The Air Charter Safety Foundation has announced the election of three aviation industry professionals to the ACSF’s Board of Governors: Magellan Jets’s Matthew Harris, Flexjet’s Kent Stauffer and Talon Air’s Jay Thakor.
Effective immediately, Harris, Stauffer and Thakor will join the ACSF’s current board to help guide the rapidly expanding ACSF organization in pursuit of its goals. The election was confirmed by the Foundation’s President & CEO, Bryan Burns, following the ACSF’s October 18th board meeting.
Burns praised the election of the three aviation professionals, noting that their extensive experience in the industry will serve the ACSF well as it moves ahead with its safety-focused mission.
“We’re very fortunate to have Matthew, Kent and Jay joining us,” he said. “Their support and expertise will be critical to help the ACSF expand our membership with new offerings, such as the Member Assistance Program, and focus on issues that matter to our membership (e.g., tackling mental health and getting ready for the pending SMS regulation for Part 135 operators).
Following is a brief summary of the new board members’ background and experience:
Matthew Harris, the Executive Vice President & COO of Magellan Jets, based in Quincy, Massachusetts, has been a thought leader in the private aviation industry more than 20 years. He joined Magellan Jets earlier this year, prior to co-founding Milestone Aviation, in Dublin, Ireland. As EVP at Milestone Aviation, he oversaw Technical Operations and Leasing Operations. Additionally, he previously led owner and employee services at NetJets, as an EVP. Harris attended the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
Kent Stauffer is the Vice President of Safety for Flexjet, based in Cleveland, Ohio, where he’s worked for more than 20 years under the Flexjet/Onesky Aviation umbrella. Based in Cleveland, Stauffer oversees all aspects of Flight, Maintenance and Environmental Health and Safety, along with associated Regulatory Compliance. Stauffer holds several accreditations, including those in Aviation Maintenance, Operations and Aviation Security/Aircraft Accident Investigation. He is a licensed Airframe & Powerplant mechanic, pilot and UAS remote pilot. Stauffer is an active outreach trainer with the FAA Safety Team (FAAST), and participates in numerous aviation industry and higher education boards, regulatory working groups and industry committees.
Jay Thakor, GSP, is the Director of Safety at Talon Air, based in Farmingdale, New York. Prior to Talon Air, he was the Aircraft Safety Programs Manager for Clay Lacy Aviation in Los Angeles, California, as well as the Director of Safety and Security for Advanced Air LLC, also in Los Angeles. A certified Graduate Safety Practitioner, Thakor attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace & Occupational Safety, as well as a Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management.
For nearly 15 years, the ACSF has served as the only non-commercial resource to the business, charter and fractional ownership industry. Harris, Stauffer and Thakor join a board of governors comprised of industry thought leaders and influencers at the ACSF, all of whom share a mutual vision of continuously improving the levels of safety and security for everyone. One of the ACSF’s chief goals is to continue to set the bar for a common, elevated and uncompromising level of safety that every operator should aspire to attain, and every passenger and crewmember should come to expect.
To view the current list of Board of Governors, visit: acsf.aero/board-of-governors. To learn more about the benefits of membership with the Air Charter Safety Foundation, visit acsf.aero/membership.
