Monte Belger
Metron Aviation, of Dulles, Va., appointed Monte Belger vice president of Industry Relations. Belger most recently served as vice president of transportation system solutions for Lockheed Martin.
Belger worked for more than 30 years for the FAA, last serving as the agency’s acting administrator. He previously held the title of acting deputy administrator from 1997 to 2002.
Belger also was associate administrator for Air Traffic Services, responsible for day-to-day operations of the nation’s airspace system, and supervised FAA’s modernization plan, including all major development and acquisition programs.
Tonka Hufford
Aero Dynamix Inc., of Euless, Texas, a developer of helicopter light modifications for night-vision goggle operations, named Tonka Hufford operations manager for project development.
Hufford most recently was president of RSG Aviation. He has a background in aircraft completions, manufacturing, operations and marketing, with more than 20 years of aviation experience. He has held a variety of management positions in the industry, and served as vice president of operations for MD Helicopters just prior to joining RSG Aviation.
ATA Appointments
The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) named Steven Lott as vice president, Communications.
Lott joined the ATA from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where he served as head of communications for North America for the past four years. In that role, he helped establish a presence in the United States and particularly in Washington, D.C., for IATA, which represents 230 U.S. and international airlines.
In this new role, Lott will help drive communications strategy and work closely with the ATA government affairs and policy teams to advocate for the airline industry in Washington and around the world. He will report to Jean Medina, who was named senior vice president of Communications in January.
ATA also named Christopher C. Brown vice president of legislative and regulatory policy. Brown brings more than 15 years of experience in aviation policy and government affairs to his new position, where he will focus on outreach to key stakeholders to advance policy and legislative issues.
Brown joined ATA from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, where he was senior counsel of the Government and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group and served as senior congressional affairs advisor to the firm’s client, United Airlines.
Prior to joining the firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Brown spent two years with the FAA, where he was assistant administrator and deputy assistant administrator for Government and Industry Affairs.
Paul Jonas
Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research hired Paul Jonas as director of Environmental Test Labs and Special Programs. Jonas, formerly of Hawker Beechcraft Corp., succeeds interim director John Laffen.
As director of the Environmental Test Labs, Jonas oversees operations of the labs, which create simulated environments for the research and testing of equipment and components for aircraft, automotive, medical and other industries to determine their susceptibility to temperature, altitude, humidity, shock, vibration and environmental and electrical effects.
The labs can test for compliance with FAA technical standard orders using RTCA DO-160 certification and to military standards and specifications.
Col. Michael Williamson
U.S. Army Col. Michael E. Williamson was named joint program executive officer of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) executive office based in San Diego. He succeeds Acting JPEO Howard Pace, Jr.
The JTRS program is developing a family of interoperable, modular, software-defined radios for handheld, ground mobile, airborne and maritime applications.
As JPEO, Williamson will provide direction and guidance for the development, acquisition, testing, product improvement and fielding of JTRS capabilities.
Prior to assuming his new role, Williamson served as deputy program manager, Program Executive Office, Integration. His previous experience includes serving as the director of Systems Integration within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and as a Future Combat System project manager.
Cedric Gautier
Cedric Gautier, president and CEO of EADS Group subsidiary EADS Sogerma, was named program manager of the A400M military transport, effective April 1. He succeeds Rafael Tentor, who becomes head of Airbus Military aircraft programs.
Gautier will oversee the A400M through certification, delivery and entry into service with launch customers.
Airbus Military plans to produce 2.5 aircraft per month by the end of 2015. The company in March said it had received orders for 174 aircraft from eight customers.
John DiStasio
Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Beverly, Mass., announced the appointment of John P. DiStasio as senior director of business development for Microwave Solutions for the company’s Electronics Group. He will lead the business development team at sites including Beverly, Chandler, Ariz., West Caldwell, N.J., and San Jose, Costa Rica.
DiStasio joined Crane from Cobham-M/A-COM Inc., where he was director of field sales. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.
Microwave Solutions provides RF and microwave products for radar, electronic warfare, missiles and other systems.