Leadership

Executive Team

Board of Advisors

Brett Smith

Chief Executive Officer

Brett founded Propeller Airports LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Propeller Investments, to leverage airport privatization in the U.S. Airport sector. Prior to Propeller, from 1999 to 2006, he co-founded and served as Chairman & CEO of ei3 Corporation, where he was responsible for all corporate finance, strategic direction, licensing and partnership activities. From 1996 to 1998, he was Director of Business Development at Presstek, Inc. where he was an integral part of the restructuring team for their equipment subsidiary. Prior to that he held positions in areas of business development and analysis with Asia Times newspaper and Susquehanna Investment Group.

Brett has served on the Board of Directors for ICAD, a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: ICAD) and on the boards of various organizations including The United Ways Children with Learning Disabilities Foundation, Human Rights Watch's NY Committee as well as The Landmark School. Currently, Brett is a member of the Board of the Association of Washington Business, The State of Washington's oldest & largest statewide business association and serves as a Trustee for the Dublin School. Brett is a licensed private pilot and currently lives in Seattle with his family. Brett holds a B.A in Political Science from Emory University.

George Brennan

Vice President of Business Operations

George joined Propeller in October of 2023, as the Vice President of Business Operations. Prior to joining Propeller, George spent two years as a management consultant in New York City and then the last nine years leading operations organizations for high growth startup's in the technology industry.

His education includes a Bachelor's degree from Brown University and a Masters of Business Degree from the University of California Haas Business school.

Thomas Amano

Director of Operations

Thomas joined Propeller in August 2018, initially serving as the Director of Operations and Security. He brings to the table over 28 years of leadership experience as a quality-driven US Navy veteran. His expertise encompasses a wide array of fields including aviation operations and security, program management, emergency management, and process improvement. In 2022, Thomas transitioned into the role of Vice President of Terminal Operations.

His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Additionally, he holds Black, Green, and Lean Six Sigma certificates from Villanova University, reflecting his dedication to optimizing processes and ensuring top-notch quality management.

Actively engaging in professional affiliations, Thomas is a current member of respected organizations such as the American Association of Airport Executives and the Northwest Chapter of the Airport Executives Association. Through his active participation, Thomas demonstrates a commitment to staying informed about the latest developments in the aviation industry and cultivating meaningful connections within the business community.

Jessica Kilgore

Director of Communications

Jessica joined Propeller as the Director of Communications in May 2014. Prior to joining Propeller, Jessica was a charter member of the Salute America Air Show. During her four years with the non-profit, she held various roles aiding in the growth and development of marketing, communications, and hospitality for the organization.

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Public Relations from Kennesaw State University.

Mark Reichin

Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Reichin joined Propeller Investments in 2009 as Chief Commercial Officer after co-founding and acting as CEO of Alerion, a family office focused on aircraft management. Prior to assuming the senior leadership role at Alerion, Mark served as Senior Vice President of PrivatAir, one of the world's leading aviation services companies. Mark was responsible for record revenue growth and development of the company's next generation dispatch and customer service operations. Earlier he was a member of a private equity firm that focused on M&A transactions in the airline, aviation and aerospace industry sectors. As Chief Executive Officer of Internet.com, Mark led the pioneering Internet software and services company that was responsible for bringing fortune 500 companies, that included national print media, the international healthcare information industry and the launch of Comdex to the internet.

Mark's business expertise has focused on international business development and global M&A transactions. He brings substantial experience in international marketing as well as expertise in commercial real estate development. His Global aviation management experience includes Director of Operations for the establishment of air carrier operations in both FAA and EASA regulatory environments.

A licensed pilot since the age of 17 with IFR and multi-engine ratings, he has accumulated more than 12,000 hours of flight time. Mark serves on both corporate and non-profit boards. He is also an active member of National Business Aircraft Association, The Wings Club, National Air Transportation Association and the Aero Clubs of New England, Washington and Atlanta. Mark attended the University of Massachusetts and Northeastern University.

Ana Paula Villa

Director of Finance

Ana joined Propeller Airports in October 2016 as the Director of Finance. Prior to joining Propeller, Ana was the CFO of Qranio, a Brazilian mobile learning platform focused on customized training solutions for the B2B and B2C markets. Previously, Ana worked in residential mortgage-backed lending at Interaudi Bank, a private bank based in New York City and Miami.

Ana holds a B.S. in Management from Boston College and a M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Jack Rossi

Vice President & General Counsel

Jack joined Propeller as its chief legal officer in 2021, after over fifteen years with major U.S. airlines.

He brings extensive experience in aviation regulatory law and a broad spectrum of aviation-related business transactions including real property leasing and acquisition, design and construction, project finance, retail and food concessions, and environmental matters.

Jack most recently served as Associate General Counsel at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. He was principal regulatory attorney for the airlines, and lead lawyer for real estate and airport affairs. Before joining Alaska, Jack served in various roles in the Legal Department of JetBlue Airways.

Jack received his B.A. from Fordham University and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. He has been a member of the bar in New York and Massachusetts since 2008, and Washington since 2018.

He presently serves as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve, where he provides part-time legal assistance to soldiers and their families.

An active member of the aviation bar, Jack currently serves on the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Air & Space Law.

Robert Aaronson

Bob joined the Board of Directors for Propeller Airports in December of 2013 as its Chairman, bringing significant national and international experience. Over the past 40 years Bob has worked within the aviation sector from every perspective. Prior to serving as the Director General of Airports Council International World from 2002 to 2008, Bob had direct responsibility for the management and development of six major U.S. airports, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages three of the world's largest airports - John F. Kennedy International Airport, La Guardia Airport and Newark International Airport.

Earlier, Bob was appointed by the U.S. Government as the top official in the Federal Aviation Administration responsible for nationwide airport standards, safety and development. From 1989 to 1992, Bob was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the trade group of the major North American passenger and cargo airlines.

In 1993, Bob became Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Air Terminal - which became Airport Group International (AGI) and was one of the first firms engaged in worldwide airport development and operations. In 1997, he left the management of AGI to establish his own consulting firm, Strategies For Airports, Inc., which subsequently became part of the global Lufthansa Consulting organization and he was appointed its Executive Vice President - Americas.

Bob was elected as Chairman of the Airport Operators Council International (the predecessor organization of ACI-NA). He also served as President of the (US) National Association of State Aviation Officials, and President of the Wings Club (in New York). Currently, he serves as an appointed Board member of the Connecticut Airport Authority.

Chris Beall

Chris is the Managing Partner and a Founder of NOVA Infrastructure and has over 20 years of experience in private equity, investment banking and infrastructure operations and engineering.

Since 2017 Chris has built NOVA and leads the execution of its infrastructure investments in the target sectors of transportation, environmental services, energy and energy transition, and communications. Chris serves as Chair of NOVA’s Investment Committee.

Prior to NOVA, Chris was a Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager for Oaktree Capital’s Infrastructure Investing strategy, following Oaktree’s acquisition of Highstar Capital in 2014. He was one of four owners and a Partner of Highstar Capital, a fourth-generation infrastructure private equity firm responsible for over $6.3 billion of infrastructure investments. Earlier in his career, Chris worked in Lehman Brothers’ energy investment banking group and as an engineer in the oil and gas industry.

Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Passenger Rail Corporation (Amtrak), the largest provider of passenger rail service in the U.S.; nominated by President Obama in 2012 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2013. He also serves on the Board for Integrated Waste Solutions Group, a vertically integrated waste platform that he co-founded, and telMAX, a fiber and telecom services platform.

Chris holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Steven E. Harfst

Steve joined Propeller in February 2016 as President of Propeller. He has over 30 years of leadership experience in the military, domestic and international commercial aviation industry. Steve has served as the COO of Allegiant Air, President and CEO of USA 3000 Airlines, as the start-up COO of IndiGo, India's most successful and profitable commercial airline and COO of North American Airlines. Steve began his aviation career with ten years of military service as a United States Naval Aviator piloting the F-14 Tomcat. Steve left active duty service in June 1996 after accumulating over 1,600 hours of flight time and 227 arrested landings.

Currently, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation based in Philadelphia, PA and is a commercially licensed airline transport pilot. Steve holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington.

Dave Hurley

David C. Hurley has over 30 years of experience in marketing and sales in the aerospace and telecommunications industries and is currently Vice Chairman of PrivatAir of Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of Flight Services Group by PrivatAir. Mr. Hurley founded FSG, one of the world's largest providers of corporate aircraft management, executive charter, and aircraft sales and acquisitions in the U.S., in 1984. Prior to founding FSG, he was the Senior Vice President of domestic and international sales for Canadair Challenger and a member of the marketing team that was responsible for the launch of the program and delivery of the first one hundred Challengers. He also served as regional vice president of the Cessna Aircraft Company and as director of marketing, government and military products division, for the Harris Intertype Corporation. Flying since he was fourteen years old, Mr. Hurley is a licensed pilot operating propeller and turbine aircraft. He is currently Chairman of the Board at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and has served on various boards including BE Aerospace, the Corporate Angel Network, the Wings Club, Aerosat, Inc., Applied Energetics and Capital Route Limited.

Jack Rossi

Jack served as Vice President & General Counsel of Propeller from 2021 to 2024 and joined the Board after stepping down from his management position.

With over 15 years practicing law in the aerospace industry, Jack brings extensive experience in aviation regulatory law, airport affairs, and a broad spectrum of aviation-related business transactions, including real property leasing and acquisition, design and construction, project finance, retail and food concessions, and environmental matters.

He currently serves as Senior Counsel at Amazon Air. Before joining Propeller, he was Associate General Counsel at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, and previously served in various roles in the Legal Department of JetBlue Airways.

Jack received his B.A. from Fordham University and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. He has been a member of the bar in New York and Massachusetts since 2008, and Washington since 2018.

An active member of the aviation bar, in 2023 Jack was elected Chair Elect of the ABA Forum on Air & Space Law. He also presently serves as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps