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The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced the makeup of its Executive Committee leadership team for 2024.
The Executive Committee is comprised of members of GAMA’s board of directors, who provide strategic leadership for the association and lead its policy committees.
Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire, will serve as chair of the board. Previously, Wiplinger served as vice-chair and chair of the Policy and Legal Issues Committee and the Technical Policy Committee.
Henry Brooks, president of power & controls at Collins Aerospace, will serve as vice-chair. Previously, Brooks served as chair of the Security Issues Committee.
Eric Hinson, president and CEO of Simcom International, will serve as immediate past chair. Hinson served as GAMA’s 2023 chair and previously chaired the Safety and Accident Investigation Committee.
Tony Brancato, president of business aviation at StandardAero, will serve as chair of the Airworthiness and Maintenance Policy Committee. The committee works with authorities to promote appropriate regulations and policies for maintenance and repair stations. This will be Brancato’s first time serving on the Executive Committee, he has served on GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2021.
Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, will extend her term as chair of the Communications Committee. The committee works to promote the general aviation industry and its benefits to the global economy and air transportation system.
Oliver Reinhardt, the chief risk and certification officer at Volocopter, and Ben Tigner, CEO of Overair, will jointly lead the Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee (EPIC) as co-chairs.
The committee focuses on fostering an environment that supports the efficient development, production, operation, integration and maintenance of hybrid and electric propulsion aircraft, including eVTOLs. This is the first time both Reinhardt and Tigner will serve on the Executive Committee, each having served on GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2022.
Frank Moesta, senior vice-president, Strategy & Future Programmes for Rolls-Royce, will serve as chair of the Environment Committee. The committee works to develop and represent the industry’s views on public policy affecting aviation related environmental issues worldwide, including CO2 emissions reductions, sustainable aviation fuels, supersonic aircraft, and updates to the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change. This will be Moesta’s first time serving on the Executive Committee, he has served on GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2020.
Thierry Betbeze, CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet, will be joining the Executive Committee. He has served as a Member of GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2020. Carlos Brana, senior executive vice-president of civil aircraft at Dassault Aviation, will chair the European Leaders Steering (ELS) Committee.
The committee engages with senior European politicians and policymakers to advocate for the interests of general/business aviation in Europe including sustainability strategies, regulatory changes, policy initiatives and communications strategies.
John Calcagno, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft, will continue to serve as chair of the Policy and Legal Issues Committee. The committee tracks, analyzes and responds to legal developments, litigation trends and policies presenting business and legal risks or opportunities to general aviation manufacturers.
Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, will continue to serve as chair of the Flight Operations Policy Committee. The committee works to ensure that an adequate air transportation infrastructure is available for general aviation and addresses impediments to operations of general aviation aircraft.
Charlie Gregoire, president and COO of Redbird Flight, will continue to serve as chair of the Safety and Accident Investigation Committee. The committee works to analyze policies, industry standards and regulatory activities related to proactive safety improvements and aircraft accident investigation.
Tonya Sudduth, head of U.S. strategy for Bombardier, will serve as chair of the Security Issues Committee. The committee works to establish best practices for general aviation security and engages with government agencies on security policies and regulatory requirements.
This will be Sudduth’s first time serving on the Executive Committee, she has served on GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2022.
Allen Paxson, vice-president and general manager of commercial strategy for GE Aerospace, will serve as chair of the Technical Policy Committee.
The committee works with authorities on continuous improvement of certification and validation processes and to develop and implement effective standards and technical policies pertaining to the design, certification, validation and production of general aviation products and components.
This will be Paxson’s first time serving on the Executive Committee, he has served on GAMA’s Board of Directors since 2023.
The GAMA Executive Committee was elected by the board of directors during its fall board meeting.
For more information about the GAMA Executive Committee, visit gama.aero.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
