A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

David Gilmour has been appointed CEO of Air BP. He succeeds Andy Holmes, who will head BP’s refining and marketing businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
L-3 Aviation Recorders announced that Ed Senen, most recently Thales Avionics’ v-p and general manager for the Americas, has been named the division’s president. 
Nick Leontidis, previously CAE’s executive v-p of strategy and business development, has been promoted to group president of civil simulation products, training and services. He replaces Jeff Roberts, who has left the company. 
Airborne communications provider Satcom Direct has promoted Wayne Hundsdorfer to COO. Most recently he served as v-p of sales for North, South and Central America.
Beechcraft has appointed Dave Rosenberg as v-p of strategic planning and programs. Most recently he served as director of the Hawker 4000 program and general manager of the piston product line. The Wichita airframer also named Don Alvord, formerly v-p and general manager for the company’s Little Rock completions center, as v-p of human resources. Kingsley Okoli, previously a senior program analyst for IMSolutions, has taken a position as regional sales director for Beechcraft products in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Robert Baltus, previously regional v-p of DC Aviation, has been appointed associate director of Executive Jet Management (Europe).
Alternative fuels producer LanzaTech named Ken Lai as v-p of its Asia-Pacific operations. Most recently he served as manager of licensing and sales for the Asia-Pacific region with Shell Global Solutions International.
Ireland’s Shannon Airport Authority announced the appointment of Neil Pakey as the company’s new CEO. Most recently he was senior director of network marketing for the Vantage Airports Group.
Glen Lynch, previously president and CEO of Starlink Aviation, has been named to the same positions with Montreal-based aircraft management provider GAL Aerospace and its staffing and aircraft component manufacturing subsidiaries. 
Piper Aircraft has promoted Drew McEwen from head of global sales and business development to v-p of sales and marketing. 
Kevin Bradley, previously service center coordinator for Gulfstream’s Westfield, Mass. facility, joined Rectrix Commercial Aviation Services as v-p of operations.
Federica Nazzani has joined Canada-based Premier Aviation Overhaul Centre as v-p of business development. Most recently, she held the role of president and CEO of Windsor International Airport
Rockwell Collins promoted Thierry Tosi to v-p and general manager of its international and service solutions (I&amp;SS) unit. Previously he served as president and managing director of I&amp;SS for the Americas.
Denis Sauvage has been promoted from director of operations to v-p and general manager of Aero Technologies. He will also head the MRO department of sister company Air-Pro.
Aircraft painting specialist Leading Edge Aviation Services announced that Rod Friese, previously owner and president of recently acquired Associated Painters, has been named COO.
Steve Grimes, most recently CEO of Ocean Sky Group, was named managing director at the Inflite Executive Jet Centre based at London Stansted Airport.
Deborah Scott was promoted from human resources area manager to group v-p of human resources at Parker Aerospace.
Ohio-based aviation services provider Winner Aviation has named Neil Gallagher, previously Flight Options’ director of line stations, as its v-p of maintenance.
Tai Eason, founder and president of aircraft brokerage Wealth Aviation, has joined TWC Aviation as director of aircraft sales and acquisitions. 
Embraer Executive Jets has named Brenda Paauwe-Navori to the position of regional sales director responsible for western U.S. sales for its large and ultra-large aircraft. Most recently she served as Flexjet’s director of sales for the Southwest coast.
Richard Libby, most recently director of sales for Bombardier Aerospace’s asset management group, was appointed director of aircraft sales at Viking Air. He replaces Rob Mauracher, who resigned from the company.
Miami-based Aero Maintenance Group announced the arrival of Chris Adams to head its sales and marketing department. Most recently he served that capacity with Tronair.
Kansas City-based aviation services provider Hangar Ten has named Larry Peet, previously director of operations and aircraft sales for Port City Air, as director of its newly established aircraft sales unit. 
Dennis Henson joined Texas-based Superior Air Parts as its new director of production and technical support. Previously he was the director of aviation maintenance for the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, Okla.
Greg Hilewitz has joined Safe Flight Instrument as director of government and military sales. He previously served as a company consultant.
Industry insurance provider Global Aerospace has promoted Sebastian Ciepiela to underwriting manager in its Atlanta zone office. Replacing him as an underwriter in the Northeast office is former aviation broker and pilot Stephen Murray.
International MRO provider Vector Aerospace named Clovis Martins, most recently sales manager with Linford Aviation, as sales and service manager for Brazil in its engine services Atlantic division.
UK-based MRO provider Jets has promoted Edward Benyon from commercial manager at its Bournemouth facility to sales and commercial manager for its Bournemouth and new London Biggin Hill facilities. 
Argus International’s Professional Resources In Systems Management (Prism) subsidiary has made two additions to its staff. Calvin Rieb, previously a pilot and safety officer with the U.S. Army, was named helicopter aviation services program manager; Jenna Albrecht, most recently an aviation claims specialist with AirSure, joined the company as safety analyst for business aviation.
Texas-based turboprop upgrade specialist Blackhawk Modifications has appointed Bill Cadow, previously a service sales manager with Hawker Beechcraft Services, as regional sales manager for the Eastern U.S.
Dale Farr, previously aviation safety manager and tanker pilot for Erickson Air-Crane, has joined aerospace technology provider Astronics as rotary sales manager for the company’s line of Max-Viz enhanced vision systems. 
AMT Magazine editor Ronald Donner has been named executive director and business manager of the AMTSociety.
Frederick Piccolo, president and CEO of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, was elected chairman of the Airports Council International world governing board, while Declan Collier, chief executive of London City Airport, was elected vice chair. Their two-year leadership terms will begin in January. 
FBO industry veteran Kristy Monti launched a South Florida-based aviation operations analysis business specializing in operational evaluations, customer service evaluations and retraining. 
Awards &amp; Honors
NBAA COO Steve Brown has been recognized by RTCA with the 2013 Chairman’s Award, the organization’s highest honor. He received the award–which recognizes an individual’s longstanding contributions toward promoting the organization’s goals in its work on new policies and technologies affecting the aviation community–on June 5 at the RTCA 2013 Global Aviation Symposium in Washington, D.C. Brown’s work with the organization spans more than 20 years, including participation on the RTCA Policy Board, the Free Flight Steering Committee, and as subcommittee co-chair on the NextGen Advisory Committee.
The late business aviation pioneer and entrepreneur Durrell Unger “Dee” Howard was honored last month when the name of the main road into San Antonio International Airport was changed from Terminal Drive to Dee Howard Way. Howard, who died in 2009 at the age of 84, moved his airplane modification business to the airport in 1964, and the massive orange hangars of his former company remain a landmark there. Howard made his mark starting in 1947 when he began converting WWII aircraft into private luxury transports. His former patrol bombers were among the earliest examples of dedicated business aircraft. He was also instrumental in the development of the thrust reverser. 
Veteran pilot and aviation executive Clay Lacy was named as the 2013 business honoree by the (San Fernando) Valley Economic Alliance, a nonprofit economic development collaborative formed in 1994 to help businesses recover from the effects of the Northridge earthquake. At this year’s Valley of the Stars Gala, held last month at Van Nuys Airport, Lacy was recognized for his significant contributions to and extraordinary achievements in the aviation business community in California’s San Fernando Valley.

People in Aviation: July 2013

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