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

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

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

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

Ryan Perkins joined the Erickson team in 2015 and currently serves as the Vice President of Marketing, Business Development & Sales. He is responsible for the growth of the business through new opportunities, new customers, and expanding existing programs and customer accounts. His objective is to support Erickson’s customer base with reliable and effective aerial operations, aircraft, and maintenance & manufacturing solutions for operating fleets.

Ryan started his career in the United States Marine Corps in the CH-53E heavy-lift community. After leaving active service, Ryan joined the commercial aviation industry in medium and heavy-lift helicopters. He has been working with the U.S. and foreign military forces over the span of his 23-year career. In his previous role before taking his current position, Ryan was the Sr. Director of Business Development for Erickson Mission Support division. In this role, he was tasked to grow the defense MRO and third-party OEM business with manufacturing and maintenance solutions. Ryan has extensive experience in operations and has served as a leader of several aircraft reset, refurbishment, and modification programs. As the former Director for MRO Programs, he was responsible for standing up the H-53 refurbishment and Reset programs and oversaw the execution of these programs. 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 earned his MBA from the University of Oregon and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University. 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 U.S. 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

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.