Bryan Byers is the current President of the NAFA Board of Directors.

Bryan has over 25 years of aircraft finance experience. He graduated from Indiana State University in 1997 with a degree in Aerospace Administration. Since his time at Indiana State, Bryan has spent his entire career in the aircraft finance industry.  He started his career working for one of the leading aircraft OEM finance subsidiaries.  Following that, he has spent two decades working for financial institutions focused on aviation lending.  Bryan holds his private pilot certificate and enjoys flying, attending aviation industry events, and is a self-described aviation fanatic.

Andrew Farrant serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Global Jet Capital. Prior to joining GJC, Andrew was the Vice President of Strategic Planning, Marketing, and Corporate Communications for Sequa Corporation and Chromalloy where he led strategic planning and brand development. He previously worked at StandardAero, leading brand development and management. Prior to that, he led the successful corporate rebranding of Landmark Aviation, a Carlyle Group company formed after the merger of three aviation businesses, including an engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul network. He previously spent 15 years in marketing leadership positions at Bombardier Aerospace. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Jim has spent his entire career working in the field of aviation. He has been a private pilot since 1988 and earned his B.S. in Aviation from Florida Institute of Technology. He started his career with a startup aircraft operator, eventually growing to the position of Chief Financial Officer.  The company, STI Aviation, operated three divisions; airline background investigations, an FAA Part 145 repair facility, and aviation-centered government contracting.  Eventually the third division became the bulk of the company’s focus given the growing movement to outsource niche government services.  As a result, his experience included supporting Department of Defense and United Nations projects in Canada, Africa, the Caribbean and South America, along with DoD projects domestically.  STI Aviation evolved through multiple iterations, eventually being absorbed into AAR Corp.

Jim joined AirFleet in 1999, and in 2019 he was appointed President of AirFleet, responsible for strategic planning and overseeing all functions of the company.  Jim is a proud lifetime member of AOPA, EAA, and the Seaplane Pilots’ Association.  He served for 9 years on the Board of Directors of the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA), with four terms as President.  He also serves as Chair of the NAFA Education Committee and a Director for the NAFA Foundation, and is a Director and Officer for Alpha Eta Rho’s national office (a 97-year old aviation association with over 65,000 alumni).  Aviation is a family pastime – his wife, Cathy is also a pilot, holding instrument and seaplane ratings.

TVPX President, Tobias Kleitman, founded TVPX in 2002. TVPX has since brought together a team of experts who have earned a reputation for integrity, efficiency, confidentiality and security among aircraft owners and professionals worldwide. Each year, TVPX facilitates billions of dollars in 1031 exchanges and owner trusts and in 2018 has expanded services by establishing a licensed customs brokerage focusing on cross border aircraft transactions as well as incorporating TVPX Aviation Insurance Inc. to provide insurance brokerage services to clients. 

Edward Kammerer is a shareholder at GreenbergTraurig.

Corporate | Business Aviation

Ed Kammerer describes his practice as helping to improve the lives of busy people, saving them time by facilitating their access to aircraft. Ed advises the business aviation community on a wide range of transactions and issues. With over 40 years of experience, the majority of which is dedicated to aircraft and equipment acquisitions and finance, he represents major corporations, mid-sized companies, family offices, corporate executives, entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them to acquire, operate, finance and sell private aircraft.

Ed’s strategic approaches enable his clients to pursue their business aircraft ownership and operating objectives.

Ed and his team have been instrumental in devising secured aircraft loan products for a leading private bank and a major airframe manufacturer’s captive finance division as well as several private non- traditional lenders. Ed splits his time between Greenberg Traurig’s Boston, Providence and New York offices, 

In private practice for the last 20 years, Ed has previously served as in-house counsel for three leading equipment finance companies, including affiliates of two major banks and one leading insurance company. Ed had responsibility for the development of standard form documents and approved documentation of inbound and outbound syndicated secured financings.

Concentrations

• Business and private aircraft acquisition and sales
• Business aviation finance
• Secured equipment lease and loan transactions
• Aircraft ownership and operating advice on federal state and local tax issues
• Regulatory structuring and compliance
• Risk management
• Aircraft Management and charter

Credentials

Education

• J.D., St. John's University School of Law, 1980
• B.A., magna cum laude, Providence College, 1977

Admissions

• Connecticut
• New York
• Rhode Island

‡ Admitted in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Not admitted in Massachusetts.

As Managing Director, Theresa is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the organization and its initiatives, including the organization's board and biannual meetings. Prior to her role as Managing Director, Theresa had over 25 years of experience with Lockheed Martin Corporation and Marriott Headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland where her roles ranged from Global Supply Chain Operations Manager and Project Management. She brings a solid background in contract negotiations, customer relations, business strategy and event management. She also led virtual teams across Enterprise Operations to transform their processes with significant improvements in customer satisfaction as well as team lead for the Supplier Diversity Program initiatives. She is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.S. in Communications.

Tracey is the Marketing Director for the National Aircraft Finance Association.  During her tenure, she has grown the membership and increased the sponsorship revenue through the use of targeted marketing and advertising campaigns.  

Beau Baird is the VP, National Aircraft Sales Manager, Republic Bank, in Louisville, KY.

Jack Gilchrist is the founding director and shareholder of Gilchrist Aviation Law. He serves as special counsel representing clients involved in all areas of the aviation industry. Since 1989, Mr. Gilchrist has specifically focused his career on aviation transactions involving every current structure of aircraft including engines, propellers and spare parts.

Mr. Gilchrist has counseled clients around the world in aircraft transactions, including many of the major air carriers, aircraft and engine leasing companies, fractional ownership programs, air cargo companies, corporations, banks and other lending institutions. He also works closely with aircraft brokers, dealers and manufacturers. 

As a member of several professional organizations, including the Oklahoma Bar Association (1989), Aircraft Finance subcommittee of the American Bar Association and the Legal Advisory Panel to the Aircraft Working Group under the Cape Town Convention, Mr. Gilchrist works with lawyers and aviation industry leaders to foster improvement,  change, trends and advancement in U.S. and international aviation law.

Mr. Gilchrist holds a J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He has served as pro bono legal counsel for the Oklahoma Counsel of Public Affairs and Oklahoma Christian School, where he also serves as a board member. In his spare time, Mr. Gilchrist enjoys woodworking, the outdoors, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Keith Hayes is senior vice president and national sales manager of PNC Aviation Finance.  Prior to joining PNC Aviation Finance in 2017, Keith was with Regions Bank, BB&T and GE Capital for 27 years where he held numerous leadership roles across different business lines, including the last 8 years as national sales manager for GE Capital Corporate Aircraft Finance. Keith is on the board of directors of the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA) and serves as the 2^ndvice chairman of products and services for the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA). Keith holds a B.A. in business administration and a MIS degree from the University of North Florida.

Jens Hennig is responsible for GAMA’s activities for advancing safety, security and operations. He is the association’s primary staff person on Air Traffic Control modernization and issues affecting manufacturer flight operations.

Jens’ engagement in policy and rulemaking committees covers a wide range of topics including ADS-B rule development and implementation, landing and takeoff performance standards, and rulemaking cost analysis. He chaired FAA’s airman training and testing standards rulemaking committee which developed the new framework for pilot training in the United States and also managed the agency’s review of the Part 135/125 regulations. He is actively engaged in the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee which is an essential body to advance GA safety based on data- driven, systematic processes, and serves as co-chair of its Safety Analysis Team.

Jens is appointed to the aircraft manufacturer seat on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) and serves as its general aviation subcommittee chair. He also served as co-chair of FAA’s Aircraft System Information Security / Protection working group on cybersecurity.

On the legislative front, Hennig provides technical analysis about security, funding,  and ATC modernization to GAMA’s government affairs team. He has testified about NextGen and homeland security before the U.S. Congress.

He has been a member of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Flight Standards subcommittee since its formation in 2005, focusing on the agency’s extension of scope and the establishment of a safety agreement between the European Union and the United States. He served as chair of EASA’s Operational Suitability Data rulemaking group for type design changes and was a member of the committee that developed the regulatory amendment for operation of single engine airplanes in commercial service as well as rulemaking tasks focused on surveillance and data link services. Previously Jens served as the GA manufacturing industry’s representative on the Joint Aviation Authorities Operations Sectorial Team.

Hennig is actively involved with advancing data collection for the general aviation industry and frequently presents overviews of the state of general aviation, including the quarterly industry aircraft shipment report.

Jens has served on the RTCA Advisory Board since 2019.

Having joined GAMA in 2003 as Manager of Operations after a stint as manager of flight operations for contract training at Embry Riddle, Jens has advanced to Vice President, Operations. Originally from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, he holds a Bachelor of Science with honors in Aerospace Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Master of Business Administration in Aviation.

Jens serves as the staff contact for GAMA’s Flight Operations Policy Committee and the Security Issues Committee.

AVP, Aviation Finance, LBC Capital, Inc.

Christopher Lee is the Vice President of the Aviation Division at 1st Source Bank.

Brian is currently working for AOPA in the Aviation Finance division as the Director of Credit and Sales.  In this role Brian manages the Credit Analyst and Account Executive teams, oversees training, system processes, lender relationships, as well as handling credit analysis for complex transactions.

In March of 2013, Brian started with AOPA as part of the new Aviation Finance team.  In his time with this team, Brian has held positions including Senior Credit Analyst, Account Executive, and Senior Account Executive.  Responsibilities for these positions have included establishing workflow processes, assessing aircraft values, educating members on the lending process, determining best lending options for members, representing the Account Executive team in management meetings, and coordinating with other team leaders.

Bruce serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for AIC Title Services, LLC, helping ensure that AIC’s clients and leadership are protected as they move through unprecedented FAA and industry changes.

Prior to joining AIC he served as: senior director and division general counsel of fractional aircraft ownership program; corporate counsel and business manager for a charter management company with both Part 135 on-demand air cargo and passenger operations; performed litigation, workouts and commercial loan transactions as vice president and legal officer for a major financial institution in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and; in private practice, represented banks, construction companies, transportation companies, and employee benefits funds in commercial litigation matters. Bruce is a frequent speaker at aviation industry events. 

Scott McCreary represents local, national and international clients in connection with matters involving the buying, selling, leasing and financing of aircraft. His practice is primarily focused on matters relating to the Cape Town Convention, the Federal Aviation Act and the FAA Aircraft Registry, such as aircraft title, registration, finance and leasing law, as well as regulatory issues relating to the operation of aircraft under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Scott is a frequent speaker at aviation conferences in the United States and abroad and has made presentations at venues such as the Strategic Research Institute’s Annual FAA Aircraft Registration, Lien & Securities Interest Conference; the Federal Bar Association’s Aircraft Title, Registration, Finance and Leasing Law Conference; the Institute for International Research’s Corporate Aviation Symposium; the NBAA’s Cape Town International Registry Meeting; and the Geneva International Forum on Aircraft Finance & Commercial Aviation.

John is a seasoned aviation industry executive with over 30 years of experience in various‬ senior sales, marketing and management positions focused on nurturing creative ideas, building‬ productive teams, and driving positive results.‬ 

‭He is currently the Managing Partner of 5x5 Trading, a global aircraft sales and acquisitions‬ company. Prior to founding 5x5 Trading, John was a Senior Vice President with Wheels Up‬ from 2020-2023 where he and his partners built out the Wheels Up Aircraft Sales business unit‬ to provide aircraft brokerage and inventory solutions to Wheels Up, their members and other‬ retail customers.‬

‭In 2015, John Co-founded QS Partners, a wholly owned NetJets company focused on whole‬ aircraft sales, acquisitions and transition services, and grew it into a leading global brokerage‬ company. John started his career at NetJets in 2002, where he initially held a variety of territory‬ sales and sales management positions, including Head of Sales for the US, that drove leading‬ top-line fractional aircraft sales revenues and built long-term customer relationships. In 2011, he‬ led efforts within the NetJets Asset Management Group to build out a robust broker network to‬ handle the efficient sale of retired aircraft assets into the retail marketplace. The growth of this business unit ultimately led to the founding of QS Partners.‬

‭John began his sales career in 1997 as a Regional Sales Manager with Raytheon Travel Air, a‬ start-up fractional aircraft ownership company.‬ 

‭John is a 1989 graduate of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the‬ University of North Dakota with a B.S. in Airway Systems Science. He received an M.B.A. in‬ Finance in 1994 from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. He holds a Commercial‬ Pilot certificate in both Aircraft and Helicopters with Multi-engine, Instrument and Seaplane‬ ratings. He is also a Certified Flight Instructor Instruments in both Aircraft and Helicopters.‬

‭John currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the International Aircraft Dealers Association‬ (IADA), which represents the leading aircraft broker/dealer organizations in the world.‬ 

‭He and his wife Paula reside in Ocala, FL.‬

DONALD J. POINTER

Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Dassault Falcon Jet 

Mr. Donald Pointer has been in the aviation industry for twenty-nine years and has been with Dassault for twenty-two years. After joining Dassault customer service in 1997, he has held various positions, including Director of Service Engineering for six years prior to joining the Dassault marketing department in 2006 as Director of Marketing Services & Development. 

Promoted in August of 2016 to his current position, he reports directly to the President and CEO, and oversees the company’s advertising, events, PR and communications groups as well as the back office functions of marketing research, sales engineering, cost of aircraft operation and administrative functions for DFJ Marketing.

His career began at Physical Acoustics Corporation in Princeton, NJ, as a Research Engineer/Manager for the aerospace industry where he applied the latest computer based acoustic NDT methods using pattern recognition and neural networks to various aircraft and rocket applications. 

He holds a BS degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as an MBA from Rider University. Pointer is currently Co-Chairman of the College of Engineering Advisory Board at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is also a member of NBAA, NAFA, Wings Club of NY as well as other aerospace organizations.  

He resides in Yardley, Pennsylvania with his wife and two sons.            

As Chairman Emeritus and Special Advisor to the JSSI Board of Directors, Mr. Seno provides counsel to the JSSI Board and represents JSSI at important business aviation conferences, events and meetings. Prior to joining JSSI, Mr. Seno held senior management positions at the business aircraft units of Boeing Capital Corp. and G.E. Capital Solutions.

Mr. Seno serves on the Board of Directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Duncan Aviation. He is a member of the Board of Governors of The Flight Safety Foundation.

Jim Simpson joined Solairus in May 2023 bringing over 30 years of Commercial and Private Aviation industry experience to the Executive Management Team. His experience financing commercial and private aircraft for airlines and ultra-high net worth individuals, gives him a unique view/perspective of aircraft acquisitions, valuation, financing, tax structuring, ownership, and operations. Jim is a NBAA, Certified Aviation Manager & Safety Management Certificate holder and was a Vice President & Board Member of the National Aircraft Finance Association. Jim graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

Paula Staciarini is the Contracts Negotiation Director for Embraer Executive Jets. Her team is responsible for leading aircraft sales contract negotiations worldwide, as well as directly supporting customers with their aircraft configuration.

Paula has recently celebrated her 25^th Anniversary with Embraer, eighteen of those in sales contracts. Prior to her current role she has worked with project/programs management, contracts technical support and contracts life cycle management; always focusing on customer experience and compliance/governance matters.

She was born in Brazil and graduated from Sao Paulo University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master in Project Management. She has moved to Florida in 2016, where she currently lives with her husband and two sons; and recently obtained a Master in Legal Studies - Contracts and Business Law from Arizona State University.

David Vandenberg leads the Structured Finance team with overall responsibility for maintaining and managing a global network of third party banks, lessors, and brokers that finance the acquisition of Learjet, Challenger and Global business jet aircraft by Bombardier customers worldwide.  The team also works on special projects pertaining to residual values and innovative structured finance solutions.  

Prior to joining Bombardier Business Aircraft in 2006, he was Director of Structured Finance with Bombardier Commercial Aircraft arranging USLL, SIL, and debt financing for regional airline customers in North America.  

Mr. Vandenberg joined Bombardier in 2000 from the transportation unit of Export Development Canada (EDC) where he underwrote and negotiated loan financing for buyers of both fixed wing and rotary aircraft.  

He was born in Toronto, Canada and graduated from Carleton University where he obtained a Bachelor Public Administration.   He also earned a MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Mr. Vandenberg is based at Bombardier Business Aircraft headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

David has over 8 years of experience structuring aviation trusts. David has set up over 1,000 aviation trusts for individuals, small and large international corporations, aircraft manufacturers, leasing companies and airlines. David has worked with trust clients on solutions tailored to address sales and use tax, VAT taxes, customs issues, financing, multiple aircraft and other trust related issues.

Before joining TVPX, David worked at Wells Fargo Bank in the Corporate Trust Group for over 7 years specializing in aviation trusts. During his time at Wells Fargo, David established aviation trusts covering a wide spectrum from single owner trusts to complex securitizations and Ex-Im Bank guaranteed financings. David also focused on internal and external compliance and risk management matters. David has been a speaker at several aviation industry events on topics including FAA owner trusts, compliance, and risk management issues.

David earned his B.A. from Brigham Young University, and his J.D. from the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law. David is a member of the California State Bar Association and also speaks fluent Russian.

Edward Medici is the former President of the NAFA Board of Directors and currently Ex-Officio.

Edward Medici is Managing Director of Capital Markets for Banc of America Global Corporate Aircraft Finance (GCAF) at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Based in Providence, RI, Mr. Medici is responsible the management and development of strategic investor and trading relationships, oversees sales of transactions to third party investors and supports all of GCAF’s activities across its global platform.

In 1996 Ed began his working experience in contracts at predecessor Fleet Capital Corporation and has been a part of Banc of America Leasing’s Capital Markets group for general equipment and corporate aircraft transactions since 1998. 

Ed earned a B.A. from Connecticut College and J. D. from Roger Williams School of Law and is a member of the Rhode Island Bar.