ACSF Announces New Chairman and Vice-Chairman

The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has announced the selection of Kent Stauffer, Vice President Safety for Flexjet, as its new ACSF Chairman and Michael Wootton, Director of Operations for Advanced Air, as ACSF Vice Chairman, effective January 1, 2025.  Kent will succeed Todd Weeber, whose term expires the end of December 2024.

Kent Stauffer is a leading aviation safety professional who heads safety for Flexjet. He is a pilot, UAS pilot and A&P mechanic. Kent holds several accreditations in Aviation Science, Aviation Maintenance, and Accident Investigation. His broad background in aviation safety specializes in human factors, risk management, flight and ground operations, Safety Management Systems (SMS), and accident investigation.

Kent serves on several industry and FAA work groups and is an active member of the FAA Safety Team (FAAST). He participates as an aviation advisory board member for several Part 147 and 141 schools and colleges and chairs the NBAA Maintenance Safety Sub-Committee. Kent is a recognized speaker within the industry as well as in health care systems, educating their care-giver teams in aviation safety and culture concepts.

Mike has built and maintained a close working relationship with the FAA while developing Advanced Air’s Flight Operations Department and Operational Capabilities across. He is a certified Airline Transport Pilot with several type ratings in business jets. Mike has served as a Chief Pilot, Check pilot and Instructor on several aircraft types. Mike also serves as a Captain on Gulfstream 550 and Dornier 328Jet. He studied Criminology at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

“We are excited to welcome Kent and Mike into their new leadership roles at ACSF,” said Bryan Burns, CEO and President of ACSF. “Their vast experience and dedication to aviation safety will be a tremendous asset as we continue to promote the highest safety standards in the business and air charter industry.”

For a complete list of the ACSF’s Board of Governors and Advisory Board, visit acsf.aero/about/board-of-governors. To view the Executive Board, visit acsf.aero/about/executive-committee

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.