NAFI Leadership
Meet the NAFI Board of Directors
The NAFI Board of Directors is an all-volunteer group of professionals who help guide our mission and ensure long-term growth. In addition to their broad aviation experiences, many bring valuable expertise from other fields such as business development, finance, and marketing.
Karen Kalishek
Chair
Karen Kalishek is a Designated Pilot Examiner, four-time NAFI Master Instructor, and an FAA Gold Seal Instructor with CFI, CFII, MEI, CFI-G, AGI, IGI credentials. She holds an ATP certificate with ASES and Glider Commercial privileges. In 2019, she was named National FAASTeam Representative of the Year.
Karen is actively involved in multiple aviation organizations and serves as a Major in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), acting as a flight instructor, check pilot, examiner, mission pilot, and cadet orientation pilot. She has a passion for antique aircraft and enjoys flying her RV-6. Before becoming a full-time instructor, Karen had a career in banking and international consulting, providing services in 37 countries.
Brian Wynne
President and Executive Director
Brian Wynne is a seasoned association leader who has participated on numerous FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committees as well as the Administrator’s Management Advisory Council. He recently completed a nine-year tenure as President and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) where he collaborated extensively with other aviation associations and testified before Congress more than 10 times.
Wynne is an instrument-rated commercial pilot with over 30 years of GA flying. He is an IGI and is in line for a CFII checkride. Wynne is the proud owner of a Socata Trinidad and loves to fly missions for Mercy Medical Angels. He lives in the Washington D.C. area.
“When I started on the road to becoming a flight instructor, one of my first steps was to join NAFI. The access to community, expertise, and mentorship was immediate and highly valuable,” Wynne said. “I am honored to serve this organization which fosters professionalism and safety in aviation.”
Adam Magee
Treasurer
Adam Magee is a Commercial hot air balloon pilot, Flight Instructor, NAFI Elite Balloon Instructor, Designated Pilot Examiner, and FAASTeam Lead Representative. He serves as NAFI Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Adam received the 2021 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year Award and was previously named District and Central Region FAA Flight Instructor of the Year. He is co-founder and President of The Balloon Training Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to balloon pilot education.
Through his LTA Outreach Series Webinars, Adam has trained hundreds of balloon pilots and hosted key FAA officials, including the FAA Administrator and Federal Air Surgeon. A regular contributor to FAA Safety Briefing Magazine, Adam is committed to improving ballooning safety through collaboration with the FAA. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Accounting from the University of Missouri and works as a Financial Reporting Officer.
Aaron Dabney
Secretary
Aaron Dabney, a lifelong aviation enthusiast, is an active flight instructor and Master Flight Instructor. He teaches in Baylor University’s Aviation Science program and is the caretaker of his family’s 1946 Piper Cub. Aaron and his wife own Waco Flight Training, where he emphasizes blending classic stick-and-rudder skills with modern pedagogy.
He actively volunteers with NAFI, contributing to the Master CFI reviewer board, MentorLIVE production, and leadership roles. A Lifetime EAA Member, Aaron is passionate about community-building in aviation. When not flying, he enjoys traveling with his wife and mentoring fellow entrepreneurs.
Robert Meder
Chair Emeritus
Robert “Bob” Meder earned his CFI in 2006 and has since added single-engine and multi-engine instrument certificates. Recently retired from a 40+ year railroad career, he worked with the FAA on drone regulations while continuing to instruct. With 6,000+ hours of dual instruction, Bob specializes in training new flight instructors, emphasizing risk management and critical thinking.
A FAASTeam Lead Rep, he was named District and Regional Flight Instructor of the Year in 2009 and 2010. After nearly a decade as NAFI Chair, Bob now serves as Chair Emeritus.
George Charles Allen
George Charles Allen is an aviator, educator, and consultant. A second-generation flight instructor, he co-founded AeroVenture, an award-winning flight academy. An advocate for traditional stick-and-rudder flying, he blends philosophy and aviation education using the Socratic method and stoicism. His school has received multiple national and regional honors, including AOPA’s National Best Flight School—twice.
A recipient of the Dr. Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award and the CAP Chuck Yeager Aerospace Education Award, George is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a former AOPA Flight Training Advisory Board member. He holds honors degrees in Classics and Philosophy, a Master’s in Aeronautics and Space Science from Embry-Riddle, and is pursuing a Doctor of Aviation at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Samantha Bowyer
Dr. Samantha Bowyer is an Associate Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a longtime aviation educator, beginning her career as a flight instructor at both Part 61 and Part 141 schools before advancing to Chief Flight Instructor and later leading a four-year public high school aviation academy. She holds a BAS in Management & Supervision, an MBA in Project Management, and a DBA in Project Management, along with PMP certification and multiple flight instructor credentials (AGI, CFI, CFII, MEI).
Her research focuses on curriculum innovation, early-career instructor development, and the mental wellness of collegiate and emerging pilots. A dedicated member of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), Dr. Bowyer represented the organization as part of a MOSAIC subtask on IFR operations. She remains deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of aviation educators and pilots through research, curriculum development, and professional support initiatives.
Tom Dorl
Tom Dorl has been flying since he was 16 years old and learned to fly at an Air Force base in New Jersey. It was at this aero club, flying C-152s, that Tom cemented his love for flying. He attend an aviation university in Ohio and secured a commission in the USAF along with a degree in Aerospace Technology. Tom completed fixed wing and rotary wing pilot training flying the T-37, T-38, UH-1 and HH-60G and was one of the first operational USAF pilots to fly the HH-60G PaveHawk.
Tom served over 25 years in the USAF flying mainly combat search and rescue missions in many overseas locations saving the lives of others; additionally he taught powered flight to USAF Academy Cadets in the Cirrus 20 (T-53). He has been an active and dual rated flight instructor for over 22 years, is an active FAASTeam Representative and presenter, CAP member and published author. He holds a CMEL, CFI, CFII in both single engine airplanes and helicopters as well as a Pt 107 UAS Commercial certificate.
Gregory Feith
Gregory Feith is a former Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain with the NTSB who has investigated over 2,500 aviation accidents worldwide during his 40-year career. He spent 21 years with the NTSB as an Investigator-In-Charge or U.S. Accredited Representative for numerous high-profile accidents, including the ValuJet DC-9 in-flight fire in the Florida Everglades, the American Eagle ATR 72 icing crash in Roselawn, and the Korean Air Boeing 747 CFIT crash in Guam. Greg also led an expedition to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest aviation-controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accident in history.
Greg holds an ATP, CFI, CFII, Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor certificates, and a BS in Aeronautical Studies from Embry-Riddle. He has received multiple industry awards, including the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award and the SAFE Association’s Michael R. Grost Award. A respected aviation safety expert, Greg is an NBC News Aviation Safety Analyst, a frequent speaker, and has appeared on MAYDAY, Seconds to Disaster, and Why Airplanes Crash. He was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2016 and co-hosts the Flight Safety Detectives podcast. He also advises on aviation safety technology and co-invented LapKidz, a safety restraint for infant passengers. Though based in Golden, Colorado, Greg spends much of his time traveling the world, advocating for aviation safety.
H.G. “Gus” Putsche
H.G. “Gus” Putsche began flying in 1971, earned his private pilot certificate in 1975, and became a CFI in 1979. He holds a commercial certificate with instrument ratings in single and multi-engine aircraft and instructor certifications including CFII, AGI, and IGI. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation.
Gus retired in 2014 as Director of Train Management at Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), after a 40-year career in the rail industry. An avid trombonist, he has performed with symphonies and jazz ensembles. He has managed scheduling and lodging for 90 volunteer flight instructors at the EAA Pilot Proficiency Center and NAFI Professional Development Center at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for eight years. Committed to supporting CFIs, Gus looks forward to helping NAFI continue to grow and enhance flight instructor education.
Tony S. Reed
Dr. Reed is the SVP, Medical Affairs/Chief Quality, Safety, & Experience Officer at Inspira Health where he is responsible for safety, quality, and experience of care delivery across the system as well as the operation of the medical education programs. Previously, he was the executive vice president and Chief Medical Officer at Temple University Health System. Dr. Reed is an Aviation Medical Examiner and the AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer at Millville Airport in New Jersey. He has been a high school and collegiate student health and sports medicine physician for over 20 years with extensive experience in student health, wellness, well-being, and athletic performance.
Tony is boarded in family and sports medicine and is a certified physician executive. He holds an MBA in Information Technology and a PhD in Management with a concentration in Organizational & Change Leadership.
Outside of work, Tony is married with three adolescent boys, co-manages an alpaca and goat farm with his wife, and is an avid instrument-rated general aviation pilot and owner of a 1978 Cessna R182.
Rick Schwartz
Rick Schwartz brings over 50 years of aviation experience spanning flight instruction, airline operations, and corporate aviation leadership
Rick’s aviation career began at age 16 when he soloed during high school in 1972. He completed his Commercial, Instrument, Single and Multi-Engine Instructor ratings by age 18, while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Rick’s early career included serving as a Check Airman and Chief Pilot for Part 135/121 operations. He held pilot and leadership roles at Eastman Kodak. He joined Executive Jet International (NetJets) in 1995 advancing to Executive Vice President and COO.
Rick later served as Aviation Director for Ford Motor Company (2000-2003) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (2004-2024).
Rick is an ATP SEL/MEL and has Type Ratings in: Douglas DC-3, Gulfstream G-I, G-II, G-IV, GVI (G650), GV (GV/G450/550, GVII (G500/600), Challenger CL-601-3A, Falcon DA-50 (900EX), DA-2EASY (2000EX).