Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

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Flyht Aerospace Solutions appointed Tom Schmutz CEO. He succeeds Bill Tempany, who is retiring from his role as CEO but will remain on the board as chairman. Additionally, Matt Bradley resigned from his position as president to pursue new career opportunities. Schmutz has more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles in the aerospace and telecommunications industries, including with L-3 Communications, Airnet Communications and Harris.

 


Eustace Mita was elected chairman of Dumont Aviation. Mita also is chairman of Mita Management, a closely held company with interests in the automotive and real estate industries, and CEO of Achristavest, a waterfront property developer.

 


Keith Ruggirello joined ExcelAire as senior v-p sales and marketing. Ruggirello has more than 15 years of Part 91 and 135 experience, having previously served as vice president of management sales at Priester Aviation, vice president at Key Air and business development manager for Universal Weather and Aviation (Houston).

 


TAG Aviation Europe named Carlos Gomez managing director of TAG Aviation España. Gomez returns to TAG Aviation España and takes on additional TAG Aviation Europe corporate leadership responsibilities after serving as CEO of TAG Aviation Asia for the past four years.

 


Andy Olson has joined Trine Aerospace &amp; Defense as general manager of Trine Aviation Services. Olson has a 30-year aviation maintenance background, serving with Duncan Aviation and West Star Aviation.

 


Superior Air Parts appointed Bill Ross as vice president of product support. Ross has 14 years experience working for a major piston aircraft engine manufacturer, holding roles in areas such as quality engineering, analytical, customer service, technical product support, and MRO and FBO operations.

 


Aerospace Technologies Group (ATG) appointed Bill Goings vice president of engineering and design, Tim Gwinnell CFO and vice president, and Michelle Stone director of marketing. Goings has more than 30 years’ experience in design, interiors, manufacturing and product development with Bombardier and other companies. Gwinnell joins ATG with more than 30 years of experience in banking, big-ticket leasing and financial management, working on signature deals such as the privatization of British Airways and the launch of Virgin Atlantic. Stone previously spent 17 years with B/E Aerospace, including a stint as director of corporate marketing.

 


Spirit Aeronautics appointed John Williamson CFO. Williamson has held a number of accounting and business development positions, including senior auditor for Deloitte, accounting software/business development manager for AccuNet/ITS and franchise owner of Fryer Management Services.

 


Air BP appointed Julio Casas North America general aviation director. Casas, who joined BP through the Future Leaders program in 2008, most recently was global general aviation strategy and business development manager.

 


Gulfstream Aerospace named Matthew Liu regional vice president of sales for Greater China. Liu joins Gulfstream with more than 24 years of experience in the aerospace industry, most recently as regional sales director in Greater China and Mongolia for Textron Aviation.

 


Cassandra Bosco joined Women in Aviation International as education and industry relations director. A founding board member of WAI, Bosco has served as interim executive director of the University Aviation Association (UAA), owned Tailwinds Communications and was director of communications for NBAA, where she helped initiate the professional development program, NBAA’s Aviation for Kids program, and the original No Plane, No Gain advocacy initiative.

 


Edward Koharik has joined FlightSafety International as executive director, visual systems. Previously the chief of the U.S. Transportation Command’s Enterprise Readiness Center, Koharik also has flown in support of combat operations in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Operations Southern Watch, Joint Guard, Joint Forge, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

 


Mecaer Aviation Group named Daren Humphries sales manager for corporate aircraft. Humphries has a 25-year background in helicopters, 15 of them spent in various roles with Corporate Helicopters.

 


Susan Johnson has joined PlaneTechs as client services manager. Johnson previously has held aircraft scheduling, business development and outside sales roles in aviation.

 


Erickson named Jason Johnson senior director of sales for the company’s manufacturing and MRO business and Scott Cook senior director of business development for the Americas Region. Johnson was most recently executive director of sales and customer support for Bell Helicopter. Cook, who spent 20 years with Siemens and General Electric, was most recently a senior consultant for Qittitut Consulting.

 


Mark Abbott has joined Vertis Aviation Africa as a partner. Abbott has 17 years of business aviation experience, most recently serving as group FBO director for ExecuJet in Cape Town.

 


Global Jet Services named Gabe Valeich an aviation maintenance instructor. Valeich brings 25 years of business aviation experience to his new role and a background in Hawkers, Citations, Bombardiers and Gulfstreams.

 


West Star Aviation promoted Mark Birmingham to paint program manager at its Grand Junction, Colo. location. Birmingham, who has served with West Star for eight years, succeeds Gary Edwards. Edwards retired after 37 years in aviation, 22 of them as leader of the company’s paint activities in Grand Junction.

 


The Citation Jet Pilots Owner Pilot Association appointed Jason Talley as an industry representative on the association’s board of directors. Talley, who owns and flies a Citation Mustang, recently founded JetFuelX and introduced a cloud-based app that analyzes fuel pricing.

 


Vector Aerospace named Lewis Ho regional sales manager for Asia and Matjaz Zaccaria regional sales manager for Europe. Ho previously was a business development and sales director for UTC Aerospace Systems Aerostructures Division, and also has served with Rockwell Collins, Standard Aero and Thales Aerospace. Zaccaria formerly served as a customer support and service manager for AgustaWestland Helicopters, and also has served with Royal Dutch Shell and Illycaffe.

 


FreeFlight Systems appointed Peter Ring director of sales and marketing. Ring, who most recently served as global aftermarket sales manager for FreeFlight, has more than eight years of avionics manufacturing experience.

 


Jet Aviation Singapore named Faizal Khan FBO senior manager. Khan, who joined Jet Aviation Singapore in 2009 as duty manager, most recently was manager of FBO services at the facility.

 


Erickson made several new appointments to its senior leadership team. Richard (Trey) Williams, a U.S. Army veteran with business development and operation management experience, joined the company as senior director of sales for government aviation services. William Fulton, who has held research and development, business strategy, marketing and sales posts with Bell Helicopter, was named senior director of sales for commercial aviation sales. Tony Lustig, who has 15 years of management experience in corporate development, strategic growth and global ventures, was hired as senior director of business development for the Asia-Pacific region. Scott Ellis, who began his career as an aircraft mechanic with Erickson and then spent 20 years with the Army National Guard, rejoined Erickson as director of sales for MRO and manufacturing.

 


James Healey was named managing director of corporate jet sales and acquisitions specialist for Aviatrax MC. Healey previously spent 14 years as managing director of Jet Alliance International and also has served as vice president of international sales at Gulfstream Aerospace.

 


Duncan Aviation appointed Doug Alleman vice president of customer service and Mike Minchow vice president of sales. Alleman joined Duncan as an A&amp;P mechanic in the engine shop in 1988 and had been a manager of customer service. Minchow joined Duncan in 1993 and most recently was manager of completions/modification sales and airframe and engine services sales.

 


Argus International is expanding its sales, customer service and development teams with the addition of Anthony Brancaccio, Andrew Fischer, Volker Meissner, Rob Michelis and Ed Wassom. Brancaccio, who formerly held sales position with Avantair, Linear Air and LexisNexis, was named market intelligence sales manager. Fischer, customer service and support manager for Avmosys software, previously has served with Air Charter Services and NetJets. Meissner, who is director of European sales, previously owned and managed charter brokerage firm Aviation Charter. Michelis, who is senior Avmosys developer and analyst, previously has served as the senior developer for Command Alkon and also has served as project manager for NetJets. Wassom, Avmosys regional sales manager, most recently served as Universal Weather’s director of global strategic accounts and previously was vice president of sales and marketing for The Aviation Hub.

 


Duncan Aviation recently added four new sales positions to its parts and rotables sales team in Lincoln, Neb. Keith Schell, who has 34 years of aviation experience, was named team leader. Hannah Bodenstab, who joined Duncan Aviation in 2012, was promoted to a sales representative for the team. Lance Tophoj, who had served as customer account representative for Duncan Aviation Accessories Services, also moved over to the team. Jeff Johnson joined the team with more than 20 years of business management, sales and customer service experience.

 


UAS International Trip Support named Johnson Akinrefon station manager for Senegal and Kitumaini Pourquoi Rukiko as station manager for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Akinrefon has more than 10 years of experience as a trip-support specialist in both West and Central Africa, and previously was a station manager at Dakar. Rukiko has more than 10 years of experience in the DRC, as well as a background in flight operations, ground handling, trip planning and support, charters and cargo.

 


<h2>Awards and Honors</h2>

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Barbara Brockett, vice president of engineering test services for Honeywell Aerospace, received the Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The award recognizes a female engineer who influences decision-making processes and creates a nurturing environment for other women engineers. Brockett, a 33-year Honeywell veteran who leads a 2,160-employee organization, has played an integral role in the Honeywell Aerospace Women’s Council, Women and Honeywell Engineering Network, and the corporate engineering diversity organization recruiting program.

 


Gary Dempsey, Jet Aviation senior v-p for worldwide customer care, was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame. Dempsey, who served with Gulfstream and General Dynamics Aviation Services before joining Jet Aviation in 2006, was among six inductees for the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015. Other inductees were: Arthur Gorman, who served as a military, commercial and general aviation pilot, instructor and aircraft salesman for 50 years; Rick Dorsey Morgan (1905-1973), former pilot, president of Air Service and U.S. Army colonel who commanded a base at Bengal, India and flew missions in China; John Reed (1914-1980), a former U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, powerline patrol pilot and manager of Laurel Airport; Ernest Schwab, who has worked with FlightSafety International and served as a pilot with the U.S. Marines, Delaware Air National Guard and Pan American Airways; and Brian Woodcock, who recently retired from Boeing and is a survivor of the Luftwaffe Blitz of London during World War II.

 


The National EMS Pilot Association named Ann Lowell of Air Methods 2015 Pilot of the Year. Lowell is currently serving the Haiti Air Ambulance program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A former chief flight instructor, Lowell has served with a helicopter air-tour operator and began her career in EMS with OmniFlight Helicopters, which is now part of Air Methods. She has served in the EMS community for 19 years.

 


The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) is awarding its Fellowship honor to London Biggin Hill Airport managing director Will Curtis. The award is being presented in recognition of his “contribution to the development of business aviation as a professional pilot and as a senior management aircraft operator.” Curtis, who has more than a 20-year aviation background, was appointed managing director at London Biggin Hill Airport in October 2013 after serving as group CEO of Rizon Group Holdings. He also helped restructure Perfect Aviation.

People in Aviation: December 2015

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