Vice President of Appreciation

Libby Maus – daughter, sister, wife, mother, and educator.  “I’ve enjoyed it all,” she says.  Her spirit of adventure has taken her to ski hills, lakes and rivers, hunting grounds and “outdoor vacations”.  She is always happy to meet you and hear about you and your life, as well as share her own experiences. Libby…

Born and raised in Michigan, Julie Powell relocated to Rogers, Arkansas with her husband Dave 35 years ago. They have two wonderful children, both gainfully employed and “off the pay roll” and still in close communication, so life is very good! Julie loves the outdoors; running, hiking, biking, camping, skiing and of course, backcountry flying. Arkansas…

Vice President of Appreciation Mathieu’s love of aviation started at the age of 1 when his grandpa gave him a ride in his Cessna 150. Since then, he has been to OSH every year since 1990, either flying in with grandpa, flying himself, or just camping. He enjoys flying Young Eagles and is the President/Young…

Vice President of Appreciation Elly took up flying to explore her home state of Montana and beyond. She is a civil engineer by trade and spends her free time hiking, camping, cooking, making music, tinkering with various handiworks, and enjoying time with friends and family. She has had a lifelong dream of flying and recently began…

Lisa Ballantyne married into a flying family and earned her private pilot’s license in 1977. She flew a Piper Tomahawk until it was sold in preparation for a move to Alaska in 1980. Once in Alaska and since that time, husband Ray Ballantyne (WA Ambassador) has done all the flying in the various planes they…

Vice President of Appreciation Annette is no stranger to the wilderness experience. She has enjoyed canoeing, camping and hiking all her life and appreciates the opportunities aviation offers those adventurous pursuits. Since reuniting with her high school sweetheart, George Richmond, some of those adventures have included solo hiking 560+ miles of the Appalachian Trail, flying…

Vice President of Appreciation Toni Wright gave up milking cows for a faster-paced profession in flying.At age 53, her major career change began with a commercial rating and aerial photography for the US Soil Conservation Service. Her first part 135 job was with Exec Air in Montana flying checks across the state. “Fourteen takeoffs and…

Vice President of Appreciation “My introduction to aviation began in 1996 when my husband Terry took me on a backcountry flying and camping adventure in Idaho and Montana. After a flight to Death Valley over the dunes I was hooked,” Cindy Cross of San Carlos, CA says. Although Cindy is not herself a pilot, after…

Vice President of Appreciaton Heather Hair lived her “first” life in Pennsylvania. After graduating from Shippensburg University with six state collegiate track championships, she continued studying for her Masters in physical therapy. “Once I raised two incredible children and watched them fly the nest, I moved West and eventually landed in Montana,” she says. A…

After 40 years as a Human Resources leader in the corporate world, JoAnn is loving retirement and the freedom to enjoy the aviation world and the outdoors – anywhere between the Florida Keys, Northern Wisconsin, Driggs, Idaho and beyond.