Alison McHugh, Vice President of Safety & Quality, FEAM AERO and ARSA’s 2027 President. Photo courtesy FEAM AERO.
On Oct. 30, ARSA’s Board of Directors gathered for its annual meeting in Arlington, Virginia. The body pivoted from the previous day’s collaborative roundtable discussions into reviewing the association’s work in the 3rd quarter of 2026 and setting its budget and strategy for 2027.
The board also welcomed new members and elected its officers for 2027. Alison McHugh, vice president of safety and quality at FEAM AERO, assumed the association’s presidency. First elected in 2022, McHugh quickly rose to ARSA’s top volunteer position while the association transitioned in new representatives to fill seats vacated by longtime (and still engaged) supporters.
Alex De Gunten, HEICO Senior Vice President of Government & Industry Affairs, and Nick Melton, General Manager of C&S Propeller, were both elected to initial terms of board service. The pair join a board that has turned over its entire membership in the past decade but embody the experience that continues to support ARSA’s professional team: Companies with long histories and broad reach. De Gunten and Melton filled seats vacated by Josh Krotec of First Equity and Gary Fortner of Fortner Engineering.
The new elections follow quickly on the heels of Art Smith’s and Michael Kirstein’s. Smith joined the board mid-year to bring AAR Corp’s representation to the association’s leadership and Kirstein to replace his Lufthansa Technik colleague Janina Bergmann, whose career advancement precluded her continued service.
“ARSA’s board has come into fine shape,” said Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto. “Alex and Nick round out a new set of four directors that bring their commitment to the association to bear in support of their connection to the diverse industry segments the body is designed to represent. Our gratitude to Josh and Gary, who aren’t really going away and will continue leading on the maintenance community’s behalf, is only exceeded about our excitement for the future.”
Nick Melton, left, and Alex De Gunten were elected to ARSA’s board at its Oct. 30 Annual Meeting.
While recognizing the service of previous members, particularly the Fortner family’s commitment to ARSA since is founding in the 1980s, the board looked ahead by endorsing the professional team’s commitment to growing the association’s services. Members should look forward to expanded events (starting with the addition of “Designee Day” to the 2027 Annual Conference, stay tuned for more), regular training presentations, and other resources that produce value for industry and revenue for ARSA.
At the meeting, Jon Silva of AeroKool became ARSA’s vice president and Smith its treasurer. To learn more about ARSA’s Board of Directors and its governance, visit arsa.org/about/governance.
