YoPro Council

The NBAA Young Professionals in Business Aviation (YoPro) Council is a group dedicated to uniting and empowering the next generation of emerging leaders across the business aviation industry. Composed of 30 dedicated volunteers representing all areas of the industry, the YoPro Council bridges generational knowledge and strengthens the community of business aviation professionals. The YoPro Council leverages expertise in areas such as professional development, marketing, advocacy and community outreach to connect young professionals and advance their careers through mentorship, educational resources and collaborative initiatives. By amplifying the voice of emerging leaders, the council ensures that young professionals actively contribute to shaping the industry’s future.

YoPro Council Mission Statement

As part of the NBAA, the Young Professional Council (YoPro) is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of leaders and innovators in our field. Our mission is to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and professional development among young professionals, empowering them to drive positive change and shape the future of business aviation.

YoPro Council Working Groups

The Young Professionals Council is composed of several working groups, each with essential contributions in supporting the council’s overall structure and function. These working groups incorporate industry needs, and create opportunities to cultivate business aviation’s future leaders.

Professional Development

Mission Statement: To develop opportunities that ignite the careers of young professionals in business aviation.

Responsibilities: The YoPro Council Professional Development working group is tasked with creating annual education sessions for the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) and other NBAA conferences, aiming to provide valuable learning opportunities for young professionals. They collaborate to design informative sessions that cover pertinent topics in the industry.

Marketing & Events

Mission Statement: To promote visibility and engagement in the business aviation YoPro Community.

Responsibilities: The Marketing & Events working group is responsible for planning and executing all YoPro networking events during NBAA’s conferences. They work to create engaging and impactful networking opportunities that foster connections and facilitate professional growth as well as assist in promoting and marketing all YoPro initiatives.

Advocacy

Mission Statement: Advocating through education, the Advocacy working group demonstrates and promotes the advantages of business aviation for a sustainable future.

Responsibilities: The YoPro Council Advocacy working group focuses on workforce development and government affairs updates, ensuring that they advocate for the business aviation industry as a whole. They are responsible for staying updated on relevant industry legislation and regulations, as well as engaging with government officials and industry stakeholders.

YoPro Go!

Mission Statement: To unite and empower young professionals in aviation to foster innovation, knowledge-sharing and career growth. The YoPro Go! working group strives to create a vibrant community that supports each other’s aspirations, promotes safety and sustainability, and advances the future of aviation.

Responsibilities: All members of YoPro Go! are invited to quarterly virtual meetings that cover a variety of topics such as professional development, career success stories and inspiring backgrounds from industry veterans. In addition, opportunities are shared with the entire YoPro Go! community when there are events that need support or volunteers for continued engagement. Future pathways for YoPro Go! include more regional connections and assistance with creating regional groups where they do not currently exist. Through ongoing networking and engagement, YoPro Go! is helping connect the industry’s rising superstars like never before!

Current Council Members

Daran Dorman
Business Development Executive, Northwest
Embraer

Brandi Drain
Director of Inflight Services
Clay Lacy

Anneliese Dyer
Lead SAF and Carbon Consultant
4AIR

Cory Evans
Founder & CEO
SkyLimit Foundation

Claudia Firestone
Vice President of Marketing
AEGFUELS, LLC

Jay Gallagher
Market Development Manager
PPG
Co-Vice Chair NBAA YoPro Council

Luis Gonzales
Sr. Operations Specialist
Centennial Airport (KAPA)

Ashley Granada
Senior Marketing Manager
NBAA

Lauran Grant
Corporate Flight Attendant & Advisor
Jet Linx

Kylie Giffin
Pilatus PC-12 PIC
Pilat 2, LLC

Elayna Hall
Manager, Professional Development
NBAA

Julia Harrington
Lead Captain/Base Manager PWK
Axis Jet
Co-Chair NBAA YoPro Council

Kimberly Kissh
Corporate Pilot
AbbVie

Anna Lovelace
Senior Account Manager, Northeast
Universal Weather & Aviation

Tressa Mattingly
Senior Manager, Social Media
NBAA

Kenny Mazingo
Sales Engineering Manager
QS Partners

Carolina Moreira
Digital Marketing Manager
MedAire

Hannah O’Malley Wolf
Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions
JetHQ
Co-Vice Chair NBAA YoPro Council

Madelyne Paulk, M.M., M.S.
Private Jet Consultant
Air Charter Service

Achal Pratel
Product Strategy Engineer – Strategic Partnerships, M&A & CVC
Embraer Executive Aircraft, Inc

Kellie N. Roby, CAM
Vice President of Safety Services
Polaris Aero

Jordan Scales
Aircraft Manager
Clay Lacy
Co-Chair NBAA YoPro Council

Cameron Smith
Aviation Operations Specialist
NBAA

Letwan Sutton, MBA
Manager of Tax Aviation
MySky

Jay Thakor, GSP
Aviation Advisor
Attempt Technologies

Dylan Vogel, MBAA
Assistant Vice President
PNC Aviation Finance

Gary Webb, MBA
Operations Advisor / Strategic Partnerships Coordinator
Nimbl

Kara Wolf
MSP Sales Manager
Honeywell

Cat Wren
Vice President
ENG Aviation Group

Noah Yarborough, MBA
Regional Vice President, North America
Signum Aviation

Interested in joining the Council or otherwise being a part of the YoPro program? Learn more about how you can get involved with YoPro.

Contact YoPro

For more information NBAA’s YoPro initiative, email yopro@nbaa.org.