Professional

Doug Kitani is the Erickson Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Director, after having served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of IAP Worldwide Services, a global defense services company specializing in logistics, expeditionary infrastructure, facilities engineering, and power systems. His prior experience includes leading portfolio strategies and corporate development for DynCorp International. Mr. Kitani is known for his expertise in mergers and acquisitions and quality improvement, having spent many years working in the private equity investment field.

Personal

Mr. Kitani earned his MBA in Finance and Strategy from Emory University and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot (qualified in the UH-1, OH-58, and UH-60 while completing 11 years of active and reserve duty), is a member of the AOPA, and is a supporter of the Green Beret Foundation. 

Professional

As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Wideman oversees the preparation and approval of all financial reports, the management of cash flow and forecasting, as well as all financial accounting. His background includes wide-ranging experiences in Corporate Financial Management, Financial Planning & Analysis, Investor Relations, Corporate Treasury, Financial Risk Management, and Fixed-Income asset management for companies in the consumer products, apparel/footwear, software, and government contracting industry groups. Most recently, Wideman served as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Treasurer for FLIR Systems in Wilsonville, Oregon, which designs, develops, and manufactures thermal imaging and sensing devices for government and commercial enterprises. 

Personal

Mr. Wideman holds a B.S. in Finance & Economics from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL as well as an MBA from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.

Professional

Brittany Black, the Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development with more than 15 years’ experience in the aviation industry and missions around the world, is responsible for all civilian-focused air operations including Erickson’s global infrastructure and firefighting activities. Ms. Black previously served as Erickson’s Senior Director of Commercial Sales focused on sales, business development, and operation roles supporting multiple helicopter operators and platforms.

Personal

Ms. Black graduated from Southern Oregon University with a degree in Business Management and is currently working toward completion of her MBA at University of Washington.

Professional

Chris Schuldt, as Senior Vice President of Operations, is responsible for Erickson’s Aviation Operations Center of Excellence tasked with managing flight operations, field maintenance, and program management activities for Erickson’s operating fleet. Mr. Schuldt has been with the company for more than 10 years, serving in numerous corporate and field-based roles, as well as the President of Evergreen Helicopters where he led operations and business development teams in Erickson’s civil and defense business units. Most recently Chris served as Chief of Staff to our CEO.

Personal

Mr. Schuldt earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Linfield College and an MBA at University of California Los Angeles, with a concentration in Finance.

Professional

David Merryman is the Director of Legal and is responsible for advising the leadership team, negotiating and managing contracts, directing litigation, and otherwise overseeing the full range of the company’s legal issues. Before joining Erickson, he worked as a litigator for large law firms in Texas and Oregon, where he handled a wide range of commercial disputes. Mr. Merryman is admitted to practice in Oregon and Texas. 

Personal

Mr. Merryman is an Alumnus of Lewis & Clark College, where he studied international affairs and political science. He earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. David enjoys spending time with his growing family. 

Professional

Kristi Gonzalez is the Vice President of People and responsible for human resources, occupational safety, security, and corporate insurance. Kristi has worked in several industries throughout her career before arriving at Erickson, including chemical processing, automotive repair, manufacturing, and mental health. She brings to Erickson a wide range of skills in operations management, change management, HR compliance, accounting and payroll, employee benefits, compensation management, and occupational safety. Kristi is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Portland HR Management Association. 

Personal

Mrs. Gonzalez holds a B.S. in Management/Entrepreneurship from the Oregon Institute of Technology and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. She also holds a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) certification.  

Professional

As the Vice President of Business Capture, Scott Zurschmit leads capture management for the company, to include the development of overall capture strategies, proposal win strategies, technical/ management strategies, and pricing strategies. Mr. Zurschmit builds on 12 years’ experience in Business Development, Business Intelligence, Capture Management, and Sales at DynCorp International and Erickson, including success in all phases of the Sales Cycle, Customer Management, Customer Experience, and a distinguished military career.

Personal

Mr. Zurschmit balances his work-life time with his wife, children, and pets, as well as attending community events and enjoying outdoor activities.

Professional

35 years of aviation experience in diverse environments currently serving as Vice President of Aviation Center of Excellence responsible for program management across Erickson Aviation operations. Safety systems background with FAA inspector experience, retired military pilot, and grassroots knowledge in helicopters and fixed-wing including CFI, CFII, MEI in airplanes, and helicopters. Held positions from line pilot through Chief Pilot and Director of operations and currently serve as Captain and check airman in both platforms.  Aerial firefighting and construction from both the pilot and management vantage. 

Diverse background from military F-16, A-10, Pavehawk HH-60, Blackhawk, and Cobra helicopters through civilian flight experience in EC-155, BHT 214ST, S-64 among others. 

Professional

Jeff Mecklenburg joined Erickson in October of 1997. His background includes experience in production, certification, engineering, and quality. He is currently responsible for the AeroSystems Operations that include: Aircraft Repair and Modification, Component Repair and Overhaul, Manufacturing, Composite Main Rotor Blade Manufacturing, Engineering, Program Management, and Facilities Maintenance. Jeff has been with the company for over 20 years and has held multiple supervision and management positions. Most recently, Jeff has served as the Senior Director of Production and Plant Operations.

Personal

Mr. Mecklenburg graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Management and holds multiple FAA Certifications.

Professional

Jon McLaughlin is the Senior Director of Corporate Development and Strategy and responsible for Erickson’s strategic planning and corporate development function. He leads Erickson’s M&A and strategic partnership efforts across the A&D value stream with an emphasis on new technologies. Prior to joining Erickson, Mr. McLaughlin was Director of Corporate Development and Special Projects at IAP, focusing on both internal and external growth initiatives. Earlier in his career, he was a founding member of a leading institutional asset management firm in New York City and worked in financial services in both London and New York.

Personal

Jon holds a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business where he was a Consortium Fellow.

Professional

Jeff Baxter is the Senior Director of Research and Development and responsible for new products to retrofit onto the existing fleet of aircraft, as well as the evaluation and incorporation of new technologies into our overall product offering. His experience includes a wide array of engineering disciplines, from spaceflight hardware design to autonomous flight controls, and has worked at a variety of aerospace companies including SpaceX, Columbia Helicopters, and Vans Aircraft.

Personal

Mr. Baxter is trained in Mechanical Engineering, with a BS from Brigham Young University and received his MBA from BYU while also leading a team to several world speed records with electric cars they designed. Before joining Erickson, he achieved success on several challenging projects, including building his own airplane which he regularly flies.

Professional

Alex Woolsey, as the Senior Director of Business Operations and Military Support Solutions (MSS), is responsible for the execution of all MSS programs. Additionally, Mr. Woolsey is responsible for developing and implementing strategic and cross–functional initiatives for all segments of the business. He has been with the company for more than ten years, serving numerous positions in field operations, program management, and Financial Planning & Analysis. 

Personal

Mr. Woolsey earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Linfield College and an MBA from the University of Oregon Lindquist College of Business.