Avionics News August 2015 - 39

I was transferred to NAS Whidbey
Island in Washington for my MOS
(military occupational specialty)
training. My MOS was that of
an electronic counter-measures
repair technician on the EA-6B
Prowler. My permanent base was
in Cherry Point, North Carolina,
but I had three deployments - to
Aviano, Italy; Iwakuni, Japan; and
Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Following my Marine Corps
enlistment, I was hired by a repair
station in Miami, Florida, working
with general aviation and corporate
aircraft. I started as an entry-level
installer, and within two years,
they had expanded and opened a
satellite repair station in Port St.
Lucie, Florida. I relocated to the
new shop and was promoted to
director of avionics. I was fortunate
to have worked with some key
people who mentored me in the
field, which gave me the building
blocks for where I am now.
I worked a one-year contract
for a company supporting a fleet
of King Air 350s in Afghanistan.
Following that, I was hired into a
company in South Florida as an
avionics project engineer. There, I
was involved in developing avionics
STCs for a number of different
systems, including FANS 1/A,
lighting and ADS-B Out. I was then
hired in January of this year by
Pentastar Aviation into my current
position.

Do you miss living
in Florida?
I miss the nice weather South
Florida offers. I moved to Michigan
in January, which everyone said was
a bad winter.
What's the corporate
culture at Pentastar?
A great majority of the people
I work with have been with the
company from 20 to 25 years, while
others have been here 10-plus, and
that's pretty typical. I think that
says a lot about the company.
What do you like best
about your job?
I like the challenge. I haven't
managed a department like this
before, so it's a challenge to
supervise people and work with
other departments within the
company. It combines technology
with personal interactions, and I
enjoy the interaction I have with
the people here.
Have you attended an
AEA Convention?
I attended in 2003, 2004
and 2005. I went this year to
Dallas where there was a lot
of networking, seeing new
products and meeting with the
manufacturers we deal with.
To me, networking with people
and companies in our industry is
especially valuable to keep up on

industry trends and the future of
avionics.
Are you married?
No wife or kids. I am just getting
to know Michigan and what goes
along with it. Right now, I'm renting
a home and looking to buy a house
in the near future. I wanted to see
the area before I buy. I like the
architecture of an older house.
Do you have any hobbies?
I'm starting to get into
woodworking, just entry-level, but
I want to start building furniture.
I've started putting together a shop
in my basement, learning how to
work with a table saw, and learning
joinery.
How about outdoor hobbies?
I enjoy fishing, mountain biking,
hiking and shooting.
So what do you see
for your future?
I'm happy here, in Michigan and
at Pentastar Aviation, and I can see
settling into this area and being
with the company long term. I like
the direction Pentastar Aviation is
going, the passion of the people
who work here, and the diversity of
the company. q

To learn more about Pentastar
Aviation, visit pentastaraviation.com.
avionics news

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august

2015

39
http://www.pentastaraviation.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News August 2015
