New NATA Leadership And Board Of Directors Announced

March 25, 2009
Kurt Sutterer, president of Midcoast Aviation Inc., becomes chairman.

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President James K. Coyne announces that Kurt Sutterer, president, Midcoast Aviation Inc., recently assumed the chairmanship of the association replacing Dennis Keith, president, Jet Solutions LLC. Sutterer became chairman of the association during the last NATA Board of Directors meeting on March 11, 2009.

Sutterer was appointed president of Jet Aviation's new maintenance and completions organization in North America in March 2006, when Midcoast Aviation was acquired by the Jet Aviation Group.

He joined Midcoast Aviation in 1981 and has served as the company's president since November 2004. Sutterer started his career at the St. Louis-based maintenance and completions company and held various positions of increasing responsibility, ranging from inspector to manager of technical services to vice president and general manager of Midcoast Aviation operations before his promotion to president.

He is a Graduate of Linn State Technical College and a licensed A&P mechanic. For more information on Sutterer and Midcoast Aviation click here.

The association also named its new vice-chairman, James Miller, executive vice president from Flight Options. Miller oversees the management of the Flight Options fleet, Aircraft Management, Whole Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions, and Aircraft Completion & Refurbishment. Miller started his career as an engineer and programmer with IBM Federal Systems Division, having responsibilities for various avionics and ship-board systems design and development efforts. In 1968, he founded Miller Aviation and later Miller Avionics and Miller Information Technologies, serving as their president and CEO.

To view Miller's complete bio click here.

"The last 12 months have been an incredibly volatile time for the general aviation industry," says NATA's Coyne. "We were extremely fortunate to have had Dennis Keith as our chairman to help us navigate through these rocky waters. We now look forward to having Kurt, with Jim as our vice chairman, do the same as the general aviation industry looks to rebound from a dismal 2008."

In addition to announcing the new leadership, the association also elected three new members to its board of directors. Those three new members include Todd Duncan, chairman, Duncan Aviation, Kenneth Forester, CEO, Meridian Air Charter and Mark Willey, CEO, Bridgeford Flying Services.

Todd Duncan has a life-long association with Duncan Aviation, and has worked at the company since 1989 when he started in Aircraft Sales. Since then, he has served the company in various capacities, most notably as president of the Component Services department and as vice-chairman of Duncan Aviation's Advisory Board. He is currently chairman of Duncan Aviation.

Duncan began his flying career in 1987, becoming a licensed private pilot in 1988. He then achieved his Instrument Rating and his Multi-engine rating.

Duncan has served on the board of directors for several local nonprofit organizations, including Lincoln Children's Museum, Cornhusker Bank, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Junior Achievement, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln and Lancaster County, NATA's Air Charter Safety Foundation, and Southeast Community College Foundation. He is a member of the Nebraska Chapter of the Young President's Organization, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association since 1988.

To learn more about Duncan and Duncan Aviation click here.

Kenneth Forester is the CEO of Meridian Teterboro/Meridian Air Charter, companies with over fifty years of experience in the general aviation industry. He is currently qualified in the Cessna Citation. His other type ratings include the Learjet and Gulfstream IV. Forester graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served in the U.S. Air Force flying the F102.

To learn more about Forester and Meridian Air Charter click here.

Mark Willey is managing partner of Corporate Airpark, and CEO of Bridgeford Flying Services and Actus Aviation. Since 2000, he has continued to develop and improve upon the company's 63-year legacy. Willey has led the growth of Bridgeford to a world-class FBO, aircraft management, sales and charter provider and premium quality flight school and repair station.

Prior to Bridgeford, Willey was with the DuPont family-owned Atlantic Aviation for 17 years, the last seven as vice president and general manager of their Wilmington, DE headquarters. He also held leadership positions for a subsidiary of Consumers Glass Inc.

Willey's affiliations include serving in various civic and community organizations and on various profit and non profit boards including Hospice, SL Surface Technologies Inc. He is a past member of an Aviation Executive Roundtable and a past member of the NBAA Business Committee. Willey currently chairs the Business Management Committee for NATA, and is a member of the Society of Aerospace Engineers. He is on the Napa Chamber of Commerce Board and the Napa Airport Security Committee, and is a member of the aviation industry renowned FBO 1 peer group.

To learn more about Willey and Bridgeford Flying Services click here.

"We are delighted to have such an outstanding and talented new class of NATA board members," says Coyne. "It is critical that the NATA Board of Directors guide the association, ensuring continued economic growth and financial viability while reinforcing that safety is the highest priority for all of its members. Todd, Ken and Mark clearly recognize these core values and will guide our association accordingly."

To view the complete NATA Board of Directors listing click here.