NATA Welcomes Five New Board Members, Announces Anderson as Chair
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) announces leadership changes to its board of directors, as well as the election of five new members.
Todd Anderson, chief operating officer of Sheltair, has been elected as the new board chair. Anderson's home base is in Orlando, FL. He will take the helm from Clive Lowe, executive vice president at Atlantic Aviation, who will continue to serve as immediate past chair on NATA’s executive committee.
“I would like to recognize Clive Lowe as he completes his second term as board chairman. As immediate past chair, Clive will continue to be a driving force for NATA initiatives that build connections between aviation businesses and diverse talent in preparing us for a bright future,” says NATA president and CEO, Curt Castagna. “We appreciate Clive’s steady hand in guiding the association through a period of change and support of the investment in the modernization of the look, feel and function of NATA programs and services.”
“Under Todd Anderson’s leadership, the team looks forward to continued development and growth of NATA’s initiatives, as well as the introduction of innovative programs,” adds Castagna. “Todd’s enthusiasm for elevating the employee and customer experience, ability to view the industry through a different lens, and skill at fostering community will be central to enriching our strategic focus and building upon our success.”
Renewing for additional 3-year terms are Josh Hochberg, president/owner of Sonoma Jet Center, and Larry Wade, partner/president of Golden Aisles Aviation.
Travis Grimsley, Cristine Kirk, Mary Miller, Kathryn Purwin and Craig Teasdale were elected to serve at-large.
“The NATA board and team are thrilled to welcome these bold and dedicated idea innovators to the board of directors, each representing an established or emerging membership segment of the association. As the industry explores new ways to recruit new talent, foster diversity, conduct business, and advance safety and sustainability, Mary, Cristine, Kathryn, Craig and Travis will add increased depth to the wealth of perspectives leading the association and its members to higher levels of excellence and achievement,” says Castagna.
Travis Grimsley is vice president of Aircraft Services at the Duncan Aviation facility in Battle Creek, MI. In 2005, Grimsley joined the Duncan Aviation team as a line services representative, transitioning to manager of Customer Service in 2016. Before being promoted to his current role, Grimsley was named director of maintenance for Airframe Services in 2019. The common thread in all his positions at Duncan Aviation has been his genuine desire to provide a positive environment for customers and team members. Grimsley earned his pilot's license when he was 21 years old, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Western Michigan University in 2012.
Cristine Kirk, president and CEO of Malone AirCharter, has been part of the Malone AirCharter staff since 2010, most recently serving as the chief financial officer. Inspired early on by the culture at Malone AirCharter, Kirk acquired all stock in the company and stepped into the role of president and CEO on April 27, 2021. Today, Kirk and her team are carrying on Malone AirCharter’s more than 20-year reputation of safety and excellent customer service. With an eye on safety and growth, Kirk lead the company’s move to Jacksonville International Airport in late 2021 — an opportunity to add larger aircraft to their fleet, facilitate new international travel, and take advantage of additional safety measures, including longer runways.
Mary Miller is vice president of Industry and Government Affairs for Signature Aviation. Miller began her aviation career at Butler Aviation in 1981 as a customer service manager at Washington National Airport (DCA). She was promoted in 1987 to director of Customer Service for the Butler Aviation network and later to director of Sales and Customer Relations. When Butler and Page Avjet merged to form Signature Flight Support, Miller was promoted to vice president of Customer Relations. In 2010, Miller was promoted to vice president of Industry and Government Affairs for both Signature Flight Support and parent company, BBA Aviation. Miller has played a pivotal role in the Transportation Safety Administration’s DASSP-DCA Access Standard Safety Protocol program for Washington Reagan National Airport, assisting business- and general-aviation operators to utilize the 48 authorized daily operations at the airport.
Kathryn Purwin, CEO and owner of Helinet Aviation Services, has been involved in the aviation community for over 30 years and has flown both private jets and helicopters professionally. Purwin is active in the Los Angeles and Van Nuys aviation community and serves on the Van Nuys Airport Association’s (VNAA) board of directors. She also serves on the board of trustees at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), an organization with which she has a long history, as Helinet has transported more than 11,000 critically ill children for CHLA. Purwin recently partnered with Urban Movement Labs to explore integrating emerging eVTOL technology into Helinet’s operations, working toward more sustainable and accessible air transportation in Los Angeles. Kathryn graduated with honors from UCLA with a double major in history and political science. Her flight ratings and certificates include commercial multi-engine, instrument airplane, and rotorcraft.
Craig Teasdale is vice president of Operations for Ferrovial Vertiports, a division of Ferrovial Airports. In this role, Teasdale is responsible for planning all operational activities within the network of vertiports that the company is developing to support the introduction of zero-carbon urban and regional air-mobility services. Teasdale has more than 20 years of experience in aviation, with leadership and operational roles in the fixed-based operation (FBO) sector. For most of his career, he has worked at Signature Flight Support Corporation, where he worked first as general manager followed by director of Operations. Teasdale also helped build a new FBO start-up, Propeller Aero Services, where he was responsible for establishing all aspects of the operations.