Meet the Board of Directors
NEW 2020 BOARD MEMBERS:
My name is Andrew Chan and I appreciate your consideration of my candidacy to the SAFE Board of Directors. As a young boy, I always looked to the skies and dreamed of becoming a pilot. When I turned 18, I took the plunge and earned my wings. I caught the flying bug like the best of them. At 20, I started my first flight school- one of the first in the US to specialize in Sport Pilot Training. With an amazing job offer from JetBlue, I sold the business.. After years away from my passion, I started my second flight school, Right Rudder Aviation in 2016. Today, RRA is a Premier Flight Training destination, FBO, and Pipistrel Panthera Aircraft Dealership.
As a dedicated career aviation educator, my personal mission is to make the dream of flight accessible to everyone and instill each and every client with an innate, unrelenting culture of safety. I believe that SAFE plays a vital role in promoting aviation safety in GA, and if elected I look forward to bringing my training, experience, and passion to the SAFE board. One of my goals is to help create the next generation of flight training models. One that improves safety, promotes aviation, and rewards rather than discourage career educators. Aviation is a gift to us all, It would be my extreme pleasure to give back to the aviation community as a board member.”
Why now?
My interest in this position stems from where we are right now. A time of rapid and sweeping changes, particularly in aviation. I want to be part of that change – to help shape the future of aviation while maintaining our high standards. I want to keep learning and teaching others to help us move through these challenging times. I want to inspire others and be an agent of change – an approach that has characterized my professional life.
Why me?
My 45 years of aviation background allows me to see these challenges from multiple perspectives – from my general aviation and commercial aviation experiences, to my military and combat experiences.
For example, one of my positions in the Air Force as Director of Emergency Preparedness required me to deal with change and risk constantly – to plan for it. My team and I devised reasonable responses to extreme situations, and I tried to provide the voice of reason.
At another point, I had to transition my F-16 squadron to a C-130 squadron, quadrupling the number and diversity of the people involved. The culture change was difficult. Obstacles were everywhere. People from the old unit wanted to cling to the status quo. New people wanted to establish their contributions and connections. As an old F-16 guy I had a foot in each camp. Through group brainstorming, strategic thinking, planning and teamwork, I got to create a path to the future that included everyone and incorporated efficiency and safety.
So, this isn’t new for me, I’ve been thinking about and working with change for more than 40 years.
We, as flight instructors and the SAFE organization as a whole need to plan for the future and recognize the wonderful opportunities the future presents. I can contribute and help lead us there. Thank You.
Newlan Parker Resume
Board Candidate 2020
Newlan’s ratings include ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI and IGI. He started his aviation career in the US Navy, where he was an In-Flight Technician/Ordnanceman on the P-3C Orion aircraft. He spent five years on the P-3, accumulating 1500 hours flying all over the world in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After separating from the military, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management and a Master’s degree in Commercial Aviation.
He flew for a regional airline in the Pacific Northwest for four years as a First Officer and then Captain. In 2018, he accepted a position as a Captain in a Citation Mustang flying for a Montana hospital. In the spring of 2019, he earned the Master Flight Instructor accreditation and in the fall of 2019 was given Designated Pilot Examiner authority from the FAA. He is also a FAASTeam representative for the Helena FSDO and volunteers with his church.
Newlan has flown in 27 different countries and all 50 states, but considers being a DPE the highest honor and most humbling experience of his career. Spending time with his family, handing applicant’s their hard-earned Temporary Airman Certificate, and flying SuperCubs in Montana are his favorite things to do.”
Eric Hake, Board Chairman
Term Expires 2022
Eric Hake is a CFII, CSIP and actively involved in aviation education on a daily basis as a trainer for The Modern Pilot LLC, a Houston, Texas based business he founded in 2015. From 2009 to 2015, Hake worked for ForeFlight, where he personally answered more than 50,000 support email messages and built up the current Pilot Support Team. Hake is also a Redbird Certificated Flight Instructor, a mission-qualified pilot in Civil Air Patrol, and a sought after public speaker.
Cres Wise, Secretary
Term Expires 2021
Cres served in the U.S. Air Force for 20+ years as Ground Radar and Aircrew Instructor and flew 1000 hours as an AWACS Mission Crew Commander. He’s been a civilian flight instructor for 11 years and hold the following certificates and ratings: Commercial, CFI, CFII, MEI, IGI. Additionally, I’m a 3 time Master Instructor (MCFI) with 2000+ hours dual given and a Civil Air Patrol check pilot examiner. Currently, he’s the Assistant Chief Flight Instructor for Robins AFB Flight Training Center & Aero Club and an Assistant Professor of Aviation and stage check pilot for Middle Georgia State University.
Parvez Dara, Treasurer
Term Expires: 2022
Parvez Dara is a CFII and avid Mooney pilot. He recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation for the fifth time through Master Instructors LLC. Parvez is an aviation medical examiner (AME) as well as a Mooney Pilot Proficiency flight and ground instructor with the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association Safety Foundation ( www.MAPASafety.com ). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Philadelphia FSDO area.
Hobie Tomlinson
Term Expires 2021
Joshua C. Hart,
Term Expires 2022
Joshua Hart is a transitioning US Army Military Fixed-Wing Pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight time in a wide variety of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including piston, turboprop and turbojet aircraft. He is currently nearing the end of his transition from a unique military experience to the private sector, focused on the promotion of general aviation, strengthening our community of pilots, and improving safety through an innovative curriculum.
His aviation career has taken him to nearly every continent in the world, except Antarctica, which he is determined to check off his flying bucket list! He has trained, mentored, and directed over 500 pilots, both new and experienced, throughout his career in global aviation operations.
Understanding general aviation and keeping current on all topics related to our everchanging community and industry is paramount in providing accurate direction for our Association of Flight Educators. Joshua is known for seeing the big picture and bringing fresh thinking to the ways we educate our community. His passion for identifying, setting and executing strategic goals that help fulfill our mission statement will be an asset in determining the direction we take our association in the future.
As a new father of a beautiful baby girl, Joshua understands the impact early access to aviation can have on the next generation, and is an strong advocate for removing traditional barriers to entry and encouraging more women to pursue their passion for aviation. His unique flying background, and deep understanding and knowledge of business operations through both education and entrepreneurship, help make him an ideal candidate for the open SAFE Board Member Position.
Veronica Cote
Term Expires 2021
Veronica has been a pilot since 1983 and a CFII since 1985. She has over 1000 hours of flight instruction given. She flew as a corporate pilot and later for two commuter airlines first in 1987 and then from 1988-1991 and holds an ATP and a Saab-340 type rating. Receiving a full scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University she earned her Master of Aeronautical Science degree in 1995.
Veronica began teaching at Bridgewater State University (then College) in August of 1995 and became the founding Chairperson of the Aviation Science Department when it split from the Management Science Department in 1997. She has been at BSU ever since and played a major role in developing and implementing new courses required for Aviation Accreditation Board International certification. She is a tenured faculty member who has served on many committees at the university over the past two decades. Still active as a FAAST team representative she has conducted seminars locally in the Boston FSDO area, at Sun’n Fun and AirVenture, and at Women in Aviation national conventions.
