Aviation Advisory Committee

Chris Broom serves as Vice President of Commercial Training Solutions for Boeing Global Services, where he leads the development and delivery of pilot and maintenance training solutions for customers around the world. He oversees the people, processes, and technologies that support Boeing's global training portfolio while driving innovation and advancing aviation safety. Before joining Boeingin 2021, Chris spent 27 years with American Airlines, culminating as Managing Director of Flight and Training Administration, where he oversaw pilot training, simulator engineering, recruiting, and flight operations support. He also serves on the Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee and has held numerous leadership positions with aviation, education, and nonprofit organizations. Chris earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and holds multiple FAA certificates and instructor ratings. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to preparing the next generation of aviation professionals through innovation, leadership, and world-class training. 

Doug Demko is an aviation executive and accomplished pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours spanning corporate, commercial, military, and experimental aviation. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Shift4 Payments and previously served as President and Director of Operations for Skystream Jet. Doug holds multiple corporate aircraft type ratings, as well as experimental type ratings in aircraft including the T-28, L-39, Alpha Jet, and F-5, with additional experience in aircraft ranging from the MiG-29 to the Gulfstream fleet. A Certified Flight Instructor–Instrument (CFII) and Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI), he also served as a left wing pilot for the Black Diamond Jet Team and holds the world speed record for an eastbound circumnavigation in the Light Jet category. Doug earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, combining technical expertise with executive leadership throughout his career.

Kathryn B. Creedy is a Moravian University alumnus, an award-winning aviation journalist, author, and nationally recognized advocate for aviation workforce development. Over a distinguished career spanning decades, she has covered every facet of commercial and business aviation for publications including Forbes Online, Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, CNN Travel, BBC Capital, and numerous leading aviation publications. She is the author of Time Flies: The History of SkyWest Airlines and currently serves as editor of Future Aviation/Aerospace Workforce News. As President of the National Coalition for Aviation & Space Education (NCASE), Kathryn works to build education-to-career pathways that inspire students to pursue opportunities throughout the aviation and aerospace industries. Her work has made her one of the industry's most respected voices on workforce development and the future of aviation education. 
 

Advisory Board Chair 

Mark Cronin is a retired American Airlines captain whose distinguished aviation career spans more than four decades of military service, airline leadership, and aviation mentorship. He began his career as an A-10 pilot and instructor pilot in the United States Air Force before joining American Airlines, where he spent 32 years flying aircraft including the Boeing 727, 737, 757, 767, MD-80, Airbus A320, and A330. Beyond the flight deck, Mark held several senior leadership positions, including Chief Pilot, Director of Flight, and Managing Director of Line Operations. In 2019, he founded the Velocity R Aviation Foundation to help aspiring aviation professionals discover career opportunities through education, mentorship, and guidance. Today, he remains dedicated to opening doors for future aviators and sharing the leadership lessons gained throughout an extraordinary career. 

Evita "Evie" Garces is Vice President of Line Maintenance for American Airlines' Technical Operations division, where she leads the maintenance professionals responsible for supporting one of the world's largest commercial airline fleets. Beginning her career with American Airlines in 2001 as an Aviation Maintenance Technician, Evie advanced through a series of leadership positions overseeing maintenance operations, strategic planning, and operational control. Throughout her career, she has championed safety, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence while helping shape the future of aircraft maintenance. Beyond her leadership responsibilities, Evie is a passionate advocate for women in aviation and actively mentors future aviation professionals. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Maintenance from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, bringing both technical expertise and executive leadership to the aviation industry.

Michael “Mike” Palazzolo serves as a Captain and Line Check Airman for PSA Airlines while also contributing to aviation safety as an Aviation Accident Investigator for the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). He represented ALPA as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board's Airplane Operations Group during the investigation of the mid-air collision involving PSA Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter. Mike also serves as Assistant Chief Instructor at FlyGateway Aviation Institute, where he mentors and trains future professional pilots. His commitment to service extends beyond aviation through more than 16 years in the fire service, including over six years in the United States Air Force and continued service with the Limerick Fire Department. His unique blend of operational, instructional, investigative, and emergency response experience offers a valuable perspective on leadership and safety.

Vasu Raja is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dihedral, a technology company focused on helping organizations use artificial intelligence to deliver personalized customer experiences while protecting data privacy. Prior to launching Dihedral, Vasu spent more than 20 years with American Airlines, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. During his tenure, he transformed the airline's commercial strategy by placing customer data, loyalty, and analytics at the center of decision-making, helping American achieve record commercial revenue while operating a smaller network than before the pandemic. His leadership reshaped how one of the world's largest airlines approached network planning, revenue generation, and customer engagement. Vasu began his professional career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching in the Baltimore City Public Schools—a foundation that reflects his enduring commitment to leadership, innovation, and developing people. Today, he continues to help organizations harness emerging technologies to solve complex business challenges while shaping the future of customer engagement. 

Pam Rea

Advisory Board Vice-Chair

Pam Rea began her aviation career shortly after graduating from Moravian College in 1990, turning a lifelong passion for flying into a distinguished career spanning more than three decades. She first joined American Eagle in 1994, flying the ATR-42 from New York and Miami before moving to Southern Air Transport, where she was the company's only female pilot among approximately 250 aviators, flying the L-382 on Department of Defense missions throughout South America and the Pacific. In 1997, Pam joined United Airlines, beginning as a DC-10 Flight Engineer in Anchorage before rapidly advancing to First Officer and, ultimately, Captain. Over the course of her career, she has flown nearly every major aircraft in United's fleet, including the 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787, and has spent more than 20 years as a wide-body captain. Beyond the flight deck, Pam has served as a pilot instructor, simulator check airman, type-rating evaluator, and pilot interviewer, helping train, evaluate, and hire hundreds of airline pilots. She has also dedicated years of service to union leadership through professional standards, scheduling, family awareness, and employee assistance programs, reflecting her longstanding commitment to supporting and mentoring fellow aviators.  

Colin Riccobon serves as Director of Public and Government Relations for the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, where he leads communications, government affairs, marketing, and community engagement for Lehigh Valley International Airport, Queen City Airport, and Braden Airpark. Since joining LNAA in 2016, he has strengthened the Authority's public outreach through strategic communications initiatives, enhanced media engagement, and expanded public access to board meetings and airport initiatives. Before entering aviation, Colin spent more than 13 years in broadcast journalism and later served as External Communications Manager for the American Red Cross Blood Services Division in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A five-time Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Award recipient, he brings a communicator's perspective to aviation, helping connect airports, government leaders, businesses, and the communities they serve.

Thomas R. Stoudt is Executive Director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA), where he oversees the strategic direction, operations, and long-term development of Lehigh Valley International Airport, Queen City Airport, and Braden Airpark. With more than three decades of aviation experience, Tom has built a career centered on airport management, aviation planning, operations, and safety. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, he combines technical expertise with strategic leadership to support one of Pennsylvania's most important regional aviation systems. He also serves on the boards of the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, helping guide initiatives that strengthen both regional transportation and economic development. 

Adam Winkler has built a career defined by technical excellence, instructional leadership, and global corporate flight operations. A graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management with a minor in Aviation Safety while graduating with honors. Adam has accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours and holds type ratings in the King Air 300/350, Hawker 800, Falcon 50/900, and Gulfstream G650. He has also logged more than 4,000 hours of flight instruction across more than 20 aircraft types, helping shape the careers of countless pilots. Today, he serves as an International Standards Captain on the Gulfstream G650 for Merck Sharp & Dohme, where he oversees worldwide flight operations and mentors flight crews operating at the highest levels of business aviation.