MEET OUR TEAM

Jon Hay

President & CEO

jhay@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Jon’s career began in 1996 when he started at Hillsboro Aviation as maintenance shop intern while earning his A&P license at Portland Community College. After earning his A&P, Jon worked in the maintenance shop for nine years supporting school operations and helicopter firefighting contracts. He also served as the Airplane Charter Lead Mechanic and started the company’s Robinson R22 overhaul department.

While working at Hillsboro Aviation, Jon received his bachelor’s degree in aviation from Multnomah University and his helicopter Private Pilot Certificate. After graduating in 2005, Jon took over management of the flight school. In 2009, Jon was promoted to General Manager and held this position until 2014 when Hillsboro Aviation sold its flight training business. The school is now known as Hillsboro Aero Academy, and Jon became the CEO and President. Jon is also an investor/owner of Hillsboro Aero Academy and serves on its board of directors.

Natalia Cimpean

General Manager

ncimpean@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Natalia joined Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 2008. Prior to working here, she held different management positions from Executive Director for a start-up company to Business Manager for a construction company. Natalia holds a bachelor’s degree in math and a Master of Business Administration from George Fox University. Currently, Natalia is working on her airplane Private Pilot Certificate.

During her time with the company, she has had different responsibilities in accounting, customer service and management making her an excellent fit for the General Manager position.

David Morse

VP of Operations

dmorse@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Originally from Kansas, David began his flight training in 2002. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kansas University, he continued his flight education at Flight Safety International in Florida. In 2006, he moved to TransPac Aviation Academy, formerly PanAm, for a flight instructor position. David is an Airline Transport-rated pilot with over 3,000 incident and accident-free hours. He holds CFI, CFII, MEI, and AGI certificates. With a student pass rate of 90 percent, he was awarded the FAA Gold Seal Instructor rating.

David has approximately 10 years of management experience in the flight training industry holding director-level positions student services, customer relations, operations, as well as Chief Instructor.

David joined Hillsboro Aero Academy in 2017. As VP of Operations, David is responsible for overseeing all of our flight training operations.

Dan Doepker

Managing Director of Training

ddoepker@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Dan was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana where his passion for flying began. He graduated from the University of North Dakota (UND) in 2008 with a degree in aviation management where he also received his airplane ratings through his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Rating. Dan spent his college summers working as a jump pilot, scenic pilot and a VFR 135 charter pilot. He also worked as a flight instructor for UND before moving to Portland in 2008 to work for Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation. In 2009, he went through Hillsboro Aero Academy’s helicopter flight training program and accomplished his dream of being a dual-rated pilot. Dan has his airplane CFI, CFII and MEI along with his helicopter CFI and CFII. He previously worked as a CFI, an Airplane Assistant Chief Instructor, and Helicopter Chief Instructor before accepting his current position.

Max Lyons

President Emeritus

1.503.726.3000

Max comes from a fourth-generation lumber family, and his first involvement with the helicopter industry came in 1974 as a ground crew member for a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane. His flying career began when he enrolled in Hillsboro Aviation’s helicopter pilot program. In 1988, Max was hired as a helicopter Certified Flight Instructor and the manager of its foreign student pilot program. Later, Max became a charter pilot flying turbine helicopters for various operations. In 1992, he was promoted to General Manager responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations. After leading the company for seven years as its General Manager, Max purchased Hillsboro Aviation and became its President and CEO.

In 2014, Max sold the flight school portion of Hillsboro Aviation which became Hillsboro Aero Academy. Max continues his involvement with Hillsboro Aero Academy as a member of its board of directors.

Chuck Hagele

Director of Maintenance

chagele@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Chuck started his aviation career in 1988 while in high school learning to fly and work on aircraft. On his 16th birthday, he completed his first solo flight. Chuck is an instrument-rated airplane private pilot. He completed his flight training in 2002 at Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation. With a primarily maintenance-focused career, Chuck is an A&P mechanic with inspection authorization. Before coming to Hillsboro Aero Academy in 2015, Chuck held the Chief Inspector position for five years at a part 145 repair station and the Director of Maintenance position for three years at a part 135 EMS operator where he worked for 12 years. Chuck holds an associate’s degree in aviation science from Eastern New Mexico University.

Brett Hart

Director of Admissions

bhart@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Brett started at Hillsboro Aero Academy in 2016 as the Director of Admissions. He received both his bachelor’s degree in public administration and marketing and his master’s in public administration from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Prior to joining Hillsboro Aero Academy, Brett spent several years leading the admissions team for a flight school in Florida. As Director of Admissions, Brett is responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of potential students from across the globe.

Brett is planning on starting his private pilot training in 2017.

Amy Smith

Director of Marketing & Communication

asmith@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Amy started at Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 2009. She holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Gonzaga University. Prior to joining Hillsboro Aero Academy, Amy worked in marketing for non-profit and financial service companies. As the Director of Marketing and Communication, she is responsible for all marketing communications, digital strategy and supporting new business initiatives. She is also currently filling the role of Director of Admissions, on an interim basis, supporting the student recruitment and enrollment process.

Brian Stubbs

Safety Manager

bstubbs@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Brian began his flying career in 1995 when he graduated from Moody Aviation School with a degree in Aviation Technology. After working for Hillsboro Helicopters in 1996 as an airplane CFI, he began a fifteen-year flying career as a Mission Pilot, better known as a “Bush Pilot” in West Papua, Indonesia. During that time Brian served as a pilot, Instructor Pilot,  Chief Pilot, and General Manager for a nonprofit, humanitarian flight department where the airplane was the only link to bringing medical services, emergency evacuations, and aid in the form of community development projects. Brian, his wife Susan, and their four sons have also lived in the Philippines and Uganda East Africa. Aside from flying Brian had the privilege of serving his local community as a Police Officer.  During his years working in both aviation and law enforcement, Brian developed a passion for safety which made him a perfect fit to serve as Hillsboro Aero Academy’s Saftey Manager ensuring safety in all of our flight and ground operations.

Jared Friend

Business Development

jfriend@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Jared is a Commercial helicopter pilot. Previously with Hillsboro Aviation, he worked in numerous roles, including Helicopter Chief Instructor, Charter Pilot, Safety Manager, and FAA Compliance Manager. Jared also has experience as an electronic news gathering pilot and has worked for several news stations and was Chief Pilot at KATU News Portland. Most recently, he was the Business Development Director at a durable medical equipment company based out of Eugene, Oregon. He returned to flight training in 2017 when he joined Hillsboro Aero Academy in the business development role to help the academy explore new opportunities.

Ashley Souza

CFI Recruitment Coordinator

asouza@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Ashley began working in the aviation field eight years ago. She joined the Hillsboro Aero Academy team in 2015 as the flight coordinator for the airplane training school. Shortly after, she began working in the admissions department to support prospective students from all over the world. Ashley’s current the role at Hillsboro Aero Academy is recruiting and hiring flight instructors for employment.

Ashley took her first introduction flight in a Cessna 182 back in 2010 at the Klamath Falls Airport in Oregon. After a few seconds on the flight controls, she knew she was destined for aviation and began taking flight lessons. It was love at first bank. Ashley earned her wings in 2014, and is currently working on her Commercial Pilot Certificate. She enjoys aerobatic flights, chasing sunsets from the sky and inspiring others to follow their own flight path.

Lavinia Petre

Human Resources Generalist

lpetre@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Lavinia joined the Hillsboro Aero Academy team, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in December 2013 and is now the Human Resources Generalist. Lavinia has a bachelor’s degree in Japanese and English and a master’s degree in business communication. Before moving to U.S. in 2013, she spent a year in Japan studying the language and culture and five years teaching English as a second language in Romania. In her spare time, Lavinia enjoys reading, road trips and, occasionally, tormenting the guitar she got on her birthday.

Will Marchbanks

Lead Admissions Representative

wmarchbanks@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Will, an Oregon native, had a passion for aviation at a very young age. Having a grandfather who retired from NASA, Will had a mind for aviation from the beginning. He took his first flight on his 16^th birthday in a relative’s ultralight aircraft and knew someday he would pursue his passion for flight. After graduating high school, he decided to attend college at Pacific University in Forest Grove and fell in love with the area. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public health and then became a wildland firefighter and worked for Horizon Air as a ground services agent. He started his flight training at Hillsboro Aero Academy in October of 2015. In June 2016, Will joined the admissions team to help other prospective pilots fulfill their dreams. He is still actively flight training and hopes to work as a flight instructor after he completes his training and then go back to Horizon Air and eventually Alaska Airlines as a pilot.

Rich Reece

Admissions Representative

rreece@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Rich is a fourth-generation Oregonian originally born in Eugene. He’s a great admirer of the diverse topography of our region and finds himself often looking toward the sky for airplanes. Rich earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and geography from Portland State University, and he has an associate’s degree in flight technology from Lane Community College. He has a Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Instrument Rating and hopes to complete his CFI in the near future. When he’s not helping students start on the path to achieving their aviation goals, Rich enjoys drumming and writing short stories.

Brady Willis

Admissions Representative

bwillis@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Brady was born and raised in Eugene where his dad would take him to the airport to watch planes take off and land. This experience convinced hims that one day he would be a pilot. He studied flight technology at Lane Community College where he began his flight training. Currently he holds a Private Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating and is working on his Commercial Multi Engine Rating. Brady’s goal is to finish his flight training with Hillsboro Aero Academy and then continue his career as a pilot with Horizon Air and eventually Alaska Airlines.

Shasta Sevcik

Operations Manager

ssevcik@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Shasta started at Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 2005 as an airplane student through the Portland Community College Aviation Science program. When she began her training, she also worked as a dispatcher and was later promoted to Lead Dispatcher, a position she held from 2006-2013. Shasta has a bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics with a minor in aviation management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has her airplane Private Pilot Certificate. In 2014, she took the opportunity of backpacking solo for nine months to pursue her passion for travel and experiencing new cultures. Upon her return from traveling, she worked for Hillsboro Aviation Inc. and Life Flight Network. As the Operations Manager at Hillsboro Aero Academy, Shasta is responsible for the dispatch and scheduling departments for every campus.

Carrie Williams

School Administration Manager

cwilliams@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Originally from Florida, Carrie came to Hillsboro via Arizona 8 years ago following her pilot husband. She has a bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and spent 10 years working at Embry-Riddle in flight records, scheduling, and systems administration. Carrie joined the Hillsboro Aero Academy team in 2016. As the School Administration Manager, she is in charge of our Student Success Services department which handles everything from student housing and visas to testing and China program administrative support.  The Student Success team also manages student progress tracking, and advising.

In her spare time, Carrie enjoys anything soccer related, hiking, and getting her toes into the sand as often as possible.

Satoru Kamoshita

Asia Program Manager

asiaflighttraining@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Satoru Kamoshita (SK) is the Asia Program Manager and a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).

As the Asia Program Manager, SK works with our Korean, Taiwanese, Brazilian and Japanese students and has trained over 500 pilots who fly for major airlines all over the world. He started as a flight instructor at Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 1997 and took his current position in 2006. SK graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a master’s degree in aeronautical management. He is an airline transport pilot with a type rating in YS-11 and Dash 8 Q400. Before joining Hillsboro Aviation, SK was a YS-11 captain for Philippine Airlines. He also ferried aircraft from Japan to locations such as Africa, Singapore and North America and trained local pilots. He has over 12,750 flight hours.

Linda Cramer

Redmond Campus Manager

lcramer@flyhaa.com
1.541.362.5644

Linda started with Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in January 2013. This job was her first exposure to aviation after over 20 years of office management experience in the software development and e-commerce industries. Linda’s primary focus throughout her career has been to offer excellent customer service. In her previous position, Linda worked closely with our President Jon Hay on various tasks including assisting with day-to-day operations and managing special projects. Then in 2017, she relocated to Central Oregon to take over management of our Redmond Campus.

Lasse Brevik

Helicopter Chief Instructor

lbrevik@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Lasse was born and raised in Norway. His interest in helicopters began at an early age watching EMS helicopters depart from a neighborhood heliport. After a flight over New York City with his dad in 2012, Lasse decided to move to the US to start training with Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, and pursue his dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. Upon completion of his training, Lasse was hired as a Certified Flight Instructor and later promoted to the Helicopter Chief Instructor position.

Jordan Bartel

Airplane Chief Instructor - Hillsboro Campus

jbartel@flyhaa.com
1.503.726.3000

Jordan lived in four different countries growing up but considers Denver, Colorado his hometown. He has always been fascinated by airplanes and started his aviation training in 2006 in Newton, Kansas, and later became an instructor there. Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bethel College. He came to Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 2011 to work as a Certified Flight Instructor. In 2015, he was promoted to Airplane Assistant Chief Instructor and in 2017 became the Airplane Chief Instructor for the Hillsboro campus. In this role, Jordan is responsible for airplane flight training operations and overseeing all of our airplane CFIs in Hillsboro.

Blake Segoria

Airplane Chief Instructor - Troutdale Campus

bsegoria@flyhaa.com
1.503.489.1142

Blake began flight training at Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA in 2005 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aviation and his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Rating and Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) Rating. Blake joined Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, in 2011 and worked extensively with our China program in Troutdale as a ground instructor and then as the Airplane Assistant Chief Instructor. In 2015, he accepted the China Program Manager position overseeing all aspects of our Chinese training program at each campus. In 2017, Blake accepted the position of Chief Instructor for the Troutdale campus.

Nik Kresse

Airplane Chief Instructor - Redmond Campus

nkresse@flyhaa.com
1.541.362.5644

Nik began flight training at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana where he completed his multi-engine commercial training. In 2011, Nik moved home to Portland and began training at Hillsboro Aero Academy, formerly Hillsboro Aviation, to complete his Certified Flight Instructor Rating. After completing his CFI, he accepted a position as a Ground Instructor for our China program and was recently promoted to the Chief Instructor of our Redmond campus.