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 an MBA at the University of Washington.

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

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

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.  

Professional

Ryan Perkins joined Erickson in 2015 and currently serves as the Sr. Director of Defense Business Development and Sales. He is responsible for the growth of the business unit through new opportunities, new customers, and expanding existing maintenance programs and customer accounts. His objective is to build additional defense MRO programs and bring his customer base reliable maintenance and manufacturing solutions for their operating fleets.   

Ryan started his career in the United States Marine Corps in the CH-53E heavy-lift community. After 5 years of active service and one tour to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, Ryan joined the commercial aviation industry in medium and heavy-lift helicopters. Ryan has been working with the U.S. and foreign military forces over the span of his 22-year career. He has served as a leader of several aircraft reset, refurbishment, and modification programs. In his previous role before taking his current position, Ryan was the Director for MRO Programs tasked to build and stand up an H-53 refurbishment program; he was responsible for the execution and oversight of the program. Additionally, Ryan has served as a Commercial Service Representative and Maintenance Supervisor embedded in the Australian Defence Force, and a Maintenance and Technical Advisor for the Royal Moroccan Air Force, in partnership with the US Army.   

Personal

Mr. Perkins holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Management from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, and is in the final year of his MBA program at the University of Oregon. He is a recipient of the Patriotic Employer Award, this award honored Ryan for his continued support of his employees who are currently serving as reservists or national guardsmen in the US Armed Forces.

Professional

Joe Mattos joined Erickson in March of 2011 and is the Senior Sales Manager, OEM. Joe is responsible for support and growth focusing on other aviation OEMs, including legacy aircraft as well as current production. Joe has over 25 years of experience in business-to-business relationship building. In addition to Aviation, he held positions in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry, Industrial Fluid Control, and Wholesale Sales that included Sales, Customer Support, Procurement Management, Production Planning, and Logistics.

Personal

Mr. Mattos graduated from the University of Phoenix with a B.S. in Management. Outside of the office, Joe enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. Additionally, Joe has enjoyed a lifetime of participating in sports and outdoor activities that include coaching, officiating high school football and basketball, and kayaking.

Professional

Hwan Kyu Chung joined Erickson in May of 2006. His experience includes hangar production, heavy maintenance, field operations, technical support, and training. He is currently the Managing Director of the Asia Pacific region and is responsible for the S-64, MRO sales, and customer support. Most recently, Hwan Kyu has led the additional four S-64E sales to Korea Forest Service.

Personal

Mr. Chung graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology, Maintenance and Management and a minor in Business Management. He also holds an FAA A&P license and fixed-wing Private Pilot License.

Professional

Steve Reavis joined Erickson in May of 1989. With over 40 years of aviation experience, he has held positions as Part 125 Maintenance Manager, aircraft hangar maintenance technician, field maintenance technician, field maintenance management, and construction manager prior to joining the Erickson Sales team in 2018. 

Personal

Mr. Reavis graduated from Kansas Technical Institute, now Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, with an Associate Degree in Aviation – Technology, Maintenance Management. He also holds FAA Airframe & Powerplant license, FAA Inspection Authorization certificate along with Single/Multi-Engine Land, Private Pilot ratings. His love for the outdoors brought him to Oregon and he continues to explore the Pacific Northwest. 

Professional

Taylor Jensen joined Erickson in August 2019 as an Operations Specialist. Since then, Ms. Jensen has grown into the Proposal Manager role, managing the complete proposal process for our Government and Commercial opportunities.

Personal

Ms. Jensen graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

PROFESSIONAL

Christina Kalman joined Erickson in October 2019 as the campaign manager in the marketing department. In January of 2021, Christina was promoted to Sr. Corporate Marketing Manager, overseeing all marketing strategy, public relations, and digital efforts for the company. Ms. Kalman has over ten years of experience with B2B marketing and sales enablement.

PERSONAL

Ms. Kalman graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional with the Digital Marketing Institute. When Ms. Kalman is not working, she enjoys all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, including hiking, biking, and kayaking.

PROFESSIONAL

Samantha Busch joined Erickson in 2019 and currently serves as the Creative Lead in the Marketing Department. She is responsible for developing and managing all creative and design that relates to the Erickson brand.

Samantha started her career in 2012 when she accepted an opportunity in Switzerland that was impossible to pass on. She spent six months abroad working for a design agency that ultimately set the tone for her career. When she returned to the states, she continued to excel in multiple design and advertising agencies before she realized her new calling — aviation.

PERSONAL

Ms. Busch holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Moore College of Art & Design. She was born and raised just outside the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Upon her working experience abroad, she fell in love with traveling and exploring the great outdoors. So in 2016, she packed up what she could and moved across the country to the Pacific Northwest.