Lou Amadee, Aviation Instructor, East Valley Institute of Technology, Mesa, AZFollowing graduation from college, Lou Amadee completed rotary wing flight school with the U.S. Army, serving 11 years as an AeroScout section leader, aircraft maintenance officer, and maintenance test pilot. Later, he completed his SEL fixed-wing add-on, then went on to complete his CFI rating in R-22 helicopters while training employees for MD Helicopters. Following a layoff, Amadee found his second calling as teacher with the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), where he has instructed for the past eight years. He also works part-time as an adjunct for the local community college teaching ground school for veterans, helping them utilize their VA benefits to achieve their helicopter ratings.
Bill Ayer, Chairman & CEO (retired), Alaska Air Group, Seattle, WABill Ayer is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air. Ayer, 62, served as chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group and its subsidiaries through 2012, and as chairman through 2013.
A veteran of more than three decades in aviation, Ayer began his career with Piper Aircraft Company, and was the founder of Air Olympia, a small commuter airline in Washington State. He joined Horizon Air in 1982 where he held a variety of marketing and operations positions. He joined Alaska Airlines in 1995 as vice president of marketing and planning, and subsequently held the posts of senior vice president; chief operating officer; and president. In 2002, he became the carrier's chief executive officer, and, in 2003, he was appointed chairman.
Ayer serves on the University of Washington Board of Regents and the University of Washington Foundation. He serves on the Honeywell Board of Directors, and chairs the Board of Trustees at the Museum of Flight. Ayer is a member of the FAA’s Management Advisory Council, is the immediate past chairman of FAA’s NextGen Advisory Committee, serves on the National Business Association Aviation Board, and is chair of the AOPA Board of Visitors. A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in economics, he earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Washington.
Ayer owns a Piper Malibu, and holds commercial and flight instructor certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings, with over 4,500 hours of flight time. He and his wife, Pam, are residents of Bellevue, Washington and have one daughter, Elizabeth.
Mark Baker, President and CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Frederick, MDMark R. Baker is a longtime general aviation (GA) pilot and only the fifth president in the 77-year history of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the world’s largest pilot community. A native Minnesotan, Baker earned his pilot certificate in his twenties and has logged more than 7,500 hours of flight time in aircraft ranging from light seaplanes to turbines and helicopters. He holds numerous ratings and certificates, including a commercial pilot certificate, single- and multi-engine seaplane ratings, rotorcraft rating, and type ratings in the Cessna Citation 500 and 525s.
Having owned and restored numerous aircraft through the years, his favorite is a Piper Super Cub, equipped with floats, skis, or wheels depending on the season. An enthusiastic advocate for general aviation, weekends find Baker enjoying the company of his fellow pilots at airports and seaplane bases around the country. Baker believes strongly in making general aviation accessible to more people and has welcomed numerous friends and family members, including his father, son, and two sons-in-law, into the pilot community.
Prior to his appointment at AOPA, Baker served in numerous senior executive roles, including chief operating officer at Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, president and CEO of outdoor outfitter Gander Mountain Company, and chief merchandizing officer and executive vice president for The Home Depot. Most recently, he served as CEO of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corp.
Baker, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, has also served on numerous corporate boards and has taken leadership roles with nonprofit organizations, including City of Hope.
Coreen Carrillo, Principal, Southwest Aeronautics, Mathematics and Science (SAMS) Academy, Albuquerque, NMCoreen Carrillo has been in education for 19 years with a background in special education and gifted education. Her expertise is in curriculum and instruction. The last three years Carrillo has been the principal of Southwest Aeronautics Mathematics and Science Academy. Her father was a pilot in the Air Force and his love for flying has become her motivation to help students reach for the stars!
Eric Crump, Aerospace Program Director, Polk State College, Lakeland, FLEric Crump loves all things aviation. He started flight training at age 13 and soloed on his 16th birthday. After completing his undergraduate degree at Middle Tennessee State University, Crump worked in the training department there as a check instructor and Chief Ground Instructor before beginning a career in corporate aviation in Atlanta, Georgia. Crump later became the Aviation Content Manager and Chief Instructor for Gleim Publications in Gainesville, Florida. Four years ago, Crump joined Polk State College in Lakeland, Florida, to helm its new Aerospace program and currently serves as the Aerospace Program Director.
Pat Cwayna, CEO, West Michigan Aviation Academy, Grand Rapids, MIPatrick J. Cwayna, Sr. is the founding CEO of West Michigan Aviation Academy, a 9-12 grade high school located on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. WMAA has enjoyed tremendous growth beginning with 80 students in September 2010 and now at full capacity with 600 students and a very long waiting list. At WMAA, students have the opportunity to earn their private pilot license as well as to get a rigorous STEM endorsement on their diplomas.
Daren Gallacher, Director of Aviation, SAMS Academy and Southwest Secondary Learning Center, Albuquerque, NMDaren Gallacher is a Gold Seal Master Certified Flight Instructor with a 100 percent pass ratio. He has been instructing since 2003 and LOVES to share his knowledge and passion for all things aviation. “There isn’t a cooler industry to be involved in. I literally have my head in the clouds!”
Dr. James Greenan, Professor and Chair, Career and Technical Education, Purdue UniversityDr. Greenan is Professor and Chair of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at Purdue University and Director of the Leadership Development Program. His research focuses on program improvement, professional development, and generalizable skills curriculum and instruction in CTE. Dr. Greenan's teaching includes research methodology and program evaluation. He is past Editor of the Journal of Career and Technical Education Research. Dr. Greenan works with high schools and career centers to improve secondary CTE programs in advanced manufacturing, career education, career pathways, generalizable skills, special needs populations, and work-based learning.
Cindy Hasselbring, Senior Director, High School Aviation Initiative, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Frederick, MDCindy Hasselbring serves as Senior Director for AOPA’s High School Aviation Initiative. Previously, she served as Special Assistant to the State Superintendent at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and led STEM initiatives. Prior to working at MSDE, she completed two years as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia.
Hasselbring is a 16-year veteran mathematics teacher at Milan High School (MI), is Nationally Board Certified, and was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. In her free time, she enjoys flying as a private pilot, recently earned her seaplane rating, and is working on her instrument rating.
Shaunta Hyde, Managing Director, Community Relations, Alaska Airlines, Seattle, WAShaunta Hyde is Managing Director of Community Relations at Alaska Airlines. A Pacific Northwest aviation professional, she leads community relations and charitable giving in the continental United States and Hawaii, collaborating with civic leaders and organizations that affect Alaska Airlines. Prior to joining Alaska, Hyde was the director of global aviation policy for The Boeing Company, where she worked for 12 years, developing strategies to shape national and international public policy to support aviation growth and business goals. Prior to joining Boeing in 2002, she worked for The Metropolitan King County Council, then served as a government relations manager for the King County Executive.
Hyde earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Seattle University, an Executive MBA from the University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business, and is a graduate of the World Public Affairs Institute. She is on the Pioneer Human Services’ Board of Directors, holds a governor-appointed position and serves as the Vice-Chair to the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, and is a member of the International Aviation Women’s Association.
Brad Lawrence, Retired Executive Chairman of the Board, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Bellevue, WABrad Lawrence brought more than 30 years of experience in the technology and manufacturing industries to Esterline, when he joined in 2002 as President of its Advanced Input Systems operation. His role was soon expanded to include general management responsibility for Esterline’s entire Interface Technologies business platform, comprised of three operating locations in two countries. His responsibilities grew further in 2007, when he was appointed to the position of Group Vice President for Esterline, based out of the corporate headquarters. In September 2009, he was appointed as Esterline's President and Chief Operating Officer, and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in November of that year. Lawrence took over the additional role of Chairman of the Board of Directors in March 2012 until his retirement in 2014.
Lawrence holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pennsylvania State University. Lawrence was awarded the Seattle Business Magazine Manufacturing Executive of the Year award in 2011 and the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance Executive of the Year award in 2012. He is also on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Foster School of Business, currently serves on the Aerospace Industries Alliance Board of Directors, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation.
Scott McComb, Teacher, Raisbeck Aviation High School, Tukwila, WAScott McComb is a Nationally Board Certified instructor at Raisbeck Aviation High School in Seattle, WA where he teaches 9th grade Physical Science and the Physics of Flight, a signature program he developed with aviation industry experts. Students explore how energy is transferred, how physics relates to flight, and how the environment impacts how and where flight takes place; and they apply their learning to various aviation-related design challenges and receive feedback on work from subject-matter experts.
McComb also teaches Advanced Placement Physics, a class he significantly revised to include aviation applications; in addition, he serves as a teacher/advisor to an award-winning Science Olympiad team.
Robert Pasztor, Principal, Southwest Secondary Learning Center, Albuquerque, NMRobert Pasztor has been an educator for 30 years. He was a high school science and math teacher for 19 years and has worked as an administrator the last 11. He has been involved in the start-up of four high performing charter schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico; two of which have aviation programs.
Katie Pribyl, Senior Vice President, Communications, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Frederick, MDKatie Pribyl leads AOPA’s Communications division and is responsible for its You Can Fly programs. Under the You Can Fly umbrella, Katie and her team are building programs designed to get lapsed pilots back in the air, provide more affordable access to aviation through flying clubs, support best practices in flight training, and introduce high school students to aviation.
Pribyl earned a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and flew the Canadair Regional Jet with Atlantic Coast Airlines/Independence Air before serving as the director of communications for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Pribyl is an Airline Transport Pilot, is a CFI, and has added a seaplane rating. Her idea of the perfect weekend involves flying her Cessna 180 Skywagon.
James D. Raisbeck, Founder and CEO, Raisbeck Engineering, Seattle, WAAfter serving in the Air Force as a flight engineer from 1954 to 1958, and graduating from Purdue University in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering in 1961, James Raisbeck joined The Boeing Airplane Company as a Research Aerodynamicist.
In 1969, Raisbeck accepted the position of President and Chief Engineer of Robertson Aircraft Corporation; then decided to fly solo in 1973 when he founded Raisbeck Engineering, Inc., which—along with its subsidiary Raisbeck Commercial Air Group—continues to present day.
During his distinguished aviation career, Raisbeck has influenced many business turbine and jet aircraft designs, from the Rockwell Sabreliner 65-Series and Learjet 31s, 35s, 36s and 60s, and produced a line of performance improvement systems for the entire Beechcraft King Air Family, now incorporated on the King Air production line.
Raisbeck Engineering has also been active in the world’s commercial airline fleets, with the Raisbeck Stage 3 Noise Reduction Systems for the Boeing 727, Armored Cockpit Security Systems for Boeing 737s and 757s—a program initiated two years before 9/11—and Enlarged Overhead Bins for the Airbus 320.
Raisbeck’s numerous professional acknowledgements and awards include the National Business Aviation Association’s Lifetime Meritorious Achievement Award, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviation Pathfinder Award, Living Legends of Aviation’s Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Fellow.
Dave Sebuck, Chief Flight Instructor & Director of Flight Operations, West Michigan Aviation Academy, Grand Rapids, MIDavid Sebuck is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. degree in Aviation Management and Technology, has a M.S. Education degree from Old Dominion University, and is a CFI/II. He served 22 years in the United States Marine Corps as an F/A-18 pilot prior to accepting his current position at WMAA.
Nicole Stott, Astronaut (retired), NASA, Tampa, FLNicole Stott is a veteran NASA astronaut with two spaceflights and 104 days living and working in space on both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). She is also a NASA Aquanaut and holds the Women's World Record for saturation diving following her 18-day mission with the NEEMO9 crew on the Aquarius undersea habitat.
Always an artist, Stott brought a small watercolor kit with her on her mission to the ISS. She is the first NASA astronaut to paint in space. After 28 years with NASA she has begun her next adventure as a full-time Artist and SciArt Education Advocate. Through her artwork, Stott uniquely shares the awesome beauty she was blessed to experience through the windows of her spacecraft, and will continue to promote the amazing things we're doing every day in space that benefit us all right here on Earth. You can find more information at www.theartisticastronaut.com.
Sam Whiting, Director, Global Corporate Citizenship, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, WASam Whiting, Director of Global Corporate Citizenship for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, is responsible for developing and executing strategies that will cultivate thriving communities and engage Boeing employees. Prior to May, Sam served as president and CEO of Thrive Washington, working with partners to activate communities, advocate for young children and families, and influence public and private investment. He has worked in the arts, education and human services fields for three decades and currently serves on the Women’s Funding Alliance board. Sam completed his doctoral coursework in educational leadership and holds a master’s degree in not-for-profit leadership from Seattle University.
Mark Wiesenhahn, Vice President, Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Batavia, OHMark Wiesenhahn is a vice president at Sporty's, where he has worked for the past 28 years. In addition to his administrative duties managing Sporty's dealers and vendors and directing media relations and trade show participation, he works closely with Sporty's partnerships within the industry including AOPA and EAA.
Wiesenhahn is actively involved in promoting Aviation Exploring and has been an Exploring advisor for more than 20 years. He serves on the Executive Committee of Learning for Life Organization as the Exploring Chair. He is also a recreational pilot.
Marcie Wombold, Teacher, Raisbeck Aviation High School, Tukwila, WAMarcie Wombold is a founding teacher of Raisbeck Aviation High School in Seattle, WA. She is dual-endorsed in English/Language Arts and History/Social Studies, and became a National Board Certified Teacher in Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood in 2010. Currently, she teaches a thematic course of study in U.S. History, a year-long study of World Literature and Creative Writing, partnered with the University of Washington, as well as a senior-level Current World Issues course in which students regularly partner with community leaders for relevant and challenging projects.
Wombold received the Teacher Excellence Award from Evergreen State College in 2013, is a multi-year Gilder-Lehrman scholar, and works with the University of Washington as a Facilitator for NBTC candidates.
Bernard Wulle, Associate Professor, Department of Aviation Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, INAssociate Professor for Purdue University’s Department of Aviation Technology, Bernard Wulle has been awarded for his contributions as a professor and flight instructor. Wulle developed a joint program with a non-profit organization to enable physically disabled individuals to learn to fly, to increase self-esteem, introduce them to a variety of aviation careers, and to increase the industry’s awareness of the abilities possessed by the physically impaired.
Wulle also developed a program with regional airlines to provide students the background and skills for new graduates to become successful line pilots, replacing flight time with intense education and training in the regional airline environment. It has become a model for regional airlines and other educational institutions.
He is the only Purdue faculty member certified by the US Department of Transportation as an Accident Investigator, holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with Airplane Multi-engine Land Type Rating SA340, Flight Instructor Certificate with Airplane Single and Multi-engine Land Airplane Instrument-Airplane, and Designated Pilot Examiner with Pvt., Inst., Com., CFI-A (single-engine & multi-engine), & CFI-IA (single-engine & multi-engine). Wulle’s other interests include communication issues between flight crews and ground support technicians, gender issues in the aviation industry, and regional airline operations.