New Member Spotlights
APRIL 2026
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.
FEBRUARY 2026
Margarita Mingret
Margarita Mingret spent 20 years at General Electric, gaining extensive international experience in The Netherlands, France, and the UK. She has dedicated 16 years to commercial and sales roles, including 6 years within GE Aerospace focused on Commercial Engines.
Belinda Egyed
Belinda Egyed has been with EUROCONTROL for 18 years, working on the Flow Management Position (FMP) since 2021. She is passionate about systems and flow management processes, with a strong analytical and results-driven mindset. She enjoys combining operational work with system improvements, collaborating closely with engineering teams to enhance performance.
Ashleigh Magoshe
Ashleigh Magoshe is a 23-year-old student at the University of Zimbabwe, pursuing a degree in Space Science and Technology. She resides in Norton, Zimbabwe, under the care of her grandmother, having lost her father and experiencing paternal orphan hood. She attained 12 As, 1B, and 17 Points at Ordinary and Advanced Level at St David's Girls' High, Bonda.
Marzena Erkelens
Marzena Erkelens has been working in the aerospace industry for over 20 years. She has been with Panasonic Avionics for 14 years and currently serves as a Sr. Director of Procurement. Previously, she worked for Safran and PMG. She completed an MBA with an emphasis on Leadership and Organizational Change Management from Pepperdine University, and Executive Education at Imperial College in London and the National University of Singapore.
Vijay Kothari
Vijay Kothari is an aerospace engineer based in India, with over 12 years of experience in structural analysis and aerospace program execution. He is passionate about leadership, mentorship, and promoting inclusive professional environments.
Paige Hoel
Paige Hoel is an early career scientist transitioning into aerospace from earth science. She finished her Ph.D. at UCLA in June of 2024 and has built a successful science communication channel of over 250k+ followers.
Kübra Mercan
Kübra Mercan is an aviation professional currently working as a Cargo Customer Experience & Customer Service Officer at Turkish Airlines (via subcontractor). With a solid background in Air Logistics, she focuses on ensuring seamless cargo operations and high-quality service standards. She is currently transitioning into academic advancement with a Bachelor’s in Aviation Management at IU International University to further specialize in global logistics management.
Annie Bacani
Annie Bacani is a first-generation, full-tuition Posse STEM Scholar and NYHTC Union Scholar pursuing an independent major in Science, Technology, and Society at Brandeis University. She is an incoming B.S. in Aeronautics candidate with a minor in Space Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, focused on utilizing science and policy for aviation/aerospace technology solutions. Her work is shaped by sustainable energy and current aerospace safety projects and research at MIT. Additionally, she is the future President-elect of the Brandeis Aviation Club, a student pilot, and the Student Program Director of the first-ever pilot program, "Training Materials for Aerial Photography with Drones (FAA 107 Licensing)," through the Brandeis MakerLab.
ANA GARCIA DE LEON
Ana Garcia De Leon studied Mathematics and started her career as a software developer in a telecommunications company. She entered the Air Traffic Management (ATM) field in 2000, and since then her career has evolved from programming into various leadership roles, including Team Lead, Product Management, and currently as Head of Unit. She has consistently worked on the engineering side, with a primary interest in technical evolution and complex systems. Having started as a trajectory expert, she now leads the unit responsible for developing critical systems for Air Traffic Management.
Amélie Ralle
Arcenia Martins Freitas Belo
Doryane Lemeunier
Csilla Szabó
Csilla Szabó is a seasoned communication specialist with over 15 years of experience across European institutions and international organisations. As Communication Officer at EUROCONTROL MUAC, she leads internal and external communication initiatives, major events, digital campaigns, and multimedia projects that support operational, recruitment, innovation, and stakeholder-engagement goals. Her background spans PR strategy, social media management, content creation, and project coordination for the European Parliament, European Commission, and various international NGOs. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, CSR, and environmental initiatives, she combines creativity with strategic thinking to deliver impactful communication across diverse channels and audiences. She is also a mother of two and an advocate for family enrichment activities.
Katie Flynn
Katie is an Irish Belgian Lawyer, working in an International Organisation for Air Traffic Control.
María Jesús Lara González
Maria is an elecommunications engineer with 20 years of experience in aviation.
Ana M. Beroiz Ripa
Ana completed her Master’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering in 2007 and began her career at Indra in the aviation sector, where she spent ten years working as a System Engineer for Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.
In 2017, she joined EUROCONTROL MUAC as a contractor, contributing to several projects with a strong focus on datalink and leading the operational implementation of ATS B2 at MUAC.
Ana became a MUAC staff member in 2020. She currently divides her responsibilities between datalink activities—including participation in RTCA/EUROCAE working groups for the standardisation of ATS B2—and her role as a System Level Engineer for the overall MUAC system. In this role, she is currently leading the design of the new MUAC’s fallback ATS system, which will introduce enhanced functionalities to support higher capacity in MUAC’s primary operational system.
Natalia Fernandez Notario
Natalia Fernandez Notario is an engineer with 18 years of experience in the aviation sector. She began her career providing ATM systems to ANSPs and currently serves as a Validation and Implementation officer at EUROCONTROL.
Tine Hermans
Tine Hermans joined Eurocontrol in February 2025. Originally from Belgium, she has spent more of her adult life abroad than at home. Her aviation journey began in Florida, where she trained as a commercial pilot. After converting her licenses to European standards, she discovered that air traffic control offered even more promising opportunities. She trained as an ACC Air Traffic Controller with NATS in the UK and worked for several years in Manchester and later in Scotland. Her career subsequently took her to Russia, the Netherlands, and eventually back to Belgium.
Following the birth of her son, she joined the Belgian ANSP skeyes, where she worked as a safety practitioner, course supervisor, OJTI, assessor, and training officer focusing on continuation and development training for ATCOs.
Outside of work, she enjoys crafting, reading, and staying active through tennis, cycling, running, yoga, rowing, skiing, or long walks. She is also passionate about good food and enjoys spending time in nature.
Madelyn Maier
Madelyn Maier serves as a CMR Process Transformation Leader at GE Aerospace and is currently in her first year of the three-year Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP). She has been with GE for five years.
Kieu Nguyen
Kieu Nguyen is an Executive Technical Product Management leader supporting GE Aerospace’s Commercial Programs and Business Operations teams. With over 20 years at GE Aerospace, she brings deep experience across Digital Technology, spanning operations, technical product management, and enterprise agile transformation.
Kieu has led initiatives across Supply Chain, Transformation, Sales & Marketing, and Customer Support Agreements, with a focus on simplifying complex systems, improving business outcomes, and driving scalable, sustainable change across the enterprise.
Naomi Micu
Naomi Micu was born and raised in the Central Valley of California, the sixth of nine children. Her paternal grandparents immigrated to the USA from the Philippines in the 1960s, and she grew up with rich traditions from both her paternal and maternal family. In high school, her father took her and her siblings to participate in the Young Eagle program. She began pursuing aviation science during her freshman year of college, finished her PPL that summer, and is currently a sophomore. She worked throughout high school and continues to work part-time to pay for her education and flight training.