Elliott Aviation Names Regional Managers and Service Manager

June 23, 2008
Elliott Aviation names Tom Welch regional sales manager for the Great Lakes Region and Jamie Luster for the Southwest Region. And Chris Shaffer is named service manager.

MOLINE, Ill. – June 23, 2008 – Elliott Aviation today announced that aviation industry veteran, Tom Welch, has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Great Lakes Region. Welch will be based in Chicago and serve aircraft owners in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Welch joins a force of regional sales managers who work as liaisons between aircraft owners and Elliott Aviation to ensure the highest level of service and support.

“Tom’s industry experience gives him an incredibly strong platform to continue to grow our business,” said Dan Frahm, Elliott Aviation’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “His proven track record in the aviation industry and his exceptional ability to foster lasting relationships will positively impact our operations and sales."

Welch brings more than 30 years’ experience to Elliott Aviation. He previously owned Wisconsin Aerospace, Milwaukee, a company that provides aerospace technical consulting and record review services for owner banks and aircraft leasing corporations worldwide. He also served in a variety of management positions for aviation services companies. Welch is a certified A&P mechanic and holds a mastering certificate from Villanova University and an associate of science degree from Los Angeles Airport College.

Jamie Luster has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Southwest Region. She will be based in Dallas and serve aircraft owners in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Luster joins a force of regional sales managers who work as liaisons between aircraft owners and Elliott Aviation to ensure the highest level of service and support.

Luster has more than a dozen years’ experience in the aviation industry and joins Elliott Aviation from Avidyne Corporation where she held the title of director of U.S. aftermarket sales. She has also held marketing and sales positions for East Coast Aviation, Mooney Aircraft Corporation and Commander Aircraft Company. She is a licensed pilot and holds a bachelor of science degree in aviation management from Oklahoma State University.

"Jamie’s industry background and demonstrated abilities in sales and marketing are definite assets to our company,” said Dan Frahm, Elliott Aviation’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “We are confident that she will serve our customers well and further differentiate Elliott Aviation from our competitors throughout the southwest United States.”

Elliott Aviation also announced that Chris Shaffer has been promoted to the position of service manager at the company’s headquarters facility at Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) in Moline, Ill., overseeing maintenance and service programs for owners of all aircraft types. Shaffer previously served as the Hawker team leader at Elliott’s Moline facility.

Shaffer has more than 14 years’ experience in aviation maintenance and management and served as assistant facility manager at Raytheon Aircraft Services in Denver for six years before joining Elliott Aviation in 2006. He has also held a variety of maintenance and service positions for Air Wisconsin and Gulfstream Aerospace.

Shaffer served in the United States Air Force and is a certified A&P mechanic. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Colorado Technical University and an associate’s degree in aircraft systems management from the College of the Air Force.

For more information, contact Ruben Segura-Cota, General Manager, at 800.447.6711.

Elliott Aviation is a full-service business aviation center offering a complete menu of high quality products and services. Serving the business aviation industry nationally and internationally, they have facilities in Moline, Ill., Des Moines, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minn., and Omaha, Neb. The company is a member of the Pinnacle Air Network, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA), and has been selling and servicing business aircraft since 1936.