Executive Committee
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President John Goglia, after decades of experience as a mechanic at United Airlines and US Airways, was the first and only FAA certified mechanic to receive a presidential appointment to the National Transportation Safety Board, serving from August 1995 to June 2004. He played a key role in focusing international attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance in aviation accidents.
John now fills his time as an independent aviation safety consultant, adjunct professor at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, and president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. Among numerous other accolades, he is recipient of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association/Flight Safety Foundation Joe Chase Award and the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. His 40 plus years of experience in the industry has made him a sought-after consultant, expert, speaker, and writer. He is a frequent contributor to Forbes Magazine and author of Torqued, a monthly column appearing in AINOnline. |
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Vice President Ken MacTiernan is in his third decade of service as an aviation maintenance technician for American Airlines in San Diego. Ken joined the United States Air Force right out of high school, where he served as a B-52 mechanic at Castle Air Force Base.
In 2002, he founded and became director of the Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Association, a non-profit organization that promotes Charles E. Taylor and the aviation maintenance craft. He is also a founding director for the AMTSociety, where he served as chairman for the Maintenance Skills Competition and scholarship program. Ken has served as a director of the Northrop Rice Foundation since 2012. He also serves as vice president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. He currently lives in San Diego and is married with three children. |
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Secretary/Treasurer Todd Curtis is a risk assessment professional in the air transportation arena, with expertise and experience as a systems engineer, online marketer, and data analyst.
Todd analyzes complex technical environments and presents the results of appropriate analyses so that decision makers, from insurance companies in need of a predictive model for expected losses to airline passengers comparing accident rates, can make rational and informed choices. |
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Sergeant At Arms / Chief Judge John Koza is a System Safety Engineer and Flight Safety Investigator for GE Aerospace based in Lynn, Massachusetts – Birthplace of America’s First Jet Engine. His 20+ year aviation career includes previous roles as a Regional Aircraft Maintenance Manager with FedEx, multiple roles at Pratt & Whitney - most notably as a Commercial Flight Safety Investigator, in addition to various engineering leadership and product support assignments of increasing responsibility. In addition, John also is a FAA certificated Airframe & Powerplant mechanic and has exercised this privilege as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician with UsAirways as a line mechanic, with Standard Aero in a corporate aviation setting, and also with GE Aerospace as an Advanced Aircraft Engine Mechanic early in his career.
When not engaged directly with day-to-day safety activities, John shares his unique level of practical, hands-on engineering and forensic investigation experience with his peers and fellow AMT’s in the field. He is also actively involved in mentoring and supporting the next generation of maintainers and technicians throughout the industry, and is also a member of the Board of Directors for PAMA – the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. Mr. Koza resides in the New England area. He holds a Masters in Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, a Bachelors in Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as well as Certificates in Aviation Safety and Security from The University of Southern California and in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a full member of ISASI, the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, which is dedicated to promoting air safety by the exchange of ideas, experiences and information about aircraft accident investigations, and to aid in the advancement of flight safety. |
Directors
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Aaron Anderson
Global Segment Manager Civil Aftermarket Transparencies, PPG Aerospace Aaron started flying at 14. After securing his private pilot license at 18 he discovered he enjoyed aircraft maintenance and eared his mechanic certificate. By age 29 Aaron had worked his way through maintenance and quality roles and became director of maintenance for a part 145 repair station. He's overseen airline contract line maintenance facilities, startups, aircraft repair service organizations, and component sales in the general aviation, commercial, and military markets. For the last 16 years, Aaron has served as manager of PPG's global market segment for civil aftermarket transparencies. |
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Victor Bontorno
Director – Distribution & Ground Support Test Equipment, Barfield Inc. Victor is a sales management and development executive with more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. He has demonstrated the ability to lead with empathy and confidence, and the strong desire to serve a purpose greater than himself. His career started in 1985 at Monmouth Aircraft Service at Allaire (BLM) Airport in NJ. Victor’s journey has also taken him to AVSCO, A Barfield Company, on to NETJETS, Manager for Penn Yan Aeroparts and Division Sales Manager for AAR Cooper Aviation. For the past 17 years, Victor has been the Director of Distribution, Ground Support Test Equipment (GSTE) Sales and GSTE Repairs and Trading at Barfield Inc, an Air France KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) Company. Victor’s leadership and interest in helping others also allowed him to serve the Greater Miami Aviation Association (GMAA) as President for 5 years. He is a long-time judge and supporter of the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. |
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Kevin Brickner
Senior Vice President, Technical Operations, American Airlines Kevin is responsible for overseeing line and base maintenance; engineering, planning and production support for airframes, engines and components; and aircraft supply chain operations, among many other responsibilities. Most recently, Kevin was vice president – Safety and Operations Integration, where he was responsible for overseeing the airline's safety and regulatory compliance programs throughout the airline and the airline's environmental sustainability program. He also led the operations program management office. Kevin began his career with the airline as a financial analyst in 1996 and then moved into technical operations. During the America West-US Airways merger, he served as managing director – Technical Operations Integration. In 2009, he was promoted to vice president – Technical Services, where he directed the technical operations planning, engineering and quality teams. Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh. |
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Bill Cade
Vice President Technical Operations, JetBlue Bill is responsible for overseeing JetBlue’s maintenance, materials, quality, engineering and technical purchasing functions. His focus is on safety, improving operational performance, and delivering JetBlue’s values to crewmembers and customers alike. Bill has vast industry experience spanning three decades and three airlines. His most recent role was with American Airlines where he was vice president base technical operations, responsible for multiple heavy maintenance bases as well as all external heavy maintenance and support shop operations. He's held several other leadership roles at American, including technical operations managing director positions for various regions over a 15-year plus period. Prior to American, Bill worked at Trans World Airlines leading technical operations teams in JFK and LAX. He moved to American as regional manager LAX after its purchase of TWA. A licensed FAA mechanic, Bill started his aviation maintenance career as a sheet metal mechanic with Pan American World Airways. |
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Stewart D’Leon
Director, Environmental & Technical Operations, National Business Aviation Association At NBAA Stewart serves dual roles as the staff liaison for the maintenance and technical committees, and the environmental sustainability focal point. In line with these efforts, he participates as an observer on several International Civil Aviation Organization working groups under the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection. Prior to his time at NBAA, Stewart served in a variety of roles during his 14 years at Gulfstream Aerospace, including the previous 5 years as a field service representative supporting the US Air Force special mission fleet at Joint Base Andrews, MD. Before joining the team at Gulfstream, he served in the United States Air Force as an aircraft communication/navigation systems technician. Stewart is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a master’s in aviation safety. He holds an FAA mechanic certificate, private pilot certificate, and is a certified NCATT Aircraft Electronics Technician. Most recently, he obtained the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager credential. |
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Tom Doxey
President, Breeze Airways Tom leads the new airline that began service in May 2021. Breeze’s mission is to make the world of travel simple, affordable and convenient, using technology, ingenuity and kindness to improve the travel experience. Tom previously served as senior vice president technical operations. There he oversaw all of United’s global technical operations functions, including line and base maintenance, engine and component maintenance, engineering, aircraft reliability, supply chain, stores, facilities maintenance, ground service equipment maintenance, and other related functions. During his tenure at United, Tom also served as vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to joining United, Tom served as vice president of fleet and corporate finance at Allegiant. He was responsible for all aircraft and corporate finance transactions, materials planning, fleet planning, technical purchasing, stores and the financial management of airframe and engine heavy maintenance programs. Tom also held various roles in financial planning and analysis at Allegiant. Before joining Allegiant, Tom held a variety of positions at Merrill Lynch and oversaw multiple fleet and finance-related groups at US Airways. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, where he was a collegiate baseball player, and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. |
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Les Frank
Managing Director of Aircraft Maintenance, FedEx Express Les is accountable for line technical operations and internal/external customer satisfaction at FedEx’s Memphis hub. In this role among other things, he has responsibility for FedEx’s total dispatch reliability goal, a multimillion dollar budget, and promoting a safe, inclusive work environment. He serves as Chairman of the Aircraft Maintenance Employee Handbook Committee which determines seniority based work policies for all of FedEx’s domestic maintenance personnel, ensuring a system wide harmonious work environment,. Les's aviation career began in the United States Air Force as a tactical fighter aircraft maintenance specialist. He's held previous positions at Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Northwest Airlines and FedEx to include Managing Director Field Line Maintenance both Easy & West, covering100+ locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, Managing Director LAX Base Maintenance which included Part 121, 145 & 91responsibility accomplishing major work through the “C” check level with multiple support/fabrication shops. Additional roles included Aircraft Maintenance Technician, Avionics Tech, Technical Crew Chief, Aircraft Maintenance Manager, Project Manager, Production Manager, and Senior Manager. He also served as a Shop Steward for the TWU. Les is a 1992 recipient of the American Airlines Employee of the Year Award and the 2013, 2016, and 2023 FedEx Five Star Award. |
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Andy Hakes
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, AireXpert Andy's Buffalo-based organization works with airline leadership teams to implement technology-driven solutions that drive efficiency across the MRO value chain with a focus on development of technical expertise and talent. Prior to this role, Andy owned and managed an MRO which supported major and regional airlines and previously served as an aircraft maintenance technician for several cargo and passenger air carriers. An FAA licensed mechanic since 1989, Andy supports many individual and organizational initiatives to develop and support inspired and knowledgeable aircraft maintenance professionals. |
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Kurt Kinder
Vice President, Maintenance Operations, Southwest Airlines Kurt is responsible for the daily operation and frontline teams, including Aircraft Maintenance, Material Stores, and Maintenance Operations Control. Kurt's background includes more than thirty years with Alaska Airlines where he served as vice president of maintenance and engineering. During his time at Alaska he worked as an aircraft mechanic and eventually moved into leadership roles with progressively increasing responsibilities. He started his aviation career nearly four decades ago working on crop dusters. In addition to his FAA mechanic license, he earned his MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. Kurt loves spending time at his cabin with his four grown sons and three grandsons. |
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Rodney Luetzen
Vice President, Tech Ops Line Maintenance, United Airlines |
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Alan Stolzer
Dean, College of Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Alan is responsible for the academic and administrative oversight of the college's Daytona Beach campus. He is Professor of Doctoral Studies and teaches Safety Management Systems in ERAU’s Ph.D. in Aviation program. He is the lead author on two books on SMS published by Ashgate Publications. Alan holds a Ph.D. in Quality Systems from Indiana State University, and degrees from ERAU and the College of the Ozarks. He also holds an ATP, CFI, and an A&P certificate, and was previously a DPE, issuing more than 100 certificates and ratings on behalf of the FAA. He has flown more than 8,000 hours as pilot-in-command. |
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Joseph A. Sylvestro
Senior Vice President, Aftermarket & Sustainment Operations, Pratt & Whitney Joe leads all aspects of the company's commercial engines maintenance, repair & overhaul and military engines sustainment & depots to support key enterprise strategic growth initiatives. Current responsibilities include leading commercial engines MRO footprint evaluations and joint venture strategies as well as steering the F135 sustainment ramp, depot strategy, and execution plans. Joe has been with the company for more than 36 years, beginning his career in OEM design engineering. He held positions within the aftermarket business as engineering manager and operations manager before becoming general manager of the Cheshire Engine Overhaul Center. Other past roles include director of operations and vice president of operations and supply chain within the companies rocket engine division before moving back to Connecticut to the role of vice president, OEM manufacturing operations. Most recently, Joe served as vice president, aftermarket global operations where he was responsible for the global commercial engines MRO engine centers, repair units, and joint ventures as well as new engine model industrialization for internal and external MRO network shops. Joe was named to the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council serving a two-year term. Today he serves on the Board of Regents for the University of Hartford. He earned an MBA from the Krannert School of Business at Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Hartford. |
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Bill Willetts
Vice President, Snap-on Industrial Bill is responsible for overseeing all sales operations for North America for Snap-on Industrial. Snap-on has a dedicated Commercial and Industrial sales force in every sector of the United States and Canada serving all critical industries including aerospace. Bill started his career with Snap-on in rural North Carolina in 1994 as an Industrial Account Manager. Since then, he has been promoted many times with increased responsibility and currently serves as Vice President working from the world headquarters in Kenosha WI. Bill holds a degree in Business Administration and Computer Science from Bob Jones University and an MBA from Strayer University in Washington DC. |
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Don Wright
Vice President, Maintenance & Engineering, Alaska Airlines Since August 2021, Don has led the Seattle-based maintenance and engineering team as they embark on a journey of significant fleet growth and technology innovation. In this role, Don oversees the safety, compliance and operational performance of the airline's mainline Boeing and Airbus fleet and reports to Chief Operating Officer Constance von Muehlen. Born in Sydney, Australia, Don began his career in aviation as an aircraft maintenance engineer with Qantas before joining Continental Airlines. He worked throughout Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America in various technical/leadership roles before moving to Los Angeles as director of technical operations for Continental in 1997. Don continued with the carrier through the merge of Continental and United Airlines in 2010, completing more than 32 years of service and serving as United’s vice president of maintenance operations for his last six years before retiring in 2020. Don also serves as a Trustee on the Board of Air Camp, a non-profit inspiring students across the country to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) using aviation and aerospace as the medium. Don and his family live on Orcas Island, WA. |
Management
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Crystal Maguire
Vice President Operations, Aerospace Maintenance Council Crystal manages oversees council initiatives and logistics for the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. Her "day job" is executive director of the Aviation Technician Education Council, the trade association that represents and advocates on behalf of aviation maintenance technician schools certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Through ATEC, Crystal also manages an industry coalition, Choose Aerospace, bringing together aerospace stakeholders to address one of the biggest threats to continued industry growth: the availability of a diverse, qualified technical workforce. Crystal also serves as of counsel to Denver-based, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP where she counsels aviation companies in commercial transactions and general corporate matters. She is a former author of Aviation Week’s InsideMRO safety and regulatory column and a frequent contributor to AMT Magazine. |
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Tarra Ruttman
Administrative Coordinator, Aerospace Maintenance Council Tarra is responsible for council day-to-day operations and logistics for the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. She is primarily responsible for team registrations, sponsor commitments, and administration of the council's Phoebe Omlie Scholarship. Tarra also serves as operations manager for the Aviation Technician Education Council, scholarship and curriculum coordinator for Choose Aerospace, and administrative coordinator for the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. |