VisionAire Jets' Management Team
VisionAire Jets currently has a combination of full-time personnel and on-demand personnel to carry both the business operations, engineering, and manufacturing operations. These individuals comprise a team with extraordinary expertise, industry and general business knowledge.
With many years of combined aerospace experience, the Company's management and engineering team is well positioned to introduce its new aircraft and successfully compete in the marketplace.
Jim Rice
President & CEO
Mr. Rice leads the VisionAire Jets, LLC management team, overseeing all aspects of product and market development. Mr. Rice has overall responsibility for VisionAire Jets, focusing specifically on the Company's strategic planning and business development activities, including developing integral alliances and relationships with the FAA, key supplier partners, investors, and industry experts. Since becoming involved in aviation in 1988, Mr. Rice has surrounded himself with industry expertise and personally guided the Vantage's growth from initial concept to start-up to its present day operation as a soon-to-be FAA approved manufacturer of general aviation jets.
Mr. Rice has more than 30 years of experience in diverse industries. Beginning in 1969, serving various marketing positions at Superior Continental Corporation, a manufacturer of telephone cable and electronic products for the telephone industry, Mr. Rice experienced first hand how corporate jets can be used to aid a company in its growth process. As a result, he later piloted his own business aircraft for the past 35 years, recognizing the aircraft's contribution to the effectiveness of his business operations.
In 1971, Mr. Rice recognized a need for consulting services targeting entrepreneurial companies and founded The Resource Group, Ltd., a southeastern based management consulting firm. With more than 25 staff consultants, The Resource Group served clients such as Century Furniture, Carolina Mills, General Electric Transformer Division, Southern Furniture, Shuford Mills, among many others. The company's consulting services included marketing, financial planning, human resource management, production operations management, and computer systems. Again, Mr. Rice flew his own aircraft to aid the growth of The Resource Group.
After a decade of growth for The Resource Group, Ltd., Mr. Rice split the consulting firm into several smaller units and sold them in order to accept a challenge by his church, The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). Over a nine-year period he served in communications, marketing, and fund-raising functions at both Concordia Seminary and the LCMS international headquarters in St. Louis.
Mr. Rice earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, and a Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Marc Bailey
Executive Vice President of Business Operations
Marc Bailey comes to VisionAire Jets with an extensive background of managing all aspects of a business operation. Over the past 25 years Marc has been President of a multi-level distribution company covering the Southeast within the construction industry. During his career, he has effectively incorporated cutting edge technology, as well as, a corporate aircraft into his business allowing for consistent growth and market penetration. The utilization of a corporate aircraft has given Marc an extensive understanding of time versus return, as well as, all aspects of business travel.
Marc has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC with a concentration in finance and marketing. He has completed numerous courses and seminars in business, computer integration, and aviation. In addition, Marc has extensive experience flying multi-engine aircrafts for over 15 years.
Bob Bresette
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Operations
Bob Bresette is a thirty year veteran of the aviation industry functioning as a senior level executive for aerospace manufacturing and operations. During this time, Mr. Bresette has helped start-up programs for industry giants like McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed, and NASA, helping them complete extensive projects in a timely and efficient manner. Having experience leading large teams of up to 1,600 people with budgets in excess of $600 million, Bob is a great asset to have leading VisionAire Jets' manufacturing and operations programs.
Joining VisionAire Corporation from 1997-2000 in the role of General Manager, Mr. Bresette helped establish pre-production operations and composite tooling for a 120,000 sq. ft. facility in Ames, Iowa. With a thorough knowledge of the Company and the processes for effective production of the Vantage, Bob will be instrumental in helping VisionAire Jets reach its operational goals.
F. Tom Stark
Vice President of Engineering
Mr. Stark joined VisionAire Corporation in 1990 as chief engineer and is currently heading the engineering division of VisionAire Jets, LLC. At VisionAire, Mr. Stark produced an innovative aircraft design for the Vantage single engine business jet that is not only aesthetically and economically very attractive, but that also exhibits exceptional stability and performance. As Senior Vice President, FutureWorks, he designed the next generation of products, including the Spirit personal jet.
His professional career includes 20 years as a United States Air Force officer and 15 years with McDonnell Douglas Corporation. As an Air Force officer from 1955 to 1975, he managed design studies and flight test planning for the Minuteman missile system program, and then was promoted to project manager of flight test instrumentation development. After earning his Masters degree, he became the manager of the F-111 airplane flight control system development from 1965 to 1968. Under his leadership, the high lift portion of the system experienced a three-fold improvement in reliability. In 1969, he became Chairman of the F-111 Engineering Change Board and then Chief of F-15 engineering in government in-plant offices from 1970 to 1975.
At McDonnell Douglas, Mr. Stark became the manager of technical management systems from 1983 to 1990, working with regulatory agencies and industry associations to assure that government requirements and management policies were mutually beneficial to government and industry. In addition, he was responsible for the first corporate-wide manual on systems engineering.
Mr. Stark holds an undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Parks College (St. Louis University) and a graduate degree in Engineering Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Dennis D. Olcott, Ph.D.
Chief Engineer
Dr. Dennis Olcott has been retained to lead FAA Certification and design for manufacturing and production in Catawba County (NC). He recently served as Vice President of Engineering and Senior Director of New Product Development at Piper Aircraft responsible for aircraft certification, flight testing, and production support engineering. Prior to working with Piper, Dennis worked on FAA Certification and final design for Adam Aircraft in Denver, Colorado. In addition, he has worked extensively with Burt Rutan, builder of the VisionAire Vantage flying prototype, and was previously contracted to do follow up assignments to build the production wing and empennage for the Vantage at Scaled Technology Works in Montrose, Colorado.
During Dr. Olcott's two decades of aerospace experience, he has been an integral component in helping take three composite aircraft through the entire FAA Certification process at Adam Aircraft Industries, Lancair International, and Cirrus Aircraft Corporation. At each of these positions Dennis has developed an exceptional background in aeronautical composite structures. His extensive participation and knowledge of certifying aircraft from concept to production will prove invaluable to VisionAire Jets moving forward with Type Certification of the Vantage.
Dr. Olcott obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University in 1992 completing a dissertation involving the development of a new vibration damping concept for advanced composite structures. He received a Bachelor of Science from the same institution in 1990. Dennis is an avid flight enthusiast and has had his private pilot license for twenty-five years.
Pete Edwards
Director of Operations and Quality Assurance
With twenty-nine years of experience in aerospace reliability, maintainability, quality systems, and support, Peter Edwards brings VisionAire Jets an established professional in the field of aviation quality control. Retiring from the United States Air Force in 1989 after twenty years of service, Mr. Edwards has worked extensively with government and private sector companies developing and implementing quality management systems that help meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders while complying with statutory and regulatory requirements related to particular aeronautical products.
With his background working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) it will provide a strong advantage to VisionAire Jets in helping ensure the Company complies with the stringent demands necessary to bring a jet to market. Mr. Edwards was a key figure in VisionAire Corporation from 1996-1999 and helped develop the Company's extensive quality control procedures. This prior involvement is beneficial to VisionAire Jets by having a seasoned veteran of the Company leading its quality management methods.
Peter received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics/Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL) and is a Certified Quality Auditor with the American Society for Quality. Additionally, he is an expert in Six Sigma quality control systems and has helped companies save tens of millions of dollars through implementation of specialized manufacturing and business processes.
Charles C. "Chuck" Trendley
Director of Supply Chain Management and Purchasing
Chuck Trendley served four years as Vice President of Materials Management at VisionAire Corporation starting in 1997 where he had total procurement responsibility for the production line supporting all necessary components to assemble, fly, and deliver all-composite business jets. He served as lead negotiator and strategist for the establishment of long term business relationships with suppliers and had responsibility for all aspects of inventory management including requirement determination, logistics, transportation, and receiving and distributing stock to the production line. Chuck was tasked with development and implementation of all internal procedures related to inventory management and procurement.
Mr. Trendley worked for over twenty years at the United States Army Aviation Systems Command in St. Louis, MO, as Contracts Manager, Negotiator, and Program Manager helping to manage an organization of over 1,200 people with a budget in excess of $ 500 million. He also functioned as Site Leader for the Boeing Company for over six years in both St. Louis and Mesa, Arizona. Chuck has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, where he graduated Cum Laude in the fields of Political Science and Contract Management.
David Sexton
FAA Certification Liaison
David Sexton has over thirty years of involvement with aircraft operations. Serving for twenty years with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Mr. Sexton has been engaged by VisionAire Jets to work exclusively with FAA planning and implementation over the next several years.
His former experience with the FAA will serve the Company well as he provides a valuable connection between the Atlanta Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) of the FAA and VisionAire Jets. FAA Certification is an ambitious and costly undertaking and having an effective liaison to advance the process smoothly will save precious time and resources.
Along with his extensive involvement with the FAA, David holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a Commercial Instrument rated Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). He is also a certified Airplane and Powerplant Technician.
Steven Fennell
Director of Sales and Marketing
Steven Fennell has over two decades of experience in a variety of operations. Immediately prior to joining VisionAire Jets he served as General Manager of a furniture components manufacturing company where he was responsible for both sales and manufacturing. He also served as Marketing Manager for a plastic bag recycling company which implemented school recycling programs. He has worked on the production floor of both the surfboard and racing boat industries gaining significant experience in the laying up of composite materials.
An alumnus of Lees McRae College and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he also graduated from Comair Aviation Academy. He has held several flying positions and is a single and multi-engine instrument rated Commercial Pilot with over 2,200 hours flight time in aircraft ranging from Piper Super Cub to DC-3, Beechcraft King Air 200, Beechcraft 1900 and LearJet 45.
Jesse Braswell
Director of Finance
Jesse Braswell is an experienced business professional, accountant and business analyst. With over 30 years of experience, his background includes joining a logistics company as its second employee and taking the company to where it became the fourth largest in the industry. Educated at Charleston Southern University, Mr. Braswell will be responsible for managing the finances of VisionAire Jets and helping to plan solid growth for the Company as it finishes the engineering, FAA Certification, and ramp up of production.
