Press Release

Issued by Air Charter Safety Foundation.

July 23, 2021

Following its July 15 board of governors meeting, the Air Charter Safety Foundation is pleased to announce changes to its board of governors and executive board, as well as the new addition of an advisory board.

At the meeting, the ACSF board of governors elected Jessica Naor and Tom Huff to its executive board, which is responsible for overseeing all fiduciary and governance functions. Additionally, the board extended its officers' terms for a second year. Those officers include: Robert J. Rufli, chair; Bryan Burns, president; Todd Weeber, vice chair; Joseph Salata, treasurer; and Richard Gomez, secretary.

It was also decided that the board should reduce in its number of members in order to become more nimble and effective. Relatedly, the ACSF has established an advisory board to advance the objectives, vision and mission of the ACSF. The advisory board members will work with one or more ACSF staff liaisons, providing constructive guidance and direction.

ACSF president Bryan Burns praised the addition of Jessica Naor and Tom Huff to the executive board. “Since Jessie and Tom joined our board of governors, we've seen them bring a new perspective to our leadership team. They're both highly respected aviation professionals within the industry, and they're using their background and knowledge to help us reshape our foundation for the future. We're looking to their guidance to bring more innovation to the ACSF and help us succeed in our vision and mission.”

Jessica Naor is the chief operating officer of the Maryland-based GrandView Aviation. She is a member of FAA's Duty & Rest Aviation Rulemaking Committee and is vice chair of the NATA's (National Air Transportation Association) Part 135 Committee. Naor is the recipient of the NATA Industry Excellence award, and was honoured as a “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Business Aviation Association. She earned an associate's degree in Air Traffic Control (Summa Cum Laude), from Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland, followed by a BA in Aviation Business Administration (Cum Laude) from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She went on to earn an MBA in Management & Finance from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School in Baltimore, Maryland.

Tom Huff is the aviation safety officer for the Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace, where he provides independent safety oversight and facilitates the firm's safety management system. He recently chaired both the Flight Test Safety and NBAA Safety Committees, and is now the chair of the Flight Safety Foundation Business Advisory Committee, a member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and an associate fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Huff retired from the U.S. Navy after 28 years, having commanded an operational FA-18 squadron, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and integrated Test Wing. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a BS in Engineering, and later earned an MS in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as an MA in National Defense from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Huff is type-rated in the Gulfstream GV, G450 and G550.