EMS Aviation Appointments
EMS Aviation named Clifford Topham vice president of sales and marketing. Topham most recently served in leadership positions in sales and business development for Rolls-Royce. Topham previously served as director of sales and customer support for International Aero Engines AG, a joint venture of Rolls-Royce (U.K.), Pratt & Whitney (United States), MTU (Germany) and JAEC (Japan).
The company also named Dan Monahan vice president of finance. Monahan most recently was vice president of finance planning and analysis for CDC Software Corp., a publicly held provider of enterprise software systems. Before that, he held senior finance roles with SITA. Monahan also worked previously with Nortel and Sprint.
APEX Board Elections
The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), formerly the World Airline Entertainment Association, elected directors at its annual conference in September.
Jonathan Norris, vice president of the cabin design office of Airbus, and Christine Zhu, product manager for Inflight Communications and Entertainment for Cathay Pacific Airways, Ltd., were elected to serve one-year terms as members of the board. Board President Patrick Brannelly of Emirates Airlines, Vice President Manoela Amaro of TAM Airlines, and Treasurer Linda Palmer of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Non-Theatrical, were re-elected to their positions.
Directors Chris Babb of Delta Air Lines and Neil James of Panasonic Avionics Corp., also were re-elected, and will serve one and two-year terms, respectively.
Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis
Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis took over as program executive officer of Tactical Aircraft Programs at the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md. Gaddis assumed command from Lisa Nyalko, who will stay on as the deputy program executive officer for Tactical Aircraft.
Since 1999, Gaddis has served as deputy program manager for F/A-18 Test and Evaluation, operations officer for PEO(T) and program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office. Previously, he was the executive assistant to the Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, and the program manager for Presidential Helicopters, before taking command of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in 2008. During his 30-year career, Gaddis has accumulated more than 2,300 flight hours as a Radar Intercept Officer in the F-14A/F-14B/F-4S.
Gulfstream Appointments
Gulfstream Aerospace, of Savannah, Ga., appointed two new vice presidents to oversee production at the company’s six United States locations.
Greg Collett was promoted to vice president of Initial Phase Operations. In his new role, Collett oversees Initial Phase Manufacturing of Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft, including the Gulfstream G650, G550 and G450. He is also responsible for Advanced Programs, Advanced Manufacturing Technology and operations at the Mexicali facility, where Gulfstream makes wiring harnesses, sheet metal components, sub-assemblies and machined parts used in the manufacturing process.
Previously, Collett was director of New Product Development and Manufacturing Operations, which included overseeing activities at the company’s G650 manufacturing facility. Before that, he was director of Final Phase Manufacturing in Savannah. Collett also served as Gulfstream’s director of initial phase manufacturing.
The company also named Austin Shontz vice president of Final Phase Operations. Formerly vice president of Savannah Operations and Final Phase Engineering, Shontz is now responsible for Savannah Final Phase Operations for large-cabin Gulfstreams. He also oversees Final Phase Engineering, Final Phase Research and Development and Interior Design. Additionally, he shares responsibility for Final Phase Material in Savannah and Engineering at Gulfstream facilities in Appleton, Wis.; Long Beach, Calif.; and Dallas.
Shontz joined Gulfstream in 1997 as director of Manufacturing Operations. In 1999, he was named director of Completions Operations for the company’s Long Beach, Calif., site.
Before joining Gulfstream, Shontz was a deputy general manager for McDonnell Douglas, where he began his aerospace career in 1986.
Gulfstream also named Robert Glasscock and Mitchell Cannon program administrators within its Organizational Designation Authorization (ODA) office. The ODA designation allows Gulfstream to act on behalf of FAA to examine Gulfstream aircraft designs, production quality, parts approval, repairs/alterations and airworthiness.
Glasscock manages ODA type certification activities associated with Research and Development. Cannon manages supplemental type certificates and major repairs and alterations.
Cindy Highbarger
Mid-Continent Instruments, Wichita, Kan., promoted Cindy Highbarger to vice president of Internal Operations. Her expanded responsibilities include the engineering and quality assurance departments. She remains head of manufacturing, repair station, IT, human resources, accounting, purchasing, material control and shipping/receiving.