Charlie Precourt recently retired as the vice president and general manager of the Propulsion Systems business at Northrop Grumman. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Experimental Aircraft Association, the National Business Aviation Association, and the Safety Committee for the Citation Jet Pilots Association. Precourt, who retired as an Air Force colonel in 2000, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1977 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He was an F-15 pilot, instructor, and flight commander, and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. He has over 11,000 hours in over 90 different types of aircraft, and is type-rated in several Citation aircraft models and exhibition warbird jet aircraft. A veteran of four space flights and member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Precourt held several management positions within NASA, including deputy program manager for the International Space Station, chief of the Astronaut Corps, and director of operations for NASA at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Patrick Chovanec is an economic advisor and former chief strategist for Silvercrest Asset Management. He has spent much of his life in China and traveled to over 45 countries, including North Korea. He taught as an Associate Professor of Practice at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM) in Beijing and as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Patrick’s insights into the global economy and US-China relations have been featured in major media outlets, including CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, Fox Business, NPR, BBC, and print media such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, Business Week, and Foreign Policy. Previously, Patrick worked in Washington, DC, as an aide to political strategist William Kristol and to Speaker of the House John Boehner. He also served for nine years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. Patrick began learning to fly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and earned his Private Pilot’s License in September 2021. He wrote Cleared for the Option for readers who share the curiosity he had – about what pilots actually learn and do to become pilots. 

A pilot for more than three decades, Craig Fuller is the owner and CEO of FLYING Media Group. Since taking the helm of FLYING in late 2021, Fuller has expanded the company's portfolio dramatically beyond Flying Magazine, already the world’s most widely read aviation magazine, to include a network of nearly 30 additional aviation brands. He also is the CEO and founder of FreightWaves, the leading provider of data and analytics for the global logistics industry. Prior to FreightWaves, Fuller was the founder and CEO of TransCard, a major provider of fleet fuel and debit cards that was sold to US Bank. He is a trucking industry veteran, having founded and managed the Xpress Direct division of US Xpress Enterprises, a leading provider of on-demand expedited truckload services. He holds a BBA from Baylor University and is a private pilot. He lives with his wife and five kids in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As President and CEO of GAMA, Pete Bunce travels worldwide engaging regulators, policymakers, and elected officials to promote GA and advance the interests of a global membership of more than 140 airframe, avionics, engine, and component manufacturers, as well as the world’s leading business aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul companies. He retired from the USAF in March 2005, with his last assignment as the Director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison. Previously, Pete flew F-15s and A-10s, while commanding several large operational fighter units. He remains an active pilot with more than 7,500 hours in military fighter and training aircraft as well as civil piston, turboprop, and business jet aircraft. Pete serves on the FAA’s NextGen Advisory Committee, MITRE Corporation’s Aviation Advisory Committee, the NASA Advisory Council Aeronautics Committee, and the board of directors of the RAF and Veterans Airlift Command. Additionally, he is a trustee of the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation and a member of the FAA's Management Advisory Council. Among many accolades, he was named the Aviation Industry Leader of the Year by the Living Legends of Aviation in 2007, awarded the ICAS Sword of Excellence in 2009, inducted as a Living Legend of Aviation in 2010, and into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 2022.

Elizabeth Tennyson is Chief Operating Officer of AOPA, overseeing the AOPA Foundation, You Can Fly, Media and Marketing, Corporate Relations, Member Services, and the AOPA Pilot Information Center/Flight Operations. She previously served as senior vice president, overseeing the AOPA Foundation and You Can Fly programs and initiatives. As part of her work, the AOPA High School Aviation STEM Curriculum greatly expanded to more than 23,000 students in more than 950 schools. Prior to joining You Can Fly, she held positions throughout the association that included director of Publications and managing editor of Flight Training magazine; vice president of Publications and executive editor of AOPA Pilot magazine; vice president of e-Publishing; senior director of Communications; and vice president of Aviation Program Operations. Before joining AOPA, Tennyson was a television, radio, and wire service reporter for The Associated Press. She also served as editor in chief for a collection of legal and golf magazines. Tennyson is an instrument-rated private pilot and a hang glider pilot. She serves on the boards of the Aerospace Center for Excellence and the Aviation Accreditation Board International, and the advisory board of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals.

Jens Hennig is responsible for GAMA’s activities for advancing safety, security, and operations. He is the association’s primary staff person on ATC modernization and issues affecting manufacturer flight operations. Jens is actively engaged in the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee which is an essential body to advance safety based on data- driven, systematic processes, and serves as co-chair of its Safety Analysis Team. He is currently appointed to the aircraft manufacturer seat on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) and serves as its GA subcommittee chair. Jens has been a member of EASA's Flight Standards subcommittee since 2005, focusing on the agency’s extension of scope and the establishment of a safety agreement between the European Union and the United States. He also has served on the RTCA Advisory Board since 2019 and joined the National Aircraft Finance Association board in 2022. Previously, he served as chair of EASA’s Operational Suitability Data rulemaking group for type design changes, chaired the FAA’s airman training and testing standards rulemaking committee, served as co-chair of FAA’s Aircraft System Information Security / Protection working group on cybersecurity, and served as the GA manufacturing industry’s representative on the Joint Aviation Authorities Operations Sectorial Team.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Everette Rochon joined the FAA in 2009 with almost 20 years of aviation experience as a Naval Flight Officer, Navy Safety and Standardization Instructor, civil flight instructor, and airline pilot. In 2014, he led the team that successively finalized part 107 of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, which is the first rule in the U.S. to allow pilot certification and operations of small UAS for non-hobby and non-recreational purposes. Currently, Mr. Rochon manages the group responsible for the training and certification of pilots and flight Instructors, part 141 pilot school support, FAA approval and use of Aviation Training Devices, and Aviation Safety Inspector (General Aviation Operations) qualifications and currency.