Avionics News February 2015 - 55

with the iPad, sales training for mods
and upgrades for the entire Hawker
and Beechcraft product line. I put
together pricing, options, value
propositions, the whole nine yards.

And then John called you.
In June 2013, I got a call from John
Uczekaj who asked me if I would be
interested, and I said yes. We always
have had a great working relationship.
He knows me, and I know him. The
next thing I know, I was flying to
Albuquerque and was given an offer
letter two days later. One of my first
tasks was to closely align marketing
and sales. My first day at Aspen was in
Oshkosh at AirVenture 2013. I had two
days off from my old job, and it was
on to AirVenture. I'd been to Oshkosh,
of course, but it can be overwhelming.
Now I do anything that a marketing
communicator can think about -
strategy and messaging for Aspen,
collateral, shows, advertising, media
relations, the website, printing,
customer relationship management,
promotions, direct mail and metrics.

It's a huge job. What do
you like best?
I have control over growing this
business. I treat it as if it's my own
business, and I operate that way. I love
having the voice that I have within the
organization and have the leadership
listen to my recommendations. There's
a tremendous growth opportunity at
Aspen. It's exciting.

And, of course, no
typical day.
There's a new challenge every day.
Since I worked with big jets, I never
had exposure to the smaller piston
or turboprop market, and I thought
that was my biggest weakness. I didn't
fully understand that segment. It took
me some time to really understand
these owners' motivation and drivers.
What makes them make a purchasing
decision? How can I help them solve
their problems with the offerings we
have? That was the biggest challenge
for me - to understand that mindset.

When you're not working,
what are you doing?
I go to the gym six days a week. My
husband and I have two sons. Richie
is 23 years old and a senior in college.
He wants to play professional hockey.
I was a hockey mom long before
anyone used the term. It's funny
that he learned to play hockey while
growing up in the desert, but people
think he's good enough to go pro. He's
on the NHL radar.
Sean is 20 years old. He is autistic.
He's the love of my life, and he
loves video games. It keeps him
focused. He loves movies, and he has
a photographic memory of movie
scripts. I've been married 25 years. I
met my husband on a blind date, and
we were married eight weeks later.
He is in the golf business as a turf
consultant. I laugh when I tell people
his job is to teach people how to grow

grass in the desert. We have two dogs,
a Cairn terrier named Murray and a
pit bull named Preacher.
I like doing home improvement
projects and interior decorating, as I
like to find new ways to change the
look of a room.

What else should we
know about you?
Prior to working in aviation, I was
in the Coast Guard in the Presidential
Honor Guard, based in Washington,
D.C. I performed precision marching
with rifles in a number of ceremonies.
I also worked on the Commandant's
staff in the congressional affairs office.
I chose the Coast Guard because it
had a peacetime mission as well as a
wartime mission.

Are you learning to fly?
When I was a little girl, I always
wanted to be a graphic artist. I was 9
years old and designing logos. Never
in my wildest dreams did I think I'd
be working in aviation. And now after
all these years, I am finally going to
get my pilot's license - it's my goal
for 2015. I can have a much more
meaningful conversation with our
customers. In order to do my job
the best that I can, I need to sit in
the left seat. I want to be credible,
knowledgeable and relate to the
people we serve every day. q
To learn more about Aspen Avionics,
visit www.aspenavionics.com.
avionics news

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february

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http://www.aspenavionics.com
Avionics News February 2015

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