About Us

With over thirty years as a pilot, Eric is the founder of Tradewind Aviation. He began his aviation career as a charter sales representative for Westchester Air, eventually serving as a pilot, Director of Marketing, and General Manager. Prior to aviation, Eric developed residential and commercial real estate in southern New York and founded a successful e-commerce business. Eric holds a B.S. in entrepreneurial management and economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. Eric is also founder and President of the D-Day Squadron, a philanthropic organization dedicated to historic aircraft from World War II.

David is a founding member of Tradewind and is responsible for sales, marketing, and business development. Prior to Tradewind, David served as brand and product director with several leading online marketing services firms. David is an instrument-rated pilot and holds a B.S. in Finance and Management Information Systems from the University of Vermont.

With over 15 years as a certificated pilot Adam brings considerable experience to the Tradewind Aviation team. Adam graduated magna cum laude from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2003 with a Bachelors degree in Aeronautical Science. He currently holds an Air Transport Pilot certificate as well as an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic’s certificate. Adam’s experience prior to coming to Tradewind includes flight instructing in both land and sea planes.

With over 20 years of finance experience, Rich is Tradewind Aviation’s first-ever Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Tradewind, Rich worked for the New York Stock Exchange and other multinational corporations in the financial industry. Rich has a B.S. in Economics from Penn State University and an MBA from Fordham University.

Crist is responsible for all aspects of Tradewind's people including Human Resources, talent management, team member training & development, pilot training experience, compensation & benefits strategy. Prior to Tradewind, Crist held HR Leadership positions across the Retail and Financial Services sectors specializing in luxury retail. Crist holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Brain Behavior, Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan.

As Vice President of Revenue, Jen is responsible for the Sales and Marketing teams at Tradewind. Jen has a B.A. in Communications and an M.B.A. in Transportation Economics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. After more than 8 years in the aviation industry, Jen has extensive knowledge on aircraft sourcing, vendor partnerships, global account management, client retention, and client experience.

Responsible for the maintenance of the Tradewind fleet, Kyle has 20+ years of experience in the aviation industry. Kyle started at Tradewind Aviation in 2004 as an apprentice and became Director of Maintenance in 2009. Kyle holds an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic’s Certificate and an Inspection Authorization Certificate. Kyle graduated from the Stratford School for Aviation, Maintenance Technicians in 2004.

Elizaveta started with Tradewind in 2017 as a Pilatus PC-12 First Officer, before being promoted to Standards Captain, Instructor, Assistant Chief Pilot, and now Chief Pilot. Elizaveta is a Certified Flight Instructor and holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and a B.S. from Lesgaft National State University. Prior to Tradewind, Elizaveta was a Flight Instructor on full-motion flight simulators.

Now Director of Safety and Regulatory Compliance, Sarah started with Tradewind in 2016 as a Flight Coordinator. Sarah has a B.S. in Aviation Science & Aviation Management from Bridgewater State University and is currently working towards her master’s in aviation safety from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Sarah has over a decade of experience in the aviation industry and holds a Private Pilot License along with certifications in Instrument Rating and WYVERN Safety Leadership.

With over 15 years of experience in the aviation industry, Tara is the Director of Sales for Tradewind. Before Tradewind, Tara worked for CitationAir by Cessna and Boeing. Tara started with Tradewind in 2016 as a scheduler, before being promoted to Dispatch Supervisor, Dispatch Manager, and now Director of Sales. Tara graduated from Dutchess Community College with a degree in Business Administration in 2006.

Now Director of Scheduling and Dispatch, Blake started with Tradewind as a Charter Sales Representative in 2012. He has also worked as a Dispatch Supervisor and Charter Department Advisor for Tradewind. Blake holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation/Air Traffic Management and an Associate degree in General Aviation Operations from Daniel Webster College. Blake has over a decade of experience in the aviation industry.

With over a decade of experience in the marketing industry, Grace is responsible for the Tradewind Marketing Department. Grace started with Tradewind Aviation in 2014 as a Marketing Administrator and is now the Director of Marketing. Grace graduated from Mount Ida College in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel & Tourism Management.

Chad started with Tradewind in 2022 as a Financial Controller. Chad earned his bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Connecticut as well as his CPA in the state of Connecticut. Prior to joining the Tradewind team, Chad was an Assistant Controller for a real estate company. He brings over a decade of experience in accounting and finance to his role at Tradewind.

With over 20 years of experience in Finance and PE investments, TJ is Tradewind's Finance Manager. TJ's prior roles were in UHNW family investment where TJ oversaw investments of over $175 billion. TJ graduated from Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business with a major in Business Administration with a concentration in Manufacturing and Consulting.

David started with Tradewind in 2022 as the Director of Technology Solutions. David has over 15 years of professional IT experience and a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Western Connecticut State University. Prior to Tradewind, David owned his own IT consulting company.

With over 20 years of HR experience, Maria is the Human Resources Manager for Tradewind Aviation. Before starting with Tradewind in 2014, Maria attended Albertus Magnus College for Business Administration, and worked within the Non-Profit, Finance, and Insurance industries.

Estefania started with Tradewind in 2022 as the Northeast Ground Operations Manager. After attending Post University for Business Administration and soccer, Estefania moved to Colombia to play soccer professionally. She has over 10 years of management experience in the communications and hospitality industries.

With over 50 years of experience in the aviation industry, Tony is the Caribbean General Manager for Tradewind Aviation. Before joining Tradewind in 2014, Tony worked as Director of Ground Operations and Customer Service Manager for other major airlines in San Juan. Tony holds B.A. from Inter American University of Puerto Rico.