Story ID: 003
People in Aviation
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Mike Madsen is president and CEO of Honeywell and Lisa Holland takes the newly created position of president of corporate strategies for Sheltair.
Word Count: 1585
Long-time Honeywell Aerospace executive Mike Madsen was selected to take over the Phoenix, Arizona-based manufacturer as president and CEO. He succeeds Tim Mahoney, who held the role for 10 years and is moving to the position of senior v-p of enterprise transformation for Honeywell Digital. Most recently v-p of integrated supply chain, Madsen has more than three decades with the organization, also holding the roles as president of Honeywell Aerospace Defense and Space and leadership positions within the Air Transport (ATSG) and Regional business. Mahoney joined Honeywell in 1997 following a 20-year career with Sikorsky Aircraft.

Sheltair Aviation has announced changes in its executive suite. Lisa Holland, daughter of company founder, chairman, and CEO Gerald Holland, was named to the newly created position of president of corporate strategies, providing high-level leadership for the future growth and organizational development of the company. Also, Jack Tufano, formerly v-p of design and development with Cisneros Real Estate, has joined the company as v-p of design and construction.

Elevate Jet hired Scott LaForge to lead the aircraft management and consultancy firm as president. LaForge brings 40 years of experience to his new role, previously holding leadership positions with Keystone Aviation, XOJet, M&N Aviation, Island Airlines, and Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines. The company also hired Patti Ann Sullivan to serve as executive v-p of aircraft management. Sullivan has 30 years of aircraft finance and aircraft management experience, previously holding executive and consulting roles with Key Bank, Textron Financial, DEBIS, Aviation Resource Group, and Executive Jet Management.

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) board of directors elected W. Ian Cheyne to the association’s senior volunteer leadership role of president. Cheyne, who has served as a director of ARSA since 2002, is chief technical and regulatory officer for Dallas Airmotive. David Latimer, senior v-p of regulatory compliance for HAECO Americas and the association’s immediate past president, will continue to serve on the board. Also, Gary Fortner, v-p of engineering and quality control for Fortner Engineering, was elected v-p and Terrell Seigfreid, assistant general counsel for the Nordam Group, is treasurer.

Piper Aircraft added former NASA astronaut and aeronautical engineer Winston Scott to its Board of Directors. A retired U.S. Navy captain and aviator, Scott served as a pilot of the Kaman SH-2F Seasprite helicopter and Grumman F-14 Tomcat, in addition to his NASA career.

O’Melveny added Jason Kaplan as a partner in its corporate finance practice in New York. Kaplan, who will focus on all aspects of aviation and equipment finance at O’Melveny, formerly was with the equipment finance group of another international law firm, specializing in negotiating and drafting complex agreements for the transfer, use, and financing of aircraft and other transportation equipment.

George Galanopoulos was appointed head of charter sales in Europe for the Luxaviation Group. In addition to his new duties overseeing sales in Europe, Galanopoulos will continue as managing director of Luxaviation UK.

Gulfstream Aerospace named Peter Vasconcelos regional senior v-p of sales for the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. Vasconcelos, who will be based at Gulfstream’s Manhattan sales and design center, brings 20 years of sales experience to his new role, including with a business aircraft manufacturer.

C&L Aerospace appointed Everette Mash senior v-p of aircraft sales. Mash previously led Twin Otter Holdings for 13 years and also has served with Jet Aviation and Embraer.

FlightSafety International promoted Michele Posey to executive director of sales, responsible for business aviation sales activities in North America. Posey has served with FlightSafety since 1998 in marketing and sales positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as director of sales.

Dave Yip rejoined Hong Kong-based Metrojet as director of business development. Yip, who has 20 years of business and commercial aviation experience, served as a maintenance planner with Haeco, before joining Metrojet in 2006 first as an engineering support manager, and later taking roles including COO with Hongkong Jet.

Private Jets, Inc. hired Denver Craddock as director of maintenance, based at Wiley Post Airport in Bethany, Oklahoma, and Stephanie Zepeda as director of charter sales, primarily at Naples Municipal Airport in Florida. Craddock, who previously has held maintenance supervisory roles, will be responsible for the maintenance of Private Jets’ fleet of 19 aircraft. Zepeda will develop relationships with new and existing clients across Florida.

West Star Aviation promoted Eric Valdes to Gulfstream program director at its East Alton, Illinois facility. Serving as Gulfstream program manager for the past 12 years, Valdes has 26 years of aviation experience, also including with Midcoast and the U.S. Air Force. Also at East Alton, the company appointed Robert Wood paint program assistant manager. Wood previously held positions with Gulfstream, Jet Aviation, and Midcoast, and served as a structural repair and corrosion control specialist in the U.S. Air Force. At its Grand Junction (GJT) facility in Colorado, the company promoted Jason Cohen to Bombardier Global program manager. Cohen brings more than 30 years of aviation experience to the new role, including eight years serving on the Bombardier technical sales team for West Star. At its facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mike Ditmeyer has been appointed Gulfstream operations manager and Brian Jansen named Falcon program manager. Formerly a lead and maintenance technician for West Star, Jansen has 29 years of aviation experience, including as Falcon program manager at Avmats and director of maintenance at Barry-Wehmiller.

Weston Aviation hired Ruth Tootill as aviation fuel manager. Tootill formerly was account manager of GA fuel sales in the UK for Air BP and has 23 years of oil industry experience.

Jim Katopodis joined C&L Engineering Services as a design engineer. Katopodis has more than 26 years of experience in aviation engineering specializing in avionics, most recently with BizJet International.

Rachael Weverka is transitioning to Duncan Aviation’s modifications sales team in Lincoln, Nebraska, responsible for paint and interior sales for Gulfstream and Embraer aircraft. Weverka previously spent nine years as a designer for Duncan, working on numerous airframes.

Jacek Baranowski is joining Heli-One’s MRO operation in Rzeszow, Poland as general manager. Baranowski has more than 20 years of aviation industry experience, previously holding positions with Bodycote Aerospace & Defense, Seco/Warwick Retech Thermal Equipment Manufacturing China, Wallair Engine Components (Velatia Group), GE Aviation, and Listemann Group.

C&L Aerospace hired Ian Hilton as director of business development for Europe/Africa. He has more than 20 years of aviation experience consisting of parts sales, inventory management, procurement, logistics, and power-by-the-hour program management.

Aviation Personnel International promoted Jennifer Pickerel to director of client and candidate services and Jenny Showalter to client services manager. The firm also named Debbi Laux candidate services manager. Pickerel has provided talent identification and placement services to API’s clients and more recently assumed responsibility and oversight of the company’s Candidate Services division. Showalter is transitioning to client service delivery, where she will assist with project management, including the intake of a new search project, candidate identification and selection, and the offer and placement of a hired candidate within a Part 91 or 135 flight department. Laux joined API in a part-time capacity as a candidate specialist and is expanding her role to full-time.

Cutter Aviation promoted Godfrey Higgs III to manager of aircraft services at its Centennial Airport facility in Denver, Colorado. Higgs formerly was maintenance supervisor at its Part 145 repair station in Addison, Texas,

Duncan Aviation named Sandra Phelps as its international parts and rotables sales representative dedicated to European Union member states. She will specialize in aircraft parts sales in the European market, managing work orders, parts exchange transactions, and international shipments, including hazardous material.

Airworthy Inc. named Del Hebert general manager for the Cabin Solutions Division in Anaheim, California. Hebert previously was v-p and general manager for Ducommun, a provider of manufacturing and engineering services for the aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, and also has held roles with EnCore Aerospace, Talsco JVR, Zodiac-Driessen Interior Systems, Composite Technology Corporation, and United Testing Systems.
Awards and Honors
The Air Charter Association honored the late Marshall Group chairman, Sir Michael Marshall, with The Chairman’s Award, recognizing his lifelong service to the aviation industry. Air Charter Association chairman Nick Weston and deputy chair Julie Black presented the posthumous award during the recent 17th annual Air Charter Excellence Awards ceremony at the Guildhall in London. Cambridge City airport director Kevan Craske accepted on behalf of Marshall’s widow, Sibyl.

Marshall passed away in July while on vacation in Spain with his wife and friends. He was 87. A former Royal Air Force pilot, Marshall was in his early 20s when he joined the company founded by his grandfather in 1909. By 1965, he was appointed deputy chairman and took over as chairman and CEO after his father retired in 1989. He led the group over nearly the next three decades, helping expand the company into a multi-faceted aerospace organization with £2.5 billion in annual sales and almost 6,000 employees. Before he died, he was planning a flight to Morocco this year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of earning his pilot’s license.

Weston praised Marshall's advocacy for women in aerospace engineering, STEM education, and career development of youth. “He was truly a force for good in the industry, and it is fitting, therefore, that we celebrate his contribution to the industry here and honor him with this award.”