New Member Spotlights
May 2026
Victoria Drury
Taylor Allen
Taylor Allen is a J.D. candidate at SMU Dedman School of Law. Growing up in Houston, she developed a passion for aerospace and aviation law from an early age through her family's work at Johnson Space Center. As an avid traveler who has visited over 30 countries, she is committed to exploring the world both personally and professionally. Outside the classroom, she proudly serves as vice president of the Air & Space Law Society, with a focus on increasing women's representation in the industry. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs and rock climbing. Taylor is thrilled to be an IAWA scholar, and she looks forward to combining her legal education with her passion for the industry. She hopes to foster lifelong connections within IAWA and empower the next generation of women in aerospace law.
Cindy Comer
Gretchen Pinkerton
Gretchen Pinkerton has over 20 yrs of experience in various Aviation Aftermarket Companies, and she always looking to help other women grow in the industry.
Ai-Ling Ng
Ai-Ling has worked more than 20 years in Aviation, mostly in Airline Commercial departments. Ai-Ling is adept in passenger and cargo sales, marketing, revenue management and network planning of full service and low cost carriers. She recently started into the areas of USMs and trading of aircraft components.
APRIL 2026
Lexi Segal
Kaila Pierce
Kaila is an aviation insurance professional. She started career in the Part 91K/135 space (dispatching, sales engineering, account executive) and migrated to the aviation insurance world after 5 years. She is an underwriting and broker experience with a passion for client services and relationship management. Kaila is an FAA Certified Dispatcher to boot!
Rachel Mullen
Rachel is an aviation professional with a deep-rooted passion for the industry and a global perspective shaped by extensive international travel. Originally from a small town in Illinois, she developed a strong work ethic and curiosity about the world that ultimately led her to pursue a career in aviation.
Today, Rachel is proud to work in an industry that connects people and cultures across the globe. She is driven by continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation, and bring a broad, internationally informed outlook to her work. Having traveled to more than 25 countries across four continents, Rachel value the perspective and cultural insight that global experiences provide.
Ashtyn Fink
Lisa Ousley
Dominika Czachor-Jadacka
Dominika Czachor-Jadacka's aviation experience began as a Base Maintenance Project Manager. Managing complex maintenance checks gave her a deep understanding of the industry's processes and their inefficiencies. Dominika is driven by a desire to bring a fresh, tech-forward perspective to the field, which led her decision to build the solutions she knew were missing in MROs.
Kathleen Lombardo
Mrs. Lombardo is admitted to the State Bar of Ohio and received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, graduating cum laude. While attending UHLC, she was a member of the Association of Women in Law and an Editor on the Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy.⯠Prior to joining Soar Aviation Law, Mrs. Lombardo previously worked with the CEO of the Harris County Medical Society and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas while in law school. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University, graduating summa cum laude. Mrs. Lombardo is a current board member of the Ohio Regional Business Aviation Association (ORBAA) which is a not-for-profit organization which promotes business aviation training and education, workforce development, and advocacy within the state of Ohio.
MARCH 2026
Melody Clark
Melody Clark is a senior finance and program control leader with 20+ years of progressive experience in Earned Value Management (EVM), cost and schedule control, budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance reporting across large government and commercial programs. She has a proven ability to lead cross-functional finance, EVM, and scheduling teams to deliver program execution that meets cost, schedule, and compliance requirements (EIA-748). Melody is a strong communicator who presents financial insights and corrective actions to senior leadership and external stakeholders. She is PMP-certified, experienced with DCMA/DCAA audit environments, SAP and enterprise financial systems, and advanced performance metrics (CPI, SPI, TCPI, EAC).
Kayla Walters
Kayla Walters is an internationally traveled engineer who grew up in a small town of 500 on a family ranch running 100+ head of cattle. Her background laid the foundation of hard work, resilience, and a critical thinking which led her to seek and earn a degree in Engineering. She enjoys her community but also loves learning other cultures and believes this is the most rewarding way to expand your knowledge.
Niamh Carter
Taghreed Hussean
Taghreed Huseean holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Project Management. She has a strong interest in airport operations and leadership, and is eager to grow within the aviation industry.
Nicole Beidleman
Nicole Beidleman is a third-year associate at Fitzpatrick, Hunt & Pagano, LLP in the firm’s New York City office, where she focuses on civil litigation and insurance defense. She earned her B.A. in Policy Management from Dickinson College and her J.D. from New York Law School.
During law school, Nicole held leadership roles in several student organizations and gained advocacy experience as a student attorney with the Diane Abbey Law Institute for Children and Families and the New York Law School Asylum Clinic. She also gained experience in business, intellectual property, and data privacy matters, including work involving contract drafting and regulatory compliance.
Prior to joining Fitzpatrick, Hunt, & Pagano, LLP, Nicole worked with the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, handling matters under New York Executive Law Article 7-A and Estates, Powers and Trusts Law.
Nicole is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and is committed to continued professional growth through her involvement with IAWA.
Bernadette Brighton
In aerospace, Bernadette Brighton specializes in bringing emerging technologies into environments where failure is not an option. At Pratt & Whitney, herrecent work has centered on AI enablement, workflow transformation, and helping bridge the gap between emerging technology and day-to-day operations. That includes translating new AI capabilities into practical use cases, supporting adoption across functions, and helping leaders understand where AI can create measurable value. Her background spans digital operations, process improvement, change leadership, and enterprise execution. Bernadette is especially energized by environments where the stakes are high, the systems are complex, and success depends on more than just the technology.
Kara King
Kara King is a graduate of Notre Dame in Mechanical Engineering and joined GE Aerospace. She enjoys leading challenging projects and connecting horizontally to bring multiple parts of the business together. She loves leading and working with a cross-functional team to support customers and is passionate about growing teams and culture.
Juliana Tellez-Wilches
Juliana Téllez Wilches is a Colombian lawyer specialized in international aviation law, with dual LL.M. degrees from the University of Washington and the University of Mississippi (Air & Space Law). With over a decade of experience spanning private practice, industry associations, and international institutions, she has built deep expertise in ICAO regulatory frameworks, air navigation and safety policy, and aviation compliance.
Her career includes serving as Legal Advisor to the Colombian delegation at the 42nd ICAO Assembly, an internship at ICAO's Legal Bureau supporting the 41st Assembly and the UAS/RPAS Legal Study Group, and nearly five years as a Senior Associate at Del Hierro Abogados advising commercial airlines on regulatory and operational matters. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of CADA, Colombia's civil aviation association, where she leads the organization's strategic, academic, and regulatory agenda.
A U.S. permanent resident based in New York, Juliana is completing the final step toward admission to the New York State Bar, having sat for the UBE in February 2026. She is fully fluent in English and Spanish.
Jesse Dillon
Jesse Dillon is responsible for developing leads and initiating economic development investments in Savannah and Chatham County, Georgia. Savannah is home to Gulfstream Aerospace, the largest aerospace manufacturer in the Southeast, and is strategically located within 100 miles of Boeing in Charleston, S.C., 140 miles of Embraer in Jacksonville, Fl., and 500 miles of Airbus in Mobile, Al., making it the ideal hub as an aerospace supplier.