2003
Conference Speakers
Jim Kelly has been a Terminal Manager for the past two years at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at DFW including Guest Services Program Manager and Assistant Terminal Manager. Prior to joining DFW, Jim held management positions at Delta, American, and Northwest Airlines in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Minneapolis, Honolulu, and Dallas/Fort Worth. He received an Associate of Science degree in Logistics Management from Georgia Military College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics and Master of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is an active member of the American Association of Airport Executives as a Certified Member and executive candidate. Jim is also an Adjunct Faculty member teaching Airport and Airline Management courses for the ERAU extended campus. He has volunteered at the Museum of Aviation in Georgia and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He is currently working on the Aviation Career Education (ACE) program camp for the DFW area to promote aviation to minority and women.
Ed Forst - Duchossois Industries, Inc.
I
Attended the University of Illinois Chicago from 1974 - 1978 with a
major in Business Administration. While in college I concurrently was
enrolled in a FAR 141 flight school at one of the local airports, where
I completed my ratings through CFI. In 1979, after a short stint as a
flight instructor and commuter airline pilot, I was hired as a corporate
flight crewmember with Waste Management, Inc. As a co-pilot, captain,
and finally Director of Aviation with Waste Management I flew nearly all
types of Lear Jets and a Canadair Challenger. In 1998 I was recruited to
Duchossois Industries to take the reins there as Director of their
flight department, where I have been operating a Gulfstream III and IV,
a Falcon 2000, and a Bell 222B. I have, and continue to operate all over
the world from China and the South Pacific to Russia, Europe, and the
Middle East. As director of the department, I report to the directly to
the Chairman of the Board and am responsible for the entire aviation
operation, its employees, and their performance reviews, the aircraft,
the aircraft maintenance department, the department budget, and all
budgeted and non-budgeted expenses. I oversee the buying and selling of
all aircraft, as well as the leasing and chartering of aircraft. I have
been Married for 26 years and have 3 children, a son enrolled in UND's
Aviation program, and two daughters in high school in the Chicago
suburbs, where I live today. My hobbies are Golf, Tennis, and the
rescuing and rehabilitating of exotic birds that have been abused,
neglected or abandoned.
Robert A. Coulter, Director of Operations - Atlantic
Coast Airlines
Mr. Coulter is the senior
manager of flight operations for Atlantic Coast Airlines, having
responsibility for all 1700 of the company's pilots as well as all
regulatory aspects of our day-to-day operations. He has over 35 years
experience managing flight operations, with special expertise in
diverse, worldwide flight services. He began his career as a line pilot with Atlantic Coast Airlines in
1993, eventually with Captain's ratings in three aircraft types and then
moved through the positions of System Chief Pilot and Director of
Operations. Prior to that he came to Atlantic Coast Airlines from Air Wisconsin
where he had been Captain in two aircraft types and a domicile chief
pilot for their east coast operation.
He began his flying career with 22 years in the United States Air Force
where he retired as a full colonel after many years flying Special
Operations C-130s, teaching at the Air University, and commanding
Special Tactics Teams. He ended his career as Director of Air Force
Combat Control and Pararescue. Mr. Coulter holds a Master of Science degree from Troy State University
and a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University. He sits on
the industry advisory councils of several universities and flight
schools.
Glenn McConnell,
Director - NetJets Flight School
As Director and Chief Flight Instructor at the NetJets Flight School,
Glenn P. McConnell is recognized as an authority on all aspects of pilot
operations and training. His command of these issues has made Mr.
McConnell a highly respected educator, lecturer and administrator to
front-line flight education programs throughout the United States. He
has been a requested lecturer at more than 300 ground schools and safety
seminars in the U.S. and has taught Instrument Flight Operations Course
at the FBI's National Academy. Mr. McConnell is currently a designated
Pilot Examiner and Aviation Safety Counselor for the Federal Aviation
Administration. He is also Adjunct Assistant Professor at Ohio
University, teaching Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation.
Mr. McConnell served as Director of Flight Education and Chief Flight
Instructor for the Department of Aviation at The Ohio State University
for over ten years, and as Flight Team Head Coach for eight years. While
serving as Director of Operations for the National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI), Mr. McConnell was responsible for organizing the
first National Convention of Flight Instructors. He has also co-authored
a three-day course for NAFI which was approved by the FAA for the
reevaluation of flight instructors, as well as serving as a consultant
to AOPA Air Safety Foundation in Washington, D.C. in a pilot training
course. As Vice-President/Marketing for Automatic Airport Weather
Reporting System at Artias, Inc., Mr. McConnell was responsible for the
liaison between the FAA and Artias, Inc. during the test and approval of
the first automatic weather reporting system certified for use in
instrument flight rules. Mr. McConnell has also conducted a flight
instructor reevaluation course at the Royal Aeronautical Society in
London, England.
Recipient of FAA General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year, Great
Lakes Region, 1999 - Coach of the Year award, National Intercollegiate
Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (National
Championship Competition), April 1993 - Outstanding Staff Award, The
Ohio State University, May 1992 - Award of Merit for Contributions to
Flight Instruction, The All Ohio Safety and Health Congress, March 1990
- Coach of the Year award, National Intercollegiate Flying Association
Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (National Championship
Competition), April 1990.
B.A., English, The Ohio State University, 1975.
Member, Ohio Committee on Aeronautical Education, since 1990 - Council
Member, National Intercollegiate Flying Association, since 1991 -
Director, Vice President, Great Lakes Region National Association of
Flight Instructors (NAFI), 1987-1997 - Member, Advisory Board,
Department of Aviation, Ohio University, since 2000
Craig Washka,
Director of Pilot Recruitment & Development - AirNet Express
Craig Washka grew up in Amherst, Ohio and had his eyes on the skies by
the age of four. He attended Ohio University from 1977 through 1982 and
achieved his Private, Commercial and CFI Certificates including an
Associate Degree in Aviation Technology and a Bachelors Degree in
Business Administration. His professional flying career began in 1980
flying freight in Aztecs and Aerostars for a local check hauling
company. He attended Air Force Officer Training School in 1982, but
decided to continue in civilian aviation hoping to achieve his dream of
becoming a future Captain with United Airlines. Craig's career with
AirNet Express began in 1984 flying Barons and Aerostars out of
Pittsburgh. PA. In 1985, Craig got the "call" from United
Airlines for the coveted interview, which went extremely well except for
one detail; United went on strike. He chose to turn down phase two of
the interview process understanding crossing a picket line would present
too many career challenges to say the least. While United was on strike,
AirNet continued to grow and operate Learjet equipment. Craig decided to
stay with and be an integral part of a growing airline. Craig's career
with AirNet allowed him to fly as a Captain in Barons, Aerostars,
Chieftains, Cessna 310s and Learjets. He also served as a Company
Instructor, Checkairman, Assistant Chief Pilot, Director of Training and
currently serves as Director of Pilot Recruitment and Development, a job
he is intimately familiar with. Craig has been part of the pilot
selection process since 1986 and has been responsible for selecting well
over 90% of the Company's pilots though the years. During the pilot
hiring boom years, 1998 through 2001, Craig heavily participated in the
airline job fair market, working with recruiters from all Majors and
Regionals and also worked closely with many colleges and flight schools
developing professional pilot career paths. Craig continues to fly as a
Captain in the Lr-Jet, Baron and Chieftain.
Steve
Smith, Captain 757-767 - American Airlines
Steve was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended the
University of Wisconsin with an Air Force ROTC pilot scholarship, and
graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1978. Shortly
thereafter, he married AFROTC and engineering classmate, Jackie Pearson.
Upon completion of Air Force flight training, he flew the F-16 for five
years based at Hill AFB, Utah and Shaw AFB, South Carolina.
Separating from the Air Force in 1985, a brief brush with Architectural
School at Oklahoma State University convinced him it was best to
continue with a vocation in aviation.
Steve has been with American Airlines since 1986, performing in the
capacity of 727 Flight Engineer and First Officer based in Dallas, a 727
First Officer based in Raleigh-Durham, a Fokker F100 Captain based in
Chicago, and is currently a 767 Captain flying the domestic skies out of
Chicago.
Steve and his wife currently reside in Prairie Grove, Illinois, where
Jackie is a United Airlines 767 First Officer.
Sarah Lewis - NY TRACON
Sarah L. C. Lewis is a Virginia native who graduated from the University
of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Air Traffic Control
in December 1999. She was hired as an Air Traffic Control Specialist
with the Federal Aviation Administration in August 2000.
Sarah works at the New York TRACON in Westbury, NY, where controllers
guide aircraft to and from the New York area airports, handling aircraft
below 17,000 ft in a 50 to 60 mile radius of NYC. Sarah was surprised to
find upon reporting for duty that she was the youngest person at the
facility. Overcoming the odds, Sarah has just finished her training
program and is now a certified professional controller, working in the
arguably busiest terminal approach control in the country.
The events of September 11, 2001 were felt the first and the hardest in
the New York TRACON's airspace. There is nothing more compelling than
watching radar targets disappear into what was displayed on the radar as
the WTC. The air traffic controllers at the New York TRACON and across
the country were able to consequently assure the safe and expeditious
landing of 700 aircraft in five minutes and almost 5,000 aircraft in two
hours.
While living on Long Island, Sarah has managed to commute back and forth
to her second home in Virginia Beach, Virginia. There, her husband LTJG
Justin Lewis (also a 1999 UND grad) is employed as a F-14 Tomcat pilot
with the United States Navy. Sarah and Justin have recently purchased a
Glasair II Super FT which has enabled them to travel to see each other
more frequently.
Bill Bronson, Base
Manager/Chief Pilot - Boston - American Airlines
Captain Bill Bronson just completed his 25th year with American Airlines
and 4th as the Base Manager/Chief Pilot in Boston, one of American's 9
crew bases. Bill began his aviation career as a US Army helicopter pilot
from August 1967 to June 1971, which included a year attached to the 5th
Special Forces in South Viet Nam from March 1969 to March 1970. After
graduating with a B.S in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle in
Daytona Beach, FL in August 1973, Bill joined the USAF Reserve and flew
the Lockheed C-5 in Dover, DE until August 1991. He also flew as a
BE-99A First Officer for Altair Airlines in Philadelphia, PA from
January 1977 to February 1978. A native of upstate NY, Bill lives in
Dover, NH with his wife Betsy Schaper (1979 graduate of the PA program
at the UND Medical School) and their dog Bailey.
