.
Nicolas Potier was appointed v-p of support and services at Safran Aircraft Engines replacing François Planaud, who is retiring. Potier will also serve as a member of the company’s executive committee. He has held various leadership positions with Safran since joining the company in 2012, most recently as executive v-p of the wheels and brakes division at Safran Landing Systems.
Pat Harvey was named as v-p of sales at Hatt & Associates. Harvey has prior experience as a sales director at a worldwide aircraft brokerage. He is also a pilot and certified flight instructor based in Minneapolis and will be responsible for leading aircraft sales initiatives in the Midwest U.S.
Aviation Maintenance Professionals hired Tru Pham as v-p of marketing and branding. Pham has more than 15 years of experience in private aviation with a blended background in sales, marketing, FBO management, and ownership services.
Paragon Aviation Group appointed Gary Forster, Jean-François Guitard, and Florian Samsinger as members of its FBO advisory board. Forster serves as managing director of ExecuJet Caribbean, Guitard is the director of the general aviation and business development unit of Société des Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur, and Samsinger is managing director of Magnum FBO.
Jay Merkle was appointed senior director of regulatory affairs at Supernal. Merkle previously spent 30 years at the FAA, most recently as executive director of the agency’s unmanned aircraft systems integration office. In his new role, he will assist the company with developing an integrated regulatory and policy framework to support advanced air mobility operations globally.
Simon Roussel was hired as director of flight operations by ACASS. Roussel has more than 35 years of experience in flight operations, having previously worked as an aircraft dispatcher for several commercial operators, as well as for Skyservice Business Aviation as director of operations control center and most recently as director of flight operations.
Alyssa Sleight was promoted by the Air Charter Safety Foundation to director of safety. Sleight previously served as assistant director of safety and programs manager for the foundation's various safety initiatives, including the Aviation Safety Action Program. 
Wheels Up subsidiary Air Partner appointed Rommel Dones director of charter sales, based at Los Angeles International Airport. Dones has more than three decades in the international cargo market, having most recently worked at Navitrans Global where he spent six years doubling as director of its charter division and regional sales manager of the U.S. West Coast.
Jet East appointed David Crowder general manager of its newly established Statesville, North Carolina MRO facility. Crowder began his aviation career in 1988 as an aviation maintenance technician with American Eagle. From there, he accepted a position with Stevens Aviation as general manager before eventually being hired by Jet East.
NATA promoted Ken Thompson to managing director of regulatory affairs and hired Paige Kroner as senior advisor for industry relations. Thompson, who previously served as NATA’s senior advisor of regulatory affairs for maintenance, is an A&P mechanic and served as an aircraft mechanic/inspector, quality control inspector, quality assurance manager, chief inspector, designated manufacturing inspection representative, and senior manager in manufacturing and maintenance facilities. Kroner previously worked for aviation companies Piedmont-Hawthorne Aviation, Chantilly Air, and Signature Flight Support, as well as trade associations American Association of Airport Executives and NBAA.
Raffi Kasparian was appointed to head Alton Aviation Consultancy’s new Dubai office as managing director; Mabel Kwan, previously managing director of investments at Changi Airports International, joined Alton as managing director in the Singapore office; and Ronan Murphy, previously v-p of strategy and planning at AMCK Aviation, joined as director in Dublin.
JetAviva hired Timon Huber as managing director for its new Embraer sales division. Huber previously worked for 36 years at Embraer and was one of the first employees to join Embraer’s business jets division in 2001.
Robert Grimmett was hired by helicopter manufacturer Schweizer as the company’s North American sales manager. Grimmett joins Schweizer having previous experience in the luxury automotive and other high-end sales industries. 
Mark Norklun rejoined Pro Star Aviation as technical sales manager for maintenance. Norklun was the first employee at Pro Star upon the company’s founding in 1998 and served as a maintenance floor lead until 2005. During his hiatus from Pro Star, he served as a director of maintenance for a New England-based corporate aviation department.
Aviation Specialties Unlimited hired Vicque Ebentheuer as marketing manager. She most recently worked in healthcare marketing for more than 25 years. Ebentheuer comes from a family of pilots and her marketing background includes management of customer relations management systems, marketing research, data analysis, and strategic planning.
West Star promoted Ryan Law to project manager at its Grand Junction, Colorado facility. Law was hired as an AMT at West Star in 2014, starting in the Hawker department and later moving to team lead for Citation in 2020.
Mark Hall was hired as site manager at Spirit Aeronautics Ohio location. Hall has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry with a background that includes avionics installer, supervisor, planner, and project manager.
Awards and Honors
Wayne Johnson is the recipient of the 2023 Daniel Guggenheim Medal for his contributions to vertical flight aeronautics and resulting computational codes enabling the design of the first tiltrotor aircraft and eVTOL, as well as the Mars Helicopter. Johnson will receive the award during the Vertical Flight Society’s 79th Annual Forum in mid-May.
NBAA’s business aviation management committee selected Rebecca Torres, Mya Coley, and Emily White as recipients of its 2023 leadership conference scholarship. Torres is an aerial services project manager, Coley is a certified flight instructor and coordinator of aviation operations for a flight department in Newburgh, New York, and White is a senior specialist in data and tech analysis with a private company in San Antonio. The scholarship covered the cost of registration and associated attendance at the organization’s 2023 Leadership Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The recipients were also recognized by the committee during the conference.
The IADA Foundation—a nonprofit organization affiliated with the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA)—awarded university scholarships to Tyler Kleinsasser, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology; Julia Alise Hummel, Auburn University; Marcus Frank Gross II, University of Nebraska Omaha; and Paul Wynns, University of California San Diego. Six young professionals employed by IADA member brokers were also awarded grants for education, learning, and leadership opportunities: Andrew Dondelinger, Soljets; Ashley Graves, Eagle Creek Aviation Services; Kyle Canna, Guardian Jet; Myrthe Simons, Clay Lacy Aviation; and Sam Campos and Luke Leonard, Ogarajets, were awarded grants.
Final Flights
Long-time aircraft broker Jack Prewitt passed away at age 91 on February 8 at his home in Texas. Prewitt served in the U.S. Air Force and trained as an avionics technician. Following his military service, he began a career with Dallas Aero as an avionics technician. Later, he joined a new division of Qualitron Aero, where he was involved with avionics and interior completions at Meacham Field and worked on Air Force One for Presidents Johnson and Nixon. Prewitt shifted his focus to aircraft sales in 1973 when he joined Associated Air Center at Dallas Love Field. Prewitt founded aviation brokerage Jack Prewitt & Associates in 1978 offering a range of services. The company is now run by his family, with son-in-law Rick Pitts serving as president and Sabrina Prewitt and Rene Prewitt serving as senior v-ps.
James A. Wilding—founding president and former CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority—passed away on February 24 at age 85. Wilding began work with the FAA in 1959 and participated in the planning and development of Washington Dulles International Airport. In 2016, the main international arrivals area at Dulles was renamed in his honor.