Story ID: 003
People in Aviation - August 2025
By: Jessica Reed
Caption: People in Aviation - August 2025
Word Count: 1835
Marc Ricks joined Avports as CEO, having most recently served as CEO of ShopCore Properties. Ricks’ 20-plus years of related experience include working at Vornado Realty Trust and for the New York City mayor’s office. He took over from Jorge Roberts, who served as CEO of Avports for more than six years.
Airshare hired Suzanne Williams as COO and also appointed her to its board of directors. Williams served as CFO at advertising agency BarkleyOKRP for the past decade and previously held a number of positions in finance at Sprint.
Steve Drzymalla was named CCO of Titan Aviation Fuels. Drzymalla’s more than two decades of experience in the aviation industry include leadership roles in business development and commercial operations.
XTI Aerospace hired Alex Williams as senior advisor for R&D strategy, advanced manufacturing, and technology integration. His prior experience includes working at Pratt & Whitney, where he supported NASA and U.S. Air Force initiatives, and managing research facilities and programs at Apple.
Montreal-based simulation and training provider CAE selected Matthew Bromberg, currently heading global operations at Northrop Grumman, as its next president and CEO. The appointment will take effect on August 13, following CAE’s annual shareholder meeting. Bromberg brings extensive aerospace and defense experience to the role, having overseen major operational transformations at some of the industry’s largest companies. At Northrop Grumman since 2022, he has led enterprise-wide cost reduction initiatives through enhanced program execution and supply-chain restructuring. His background includes five years as president of military engines at RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) from 2017 to 2022, where he managed one of the world’s largest military propulsion portfolios. Previously, Bromberg served as president of commercial aftermarket operations at Pratt & Whitney. The leadership transition follows the previously announced departure of Marc Parent, who served as CAE’s president and CEO for 16 years. Under Parent’s leadership, the company evolved from primarily manufacturing industrial products to becoming a dominant force in aviation training solutions globally.
Phenix Jet Cayman hired Philipp Kugelmann as v-p of sales and business development for Southeast Asia. Kugelmann’s 18-plus years of aircraft sales leadership experience in Asia-Pacific includes a term as Bombardier sales director for northern Asia.
Redbird Flight named Charlie Gregoire, previously COO, as its new CEO. Todd Willinger, the previous CEO, is now executive chairman and will remain an advisor to facilitate the transition. Meanwhile, Jerry Gregoire, founder of Redbird, is stepping down as chairman of the board of directors. Josh Harnagel, v-p of customer experience, was selected as the company’s COO.
Duncan Aviation promoted Dennis Kruse to regional satellite avionics sales rep, supporting the company's satellite locations in Scottsdale, Arizona; Denver; Las Vegas; Van Nuys and Sacramento, California; Seattle; and Portland, Oregon. Kruse has worked for Duncan for more than 20 years and has been involved in avionics sales since 2013.
Brittany Churchill was named Heart Aerospace’s v-p of operations and is now a member of the executive leadership team. Churchill previously worked at ABL Space Systems (now Long Wall) and SpaceX. Heart also promoted Cole Randle, head of strategic engagement, to chief of staff and head of corporate affairs. Randle, now a member of the executive leadership team, started his career at the White House during the Obama administration and later served as a strategic advisor at Finsbury (now FGS Global) and Freuds consultancies.
Devin Osting was named executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America. He previously served as interim executive director, succeeding long-time leader Selena Shilad, who passed away. Three new members also joined the board of directors: Lindsey Daugherty, a Colorado state senator and communications director at Bye Aerospace; Michael Inman, mayor of Macomb, Illinois; and Bryan Budds, Michigan Department of Transportation’s aeronautics director.
New leadership was selected for NATA’s board of directors and two new board members were elected. Cristine Kirk, CEO of Malone AirCharter, will serve a two-year term as chair of the NATA board. Geoff Heck, president and COO of Aero Centers, will serve as vice chair. COO of Sheltair Aviation Todd Anderson will continue to serve as immediate past chair on the association’s executive committee. Board terms that have concluded are those of Megan Wolf (Flexjet), Kathryn Purwin (Helinet Aviation Services), and past board chair Clive Lowe (Atlantic Aviation). Chris Rozansky, executive director of Naples Airport Authority in Florida, and Allen McReynolds, president and COO of West Star Aviation, have been renewed for additional three-year terms. Elected to serve at large were David Frash of NetJets and Todd Smith of Atlantic Aviation.
Randy Jones joined Nighthawk Flight Systems as v-p of sales and marketing. His 30-plus years of experience in aerospace and defense sales, marketing, and business development include an executive role at a manufacturing organization.
TAG Aviation's Angel Wun successfully completed her line check, earning the status of Gulfstream G650 junior first officer via the TAG Trained Pilot program. Wun joined the company as a safety officer in 2018 and has also received the Sir Donald Anderson Award.
Clay Lacy Aviation appointed Barbara Brown as its new chief people officer. Brown’s 25-plus years of prior experience in human resources include senior leadership roles at the University of Southern California.
Jeff Moneypenny joined Le Bas International as director of commercial jets. His career in aviation spans 24 years, including 21 years as v-p of sales at Ultimate Jet Charter.
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) named Philipe Figueiredo v-p of business development for JSSI Parts & Leasing. Figueiredo recently served as managing director at Brazilian private aircraft importer Razac and previously oversaw sales efforts for Honeywell International and Lider Táxi Aéreo in Latin America.
Canadian Advanced Air Mobility named Simar Miglani and Niloofar Moradi as its newest board members. Miglani is the business development and strategy lead for CAE’s advanced air mobility and air traffic services training business. Moradi is director of strategy and business development at the National Research Council of Canada’s Aerospace Research Centre.
Vertical Aerospace appointed Andrew Parker to its board of directors on June 2. Parker served as director general of the UK government’s national security agency, MI5, from 2013 to 2020.
Aircraft Specialties hired Justin Miller as director of business development and regional sales manager for the West Coast. Miller was hired as warehouse manager at Boeing/Aviall in 2006 and eventually became sales director there; more recently, he served as v-p of business development at Seattle Aviation Solutions.
Jade Hayes joined the National Aviation Hall of Fame as its new communications and membership manager. Hayes, a public affairs communications professional, is currently an MPA candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Awards and Honors
Robert Suarez, aircraft sales and acquisitions sales rep for Duncan Aviation since early 2023, was recognized by the International Aircraft Dealers Association as a certified aircraft sales broker.
Pete Bunce, former GAMA president and CEO, and the entire GAMA team have received the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s 2025 Milton Caniff Spirit of Flight Award. During Bunce’s tenure, the association promoted the societal benefits of general aviation while advocating for safety, workforce development, and innovation.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) presented Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) with its highest legislative recognition, the Pilot Partisan of the Year award, during the organization’s annual Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., in June. This award acknowledges Duckworth’s advocacy for aviation safety legislation and her support of pilot interests through her role as chair and ranking member on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s subcommittee on aviation, space, and innovation. ALPA specifically cited her contributions to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which established new safety protocols and workforce provisions for the aviation industry.
 
Final FlightsAviation Writer William Langewiesche Dies at 70
William Langewiesche, the acclaimed aviation writer and professional pilot who brought unprecedented literary depth to aircraft accident investigations and industry analysis, passed away on June 15 in Connecticut. He was 70. Cullen Murphy, his longtime editor at The Atlantic and Vanity Fair, confirmed the death was due to prostate cancer.
Langewiesche was a unique figure in aviation journalism—a professional pilot who wrote for major publications including The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times Magazine for nearly three decades. Unlike typical aviation reporters, his commercial flying background allowed him to analyze complex technical failures and human factors with rare authority and insight.
Langewiesche’s initial breakthrough came in 1991 when The Atlantic published his 17,000-word Sahara Desert piece, leading to a 15-year tenure as national correspondent. His most celebrated aviation work included investigations into the 1999 EgyptAir 990 crash, which earned him a 2002 National Magazine Award, and analyses of incidents ranging from the ValuJet 592 disaster to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370’s disappearance. Langewiesche’s account of the EgyptAir crash, enriched by his aviation expertise, concluded that the co-pilot had committed suicide.
His controversial 2009 book Fly by Wire about Sully Sullenberger’s Hudson River landing argued that modern aircraft technology deserved more credit than pilot heroism—a position that drew criticism from Sullenberger himself.
 
FedEx Founder and Bizav Advocate Fred Smith Flies West
Frederick Smith—founder and former CEO of FedEx and a champion of business aviation throughout his career—passed away on June 21. Smith established FedEx in the early 1970s, initially operating with Dassault Falcon 20 business jets before building a pioneering dedicated cargo airline and eventually what became the world’s largest fleet of Cessna Caravan turboprop singles. The company joined NBAA as a member organization in 1983, maintaining that relationship throughout Smith’s tenure.
NBAA acknowledged his contributions to both commercial aviation and the business aviation sector. “Fred Smith changed the world with his creation of the cargo airline industry, but he always credited business aviation with helping make FedEx the company it is today,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.
Smith received NBAA’s Al Ueltschi Humanitarian Award in 2012 for his work with Orbis, an international nonprofit operating a “flying eye hospital” that has restored sight to more than 23 million people.
The aviation pioneer served as a prominent advocate for NBAA’s “No Plane No Gain” campaign, emphasizing business aviation’s operational value. Smith’s statement supporting the initiative remains displayed at FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee: “Business aviation has been an integral part of FedEx’s success since the day we were founded. The military calls it a ‘force multiplier,’ and that’s what business aircraft have been for FedEx.”
 
Joseph Carroll, v-p of JetBrokers, passed away on June 4 surrounded by family. He attended flight school in Vero Beach, Florida, and earned his pilot’s license. He later embarked on a career selling business turboprop and jet aircraft.