AHS International, the Vertical Flight Society, has announced the election results for its board of directors. The following members of the board’s executive committee were elected for the one-year term of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019:
- Chair: Roberto Garavaglia, senior vice president of competitive analysis & strategy, Leonardo Helicopters (previously the board president);
- President: Glenn Isbell, junior vice president of rapid prototyping & manufacturing innovation, Bell (previously the board secretary/treasurer); and
- Secretary/Treasurer: John Saabas, president, Pratt & Whitney Canada* (new to the board)
In addition, the executive committee appointed Andy Keith — chief of propulsion engineering at Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company — as the society’s new technical director, also part of the executive committee.
Vertical Flight Society members in half of its 10 regions elected or re-elected regional directors and vice presidents for the two-year term of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.
Americas Region (Canada, Central America and South America)
- Vice president: Michael Nault, Bell
- Regional director: Kenneth Swartz, Aeromedia Communications*
U.S. Mideast Region (including the Philadelphia and Erie Chapters, and surrounding areas)
- Vice president: Dr. Stanley Orr, The Boeing Company
- Regional director: Bill Hunt, Leonardo Helicopters Philadelphia*
U.S. Southeast Region (including the Aberdeen, Federal City, Patuxent River, Hampton Roads and Cherry Point Chapters, and surrounding areas)
- Vice president: Dr. Inderjit Chopra, University of Maryland*
- Regional director: Susan Gorton, NASA*
U.S. Southwest Region (including the Southwest Chapter and all surrounding areas)
- Vice president: Aaron Brieger, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company*
- Regional director: Mike Shaw, Bell
U.S. Western Region (including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona Chapters, and surrounding areas)
- Vice president: Dr. Ram D. JanakiRam, The Boeing Company
- Regional director: Dr. Colin Theodore, NASA Ames
Other members of the board of directors, who will continue to serve until June 30, 2019, are as follows:
Asia-Australia Region (includes all members in Asia and Oceania)
- Vice president: Dr. Arvind Sinha, Australian Department of Defence
- Regional director: Samgeeth Rajan, Textron India
Europe-Africa Region (members in Europe and Africa)
- Vice president: Dr. Jürgen Rauleder, Technical University of Munich
- Regional director: Philippe Beaumier, ONERA
U.S. Midwest Region (members in Dayton and St. Louis Chapters)
- Vice president: Dr. Dale Pitt, consultant
- Regional director: Prof. Dave Peters, Washington University in St. Louis
U.S. Northeast Region (members in Stratford, Connecticut Valley and Empire State Chapters)
- Vice president: Usman Asif, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
- Regional director: Mark Miller, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
U.S. Southern Region (members in Redstone, Atlanta, Jake Fortner and South Florida Chapters)
- Vice president: Dr. Robert King, U.S. Army
- Regional director: Prof. Marilyn Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology
The following are currently the appointed directors of the board:
- VP Membership: Jon Tatro, consultant
- VP Washington, DC: David Wildes, consultant
- Appointed director: Robert LaBelle, XTI Aircraft Co.
- Appointed director: Thomas Laux, Northrop Grumman
Non-voting advisors:
- Environment & Infrastructure: John Leverton, Leverton Associates International
- Civil Helicopter Operations: Gene Munson, consultant
- Army Aviation: Randy Robinson, U.S. Army
Founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, the Vertical Flight Society today is the international organization that advocates, promotes and supports global vertical flight technology and professional development.
