Team

Elijah Pedriani

Elijah is a mechanical engineering intern on the Subscale Aircraft Team. He completed the majority of his mechanical engineering degree at Concordia University in Montréal and is obtaining the remainder of his degree at UVM so that he can begin his career at Beta. In his free time, he designs & constructs large-scale model roller coasters and modifies cars.

Daniel Simon

Danny is an Aerospace Engineer that has 20 years in aviation working primary structure. He has worked on composite and metallic structure to help certify two new aircraft programs and is looking to adding BETA to that list. He loves his family and likes woodworking and playing sports.

Arlo Pouliot

I grew up on a dairy farm and know firsthand why sustainability is so important. I also strongly believe in taking care of our resources, the environment, and each other. I spent the last 20 years in the ski industry in Mountain Operations, grooming ski trails, and maintaining equipment. For the past 6 years, I had the opportunity to lead an award-winning team while finding efficiencies, delivering a consistent product, and working to make the ski industry more sustainable. I am excited for this new chapter where I get to live yet another dream and help to work to build a sustainable future for generations to come.

Hieu McElroy

Hieu is a materials engineer with 10 years of experience in the aerospace (NASA, Blue Origin) & chemicals (Dow) industries. She worked on applications including hypersonic vehicles, liquid rocket engines, automotive, constructions, and packaging. A sustainability enthusiast, she developed sustainable materials solutions by lightweighting or improving energy efficiency. A lifelong learner, she’s expanding her horizon in AI and manufacturing. She enjoys spending time outside work with her family and volunteering at STEM & community events.

Jason LaShelle

Born and bred in the Green Mountain State, Jason’s the type of guy who has always been into a little bit of everything. Having spent 12yrs in the US Coast Guard – 5 on the water and 7 in the air – being part of a fast-paced, mission-focused, team dynamic is his absolute comfort zone. In his spare time, you’re likely to find him on the mountain, on the water, or jumping out of airplanes.

Adam Hadlock

I am a father, a builder/maker, a hockey player, a motorcyclist/gear head, and an outdoorsman.

Collin DeWitt

Pilot and DevOps guy. Long ago I was puttering around in a Cessna 172P, and I’m thrilled to be back around aircraft again. Towards the end of my first job as a Software engineer, I got fed up with the issues we were facing with application outages and performance problems and decided to focus on trying to pick those issues apart; I guess that’s how you become an SRE! I’m always happy to talk about all things DevOps or aviation, so if you ever want to chat about either, swing on by!

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Careers

Julien Lek

I am an aerospace engineer with 2 decades in structural engineering that had worked on 4 aircraft programs (Airbus A380, A35, Series/A220 and Global 7500). I am eager to work on the next chapter of aviation with sustainable products to connect people.

Braden Thiel

Farmboy turned engineer, I’m originally from Wisconsin and have picked up a BS and MS in electrical engineering. When I’m not at work I can be found in the garden, workshop, or hiking trails.

Anna Svagzdys

I am an electrical engineer with multidisciplinary experience in computer vision, robotics, and prototype development. I enjoy creative problem-solving and the never-quite-predictable process of making new ideas into realities. When I’m not writing code or laying out PCBs, I can be found mountain biking, dirt biking, or skiing; working on bikes or skis; or recovering from injuries sustained while biking or skiing.

Casey Purcell

My professional background is in project management with 15 years of working in the Solar industry on everything from small 10-panel resi systems to 5MW commercial systems. When I am not working I enjoy chasing my kids around, doing woodworking projects, and hiking/camping around the northeast.

Ryan Nielsen

Ryan is a born and raised Vermonter. He has spent the last 15 years working in the Vermont technology scene as an electrical engineer with a keen interest in PCB design. When he is not at his desk, he can be found tinkering in his small garage woodshop, traveling to his next ultimate frisbee game, or walking his two dogs.

Austin Myers

I have spent the last 13 years learning, breaking, building, and improving anything that is composite related. I have been managing different aspects of Composite Manufacturing for about 11 years, prior to that I managed retail for about 7 years. In my free time, I enjoy time with the family, home improvements, and working on my wife and I’s classic trucks. I am excited to be joining Beta to move forward with their manufacturing capabilities.

Mark Fronhofer

A maker of things by day and a CNC machinist by night, Mark is always on the lookout for the next cool part—be it for the aerospace industry or a child’s toy; be it made of metal, wood, plastic, or bone; be it for a Ducati Condor or an Antonov AN2—from titanium nosecones to dancers engraved on a hammered dulcimer, all are fodder for the CNC. When not restoring an airplane at KFSO or out adventuring with his daughters, Mark will be making cool parts at Beta.

Leandro Della Flora

Leandro designs embedded control algorithms for power converters and electric motors. He’s been working in industry for more than 12 years and the largest power converter that Leandro has dealt with was a high-power motor drive capable of processing up to 4,500 kW. He enjoys every step of the way from coming up with new design ideas to building and testing prototypes in the lab.

Brayden Duggan

Brayden was born and raised in Vermont and studied business and accounting at St. Michael’s. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time in the mountains snowboarding and exploring, learning new hobbies, and spending time near the water.

Jason Danovitch

Jason studied materials engineering at McGill and developed a passion for aerospace from his prior experience as an M&P Engineer at Bombardier and Airbus Canada. He’s stoked to now be a part of the BETA team in striving for a more sustainable future. When not working, Jason enjoys spending his time playing or writing music, playing video games, skiing, hiking, mixing cocktails, and complaining about the heat in summer.

Claudio Culetto

Since I graduated from Aerospace Engineering in Belgium, I have been working on aircraft structure analysis and certification at several places around the world. I believe passion, open-mindedness, respect, humor, and professionalism are an excellent recipe for success. I am a big fan of nature, the outdoors, and geography. My favorite sports are hiking, all sorts of skiing, swimming, biking, and playing soccer (or trying to). I feel lucky to join this amazing project.

Andrei Babyuk

I am a software engineer and have been writing code for more than 40 years for a wide variety of applications. My latest interest is in embedded systems, plus I am very passionate about aviation and making it sustainable. Originally from Russia, I have been in Vermont for 30 years and consider myself a Vermonter. Without a doubt, BETA is a perfect company for me to utilize my experience and contribute to a green future for our planet.

Hamza Arshad

Hamza is a recent grad from the University of Toronto working with the battery team. Before BETA, he worked in the automotive industry testing pumps and has a stints working with aero and hyperloop design teams. Passionate about tinkering with new stuff and maintaining an awesome world for future generations. Outside of work, you might find him hiking and exploring the backcountry.

Seth Armstrong

Seth is a native Vermonter who has been interested in aviation since a very young age. He comes from an avionics installation background and has worked on aircraft from as early as the 1930s to brand new from the factory. He enjoys traveling and experiencing new sights and cultures. On weekends you may find him tinkering in the garage, reading history, or spending some time with his wonderful niece and nephews.

Hunter Spannaus

As a dedicated ‘life-long learner,’ I enjoy endeavors that allow me to develop new skills, enhance existing talents, and recognize areas of weakness; allowing me to grow as a professional and individual. My desire to learn and passion for sustainable living has lead me to work in a wide range of fields including carpentry, agriculture, and outdoor education around the country. My wife and I settled in Vermont in 2020 and had our first child in 2021. Nowadays you can find us chasing him around and tinkering on our 4-acre central Vermont homestead.

Jordan Dexter

I was born and raised in Barre, Vermont. I started working in the avionics field 8 years ago after joining the Navy. After experiencing active duty life and getting the opportunity to travel, I returned to Vermont 3 years ago. I shifted into the civilian world of avionics, while also transferring to the Vermont Air National Guard. In my free time, you can find me watching sports with my dog, playing board games, adventuring outdoors, and always striving to stay active. Let’s go Celtics!

Kevin Provost

Kevin is a helicopter CFI and aviation enthusiast, as well as the founder and owner of Monadnock Choppers, a flight school in Keene, NH. Kevin is also an A&P/IA and a Vermont native.

Victor Zaccardo

Victor is a mechanical engineer by trade (UNC Charlotte and NC State) and enjoys creating technical solutions to complex electromechanical problems. Outside of work, you can find him underneath his (small) fleet of cars from the 90s, disk golfing, and chasing after the dogs he and his wife foster.

Carly VanOpdorp

With a background in engineering physics, I am excited to be part of a team that will be participating in the advancement of battery technology which is integral to a sustainable future. I am proud that I am able to contribute to these goals while enjoying all the outdoor recreation and culture that Vermont has to offer.

Taylor Sirois

I was born and raised in Vermont and graduated from Advanced Welding Institue in 2017. I found a passion for welding back in High School and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I like to describe myself as a fun, spirited individual who’s always up for a challenge. If I’m not at work, you can find me adventuring with my pup.

Andrew Shallcross

Andy is a manufacturing expert specializing in high-volume battery and aerospace production operations. He joins BETA after having worked at both Tesla and SpaceX. Andy is honored to join the team and contribute to BETA’s unique and highly impactful mission.

Matt Riley

Matt has lived in Vermont for 20+ years and is proud to call it home. He brings his passion for cultivating working environments where people thrive and do their best work. Having worked in healthcare, renewables, finance, and restaurants, Matt is thrilled for the opportunity to join this incredible collective of people making real and lasting change in the world. Matt is the dad of three brilliant, strong women and the spouse of one the funniest woman in Vermont. And he likes to ride bikes.

Gabriel Penner

Gabriel is an Aerospace Engineer with a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has a passion for flight, electric vehicles, and walkable city design. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time listening to music, camping, mountain biking, and building models.

Mike Peckinpaugh

Michael is originally from California and moved to Vermont in 2012. He’s always tinkering with electronics and builds digital pinball machines and arcade machines for fun. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking and fishing.

Phoebe Peckham

Phoebe Peckham is a born and raised Vermonter with a passion for all things outdoors. She enjoys rock climbing, skiing, running, hiking, mountain biking, and sunny days! She is currently studying in the Early College Program at Vermont Technical College and is hoping to learn and gain experience as a BETA intern.

Trevor Mitchell

I love a challenge, and I am usually the first to volunteer for a new project or give a helping hand. Outside of work, I strive to be active, and outside. Some of my favorite pastimes include the gym, running, hiking, skiing, hunting, and ATV riding.

Mason Maeder

Born and raised in Vermont, Mason has a passion for anything mechanical. As a graduate of Clarkson University with a Mechanical Engineering degree and a minor in Materials Engineering, he strives for innovation. When not working on a vehicle with an engine in the garage, Mason is found outdoors in the woods skiing, hiking, or camping.

William Guild

I’m a cabinetmaker and woodworker with a background in business and economics.

Jonathan Girard

Jonathan grew up in South Burlington Vermont. He loves the four seasons (not the hotel) and is often found on, in, or underwater, whether fresh, salty, or frozen. Having spent 5 years engineering new construction submarines, he is happy to be back in the Green Mountain State working on much faster and lighter machines flying through a much less viscous fluid.

Sarah Colebaugh

Sarah has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University. She has experience in hardware design and board-level testing for aerospace products and is excited by technical challenges. When not at work, she can be found enjoying the great outdoors.

Eric Senecal

Eric is a born and raised Vermonter with a background in various manufacturing environments. He is currently pursuing his engineering degree at Vermont Tech. In his spare time, he likes running, kayaking, working on cars, playing video games, or just working around the house.

Peter Roy

From power distribution to circuit board repair, electricity is my trade. When not moving electrons, I love paddling around Vermont and chasing my dogs through the woods.

Cody Nary

Have worked as an Electronics Manufacturing Technician for almost 10 years, and prior to that was a Microminiature Repairman in the Marine Corps. I have completed my Associate’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from VTC while working full-time.

Hollis Munson

Born and raised in the hills of Vermont I love to explore new places and find myself in the middle of a new misadventure. I started flying at 15 and earned my CPL and CFI certificates by the time I was 18 through Vermont Flight Academy. When I’m not flying as an instructor or studying for my next rating you’ll find me on a solo adventure out in the woods or skiing anywhere there is good snow.

David Molnar

Dave has three modes: design it, build it, or break it. You can often find him doing one of these three things in his shop. Whether it be a motorcycle, a custom car, and (hopefully soon) his own airplane(s); he’s always stoked to build something rad.

Alyssa Giorgio

I have worked as an Accounts Payable Specialist for a little over 4 years now and I’m very excited to join the BETA finance team. I am very passionate about finding new ways to become more sustainable and I am a big animal rights advocate. Outside of work, my favorite activities include thrifting, hiking, and trying new vegan food.

Evan Estep

Evan has a degree in aerospace engineering and experience designing and certifying integrated avionics systems. He has a life-long passion for aviation and earned his pilot’s license after graduating from college. Outside of work, you can find him enjoying time outside or working in the garage on his latest project.

Ian DeVries

Ian is a born and raised Vermonter from Addison. Always looking up to the skies whenever any aircraft passed overhead, he aspired to be a pilot from a young age. Now he is working hard to complete his B.S. in Professional Pilot Technology down the road at Vermont Tech, and he’s looking forward to making the most out of his internship here at BETA. Just before his 19th birthday, he became a certified flight instructor. If he isn’t doing schoolwork or flying planes, you might find Ian carving the slopes with his snowboard or playing video games.

Luke Wheeler

My name is Luke Wheeler. I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but now live in the beautiful town of Stowe, Vermont. I have a passion for aviation, motorsports, skiing, cycling, and furniture design. I believe that good design comes from simplicity of form, honesty of materials, and the purity of function. I take pride in my attention to detail as a craftsman and I love tinkering with just about anything with a motor.

Kayla Chenier

Kayla is an intern on the battery team and is pursuing Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, bouldering, hiking, skiing, and spending time outdoors. Kayla is excited to learn as much as possible here at Beta and is especially looking forward to flight school!

Shahmeer Patel

A Grad Student at UVM pursuing a Master’s in Engineering Management. Shahmeer has a passion for manufacturing, streamlining processes and maximizing efficiency and has joined as a Manufacturing Intern.

Gary Martin

Gary is an aerospace engineer with a Master’s degree from North Carolina State University. He has experience designing and integrating electromechanical systems for the industrial and aerospace markets, and greatly enjoys solving challenging problems. When not at work, Gary can usually be found doing something related to music.

Daniel Kakaley

Dan is an mechanical engineering graduate from NC State with a decade of experience doing flight testing and designing actuators and sensors for US Army Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters. He’s looking forward to applying his skillset to the electric aviation industry. In his free time, you can find him wrangling his kids, hiking, or watching rockets fly in the night sky.

Brian Dunkiel

As General Counsel, Brian is responsible for protecting Beta’s legal interests. He has served as a trusted legal advisor to clients pursuing projects, products, and missions that are truly pioneering — demanding an innovative and creative approach to meeting their legal needs. Brian co-founded Dunkiel Saunders, a law firm that was one of the first certified as a B-Corporation. Brian has a fundamental rule in his legal practice: never give legal advice before the day’s first cup of coffee.

Cormick Dineen

Cormick is a lifelong Vermonter who has worked in accounting and finance in various industries for the past decade. Outside of work he enjoys movies with his partner and spending time with his family.

Chip Clifton

Systems Engineer with a focus on Aerospace Electronic Software and Hardware development and certification and a passion for problem solving, leadership, and people development. Let’s get things done!!

Thea Wurzburg

Thea grew up in VT’s Northeast Kingdom and has been closely engaged in VT and national politics for some time. She worked for then-Rep. Peter Welch for over 6 years in his DC and VT offices and on the campaign trail. She most recently helped deliver an overwhelming victory for the Senator as a senior member of his campaign. She has a love of all things outdoors and lives in Winooski with her fiancé and cat. Thea is passionate about creating a more sustainable future as part of BETA’s public affairs team!

Russell Altieri

Russ has 30 years of experience as an aerospace electro-mechanical systems engineer. ME by training at Virginia Tech and NCSU. He has broad experience in designing aerospace systems including electronics architecture, motor controls, sensing, electronics packaging, digital signal processing, algorithms, and embedded model-based software development. When he is not working, he’s probably at the beach or on a boat.

Clay Kaufmann

Clay was born in California, and migrated east to go to the University of Vermont for his undergrad and master’s degrees in Computer Science where he discovered how much he enjoyed software development! Outside of the software field, you can find Clay taking photos, riding his bike, or playing tennis.

Ronald Allen

Ronnie is a Michigander. Moving to Vermont with his fiancé, Ariel, and Jax-the-Cat. Ronnie has spent the last 3+ years managing high-voltage inverters and power conversion modules for the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. We are most excited to make new friends, mountain bike, and boat on Lake Champlain.

Eric Giroux

Eric is a proud father of three wonderful boys and the owner of a German Shepherd. He has 23 years of experience working in the aerospace industry for different companies in rotorcraft and aircraft. He was able to gain extensive experience in the design of metallic/composite structures, systems, and flight test support. Always in search of new challenges, he is excited and happy to join the BETA team.

Matthew Lorence

Careers in aerospace welding, aftermarket automotive, and machining in a nuclear-certified machine shop have made Matt just dangerous enough at home to rebuild the steel bow of his houseboat, motorcycle engines, and various cars. His hobbies include performance driving, precision sports, and wandering around in the woods.

Sam Hooker

Sam’s start as a student of ecology accidentally prepared him for a career built on understanding connected systems: first in constructing them, and then in defending them. Years spent in the service of research university information security honed his understanding of a fundamental challenge: How to balance freedom of inquiry and experimentation with the security demands of a connected world. When not pursuing infosec for innovators, Sam can be found driving his family nuts with his nutty schemes and performing music with his unruly friends.

Chris McLaughlin

Chris is on the Supply Chain team and has spent his career in aerospace R&D. He came to Vermont from the mountains of Washington and brought all of his outdoor hobbies with him. Chris enjoys airplanes, motorcycles, campfires, skiing, and clean cable management.

James Broughton

James is a mechanical engineer with a Masters’s degree from North Carolina State. He has experience in static and dynamic structural analysis for a variety of products ranging from bottle caps to grenade launchers. When at home, James enjoys playing with his son, running, and visiting state parks.

Alex L’Ecuyer

Alex has been a lover of anything aviation related since childhood. In his free time, you can find him mountain biking, building bike jumps, snowboarding, and woodworking.

Rafi Vanlian

The aerospace engineer has gone vegetarian, inching towards a more sustainable future one bite at a time. With over 10 years of experience in the aerospace industry, a love for nature, and a passion for cooking and outdoor activities, Rafi decided to realign his professional career with his personal values by contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable environment with BETA Technologies.

David Wisell

David was born and raised in Vermont! He joined the U.S. Navy at 18 years of age, followed by stints in human services, supply chain management, and years of manufacturing experience. He served his small town as a volunteer EMT for over a decade and loves to tend a flock of sheep with his wife on their farm in Northern Vermont.

Maria Eduarda Morandi

Maria is a Mechanical Engineer with a concentration in Aeronautics. During her time at University, she spent most days in the design teams’ shop working on the off-road vehicle concept and build. She has over 5 years of experience designing systems for flight simulators and is now thrilled to work on designs that will help propel aviation electrification. Born in Brazil, she embraced the Canadian winters many years ago and now calls Montreal her home. She loves traveling, being outdoors, and F1 races.

Malakai Valgean

Hello my name is Malakai and I love to be inside watching movies

Jerzy Krolikowski

Bitten by aviation bug at a very young age when I first saw a MiG-15 up close. Ever since I never stopped reading about, watching, building, and flying airplanes, both models and real stuff, and in virtual or in actual airspace. Earned my Aerospace Engineering degree from Ryerson University in Toronto, soon after went to get my PPL, and for the past 25 years, I have been working in the aerospace industry across Canada, designing, stressing, and fixing aircraft – metallic bushplane, 4-engine large transport, all-composite VLJ, passenger, business and military jets. Now I’m proud to add an eVTOL to this list.

Michael Nadler

Mike is a Mechanical Engineer who has worked in a variety of different roles and industries. He has over 20 pending or granted patents and thrives in team environments. He loves to strategize and scheme solutions and draws inspiration from nature as well as existing creations (why reinvent the wheel?). In his spare time, he works on his house or property and is rarely seen without his best friend Brady, his 16-year-old Britany Spaniel.

Jacob Borg

Jacob has experience in regulatory compliance and is excited to be at BETA during the birth of the electric aircraft industry! He is new to Vermont and is looking forward to taking up ice fishing as a hobby.

Thomas Couillard

After studying Mechanical Engineering for years, Tommy recently obtained an associate’s degree in General Engineering Technology while also working full-time. He has a lot of interest and passion for new technology, 3D printing, and electronics. Now looking for a new challenge. He’s looking forward to being a part of the team as a learner and a contributor.

Sean Pelkey

Sean is a local Vermonter that loves the outdoors and has worked across several industries. He has held several positions in quality and product development for over 25 years. Beta is a great opportunity to capitalize on my experience and support giving back to the environment while working with a great team.

William Uhlir

Native Vermonter, excited to be part of a concept coming to fruition in the Green Mountains! Bring 16 years of manufacturing experience servicing motors and pumps for the Chemical, Nuclear, and Power Industries. Army Veteran, led a squad through a successful deployment to Manda Bay, Kenya, securing Magagoni Airfield. Father to three wonderful children. We enjoy exploring the beauty of VT. Hiking, fishing, and swimming in the cool mountain streams and rivers. You can also find us in Boston, catching a Sox game at Fenway.

Gail Stephen

25+ years in Aerospace as a Materials & Processes engineer in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Gail’s experience ranges from design phases, support to manufacturing facilities and suppliers, completions of business jets, and in-service support of commercial aircraft. Gail is an avid soccer player and enjoys playing golf,yoga, reading mystery novels, and baking.

Sander Reuland

I grew up in Holland and lived close to the Amsterdam airport, so as a kid I used to bike to the runways to see the planes. I wasn’t interested in flying them; the aircraft and technology attracted me, so I became an aerospace engineer. Working in aerospace took me to a couple of places around the world, to eventually settle with my family in Montreal. I also like bbq-ing, road trips, and snow shoveling my driveway

Mark Rakowitz

Mark received his Dipl.-Ing. in Aircraft Design from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, Germany, and his MSc in Aerodynamics from Cranfield University, England. Helping to put more efficient airplanes in the skies for more than 20 years, he is now happy to be part of the electric revolution of flight, working in Aerodynamics and Performance at Beta. When he is not thinking about aircraft design, you can usually find him with his nose in a book, working on or flying his 70ies glider or walking the dog.

David Paradis

David is a Mechanical engineer with expertise in product design, problem-solving, and simulations. Worked for 20 years in aerospace with different OEMs, mostly in the primary structure. At Beta, he is focused on the Wing, Booms, and Empennage section but ready to help anywhere needed. He enjoys family time with the kiddos in his “spare” time.

Kunj Modi

I am working as an intern on the structures team. I am currently studying Mechanical engineering at Concordia University. I am passionate about composite materials and related applications. Overall, I love being outdoors, enjoy almost every sport, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.

Robert Cipro

Aviation has been a passion since grade school!… I have over thirty years of experience in the aerospace industry, both in manufacturing and customer support. This includes experience in Regional Jet and Business aircraft, helicopter, and Aero-Engine industries. I also have thirteen years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces. As practical hobbies, I enjoy cooking and discovering the wonderful world of fountain pens…I am proud to be part of the Beta Revolution!…E Tenebris Lux

Saro Chichmanian

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering graduate -> Working with my hands. Mechanical Engineering graduate -> Working with my calculator. Love planes & passionate about creating them. 17+ years in aerospace. Enjoy the humane aspects of our lives, in the arts, discovery, & helping those less fortunate.

Chris Schimke

Born and raised in Michigan! Learned my love for aircraft from the Airforce where I specialized in Armament Systems for F16, F15 and A10’s. Spent over 10 years with hands-on experience in electrical and mechanical aviation equipment. In my Free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and Building my own lithium battery packs out of recycled materials.

Keith Macchione

Keith moved to VT for an engineering degree at UVM, fell in love with everything here, and never looked back. He spent over 10 years with GMCR/KDP, helping transform the business through revolutionizing past practices and new facilities. Keith loves finding ways to make the impossible possible through leading teams be more functional than the sum of their parts. Otherwise, time is spent biking, skiing, watching things fly, and enjoying everything VT has to offer with his wife, dog, and friends.

Gary Gauvin

Growing up in Europe, sustainability and reusing items from the past is a normal way of life. You are surrounded by the living past every day and reminded that you are just the latest in a long line of people to live in your city. You have an obligation to take good care of your environment for the people who will inherit it after you are gone. I have always loved military aviation as this is where the latest in technology usually is being discovered and implemented. This drives my curiosity in trying to understand the latest technologies and possibilities in aviation. At an early age I got interested in aviation and all the cool aircraft out there. This formed my educational path and gave me a direction and goal to work towards when I was young.

Justin Gallo

Justin studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and is a Uconn Skydiving Team alum. He spent the last two years working for Sikorsky in Stratford, CT, where he supported sustaining programs such as MH-60S and MH-60R, as well as international programs for India, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore. When he’s not skydiving, you can probably find Justin rock climbing or buying more parts for his Onewheel.

Kevin Burns

Kevin is a pilot and engineer with experience in systems engineering, flight test, and aircraft structures. Before Beta, he worked at Boeing supporting the development, testing, and certification of the 777-9, 737-10, P-8, and MQ-25 airplane programs. At the University of Illinois, he led a student club building a homebuilt kit airplane. Outside of work, Kevin likes to ski, bike, run, drink coffee, and fly small airplanes!

Kyle Bruce

Kyle has a BS and MS in mechanical engineering. He brings 15 years of experience in aerospace in both mechanical and software engineering roles.

Ryan Ackley

Ryan joins the team at Beta with 12+ years of experience in Supply Chains. His journey has brought him exposure to hard and soft goods, consumer packaged goods, and dietary supplements. He has lived in MA, VT, CO, VT, TN, and VT again where he has put down roots with his amazing wife and two energetic boys. When not at work Ryan enjoys all the outdoor activities the region has to offer, coaching team sports, working on house projects, and creating things in his workshop.

Timothy Sampair

Graduate in Software Engineering from NCSU, and worked with the National Science Foundation, NOAA Climatic Data Center, Unisys, Oracle, Siemens, and many startups, I have held several titles from development engineer, team lead, director of platform development to CIO. it’s been a fun journey through time

Aditya Joshi

Adi works with the Flight Sciences team in ensuring that Alia is gentle and fun to fly. He likes working on airplanes during the day and dreaming about them at night. He likes to paraglide, fly drones, and play with his dog Pippin.

Aaron Hogan

I was born and grew up in Vermont. I worked for an HVAC company for almost a decade before deciding to go back to school to gain a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I recently graduated from UVM with a bachelors. I currently live in Huntington with my partner, Jillian, and our 2 dogs, Mowgli 9, and Naya 7. We enjoy the outdoors whether it be kayaking, hiking, or river days.

Audrey Valade

Audrey completed her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. Right after completing her bachelor, she joined Thales as a test engineer. Everything she knows about aeronautics, she owes it to Thales. Audrey has worked on several software for Gulfstream projects which are now certified and in service. If she is not working, you’ll find her knitting somewhere!

Bonnie Chaffee

I grew up in the Champlain Valley where I had a love for the outdoors. After college, I worked in aerospace engineering support and my passion for detail and solving problems developed. It no doubt translates to the enjoyment I get when working with creative minds. After a little more than a decade in the consumer products industry, joining Beta is a welcome return to my aerospace roots. When not at work I enjoy being outside, traveling, or spending time with family and friends.

Amy Cooper

Amy supports BETA’s Airworthiness Organization in managing the development, certification, and entry into service for the company’s products. Beginning her career as an engineer at Boeing, Amy got the opportunity to geek out on all things aerospace, working on projects ranging from designing parts for NASA’s SLS rocket to working as an aircraft mechanic to implement solutions that addressed pain points in the 787 build. Prior to joining BETA, Amy was a technology program manager at Bandwidth. In her free time, she enjoys being outside with her dog, traveling, and running.

Kevin Cafferky

Kevin is a lifelong Vermonter and member of the Green Mountain Boys. When he’s not serving with the Air National Guard, he can be found exploring the woods and camping with his family. With 13 years of aircraft electrical systems and aviation program management experience, he’s excited to push the boundaries of aviation!

Theadore Courtney

Originally from Rochester NY, but moved to Vermont from Hawaii to pursue a career as a pilot. Before going back to school and becoming a flight instructor I worked as a mechanic on Chinook, Osprey, and Super Stallion helicopters. I now serve in the Vermont Air National Guard as an F35 Crew Chief and attend Vermont Tech where I have earned my CPL, CFI, and CFII ratings. When I’m not flying you can find me in the mountains backcountry snowboarding, riding dirt bikes, or in the garage working on a new project.

Mark Chaffee

I was in the Launch Control Center manning the Ground Launch Sequencer console for Space Shuttle launch STS-26R, the first flight after the Challenger accident. I have been a volunteer firefighter for 24 years and am currently

Miguel Turner

Miguel is a software engineer who spent 12 years working on experimental projects in the cybersecurity industry. He grew up in Vermont, Nepal, and Guatemala, before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. Now settled, he enjoys all manner of time spent with his family and huskies.

Dan Sloan

Dan is a test engineer working on the propulsion team. He previously spent the past 7 years working for Sikorsky Aircraft testing mechanical and structural components. He is excited to take on the unique challenge of testing cutting-edge electric motors. In his free time, he enjoys running, cycling, and spending time with his family.

Jody Dunklee

Starting her career as an electronics technician, Jody followed her interests and aptitude through a series of manufacturing, engineering, and application-focused roles, with multiple stops at the textbooks along the way. She has now found herself exactly where she wants to be – using data, analysis, process, and communication to articulate how technology can be employed sustainably, and for sustainability, to change the world for the better and preserve this enchanted and glorious planet we call home.

Julie Friedberg

16 years ago, I moved from New Jersey to Vermont with a background in journalism and a master’s degree in library science. Somehow, that led to an unlikely career in accounts payable. It astonishes me to this day! In my spare time, I can be found reading, anything and everything, cross country skiing, practicing hot yoga, and cooking and dancing (badly) with my family.

Arthur Oleary

A Buffalo, NY native, Art comes to Beta with 12+ years of machining experience in the aerospace industry. With projects ranging from commercial and military aircraft to spacecraft, he is excited to bring his skills to electric aviation. When not working he can be found hanging out with his dog Orville, fly fishing, mountain biking, and more recently skiing.

Mario Champagne

I was born in Joliette a small town in Quebec. I have two great sons and a fantastic wife. I studied civil engineering and aerospace design engineering at ENA (Ecole National d’aérotechnique). That brings me to over 23 years in the aerospace industry, having the chance to perform Structural, mechanical, system, and repair design of aircraft and rotorcraft, from new development to sustaining. I’m always looking for new adventures so I’m happy to start this one!

Henry John

I’m a recent graduate of UVM with a mechanical engineering major and art minor. I like things that work, mechanically and aesthetically speaking. I recently finished a project designing and building a theater for a dance performance in a submerged granite quarry, complete with moving stages and a floating audience platform. Otherwise, I like to tinker, draw, and play guitar in my free time.

Simon Racine

Simon is an aerospace engineer with more than 9 years of experience acquired during the certification of the A220 and G7500 and who’s devoted his career mainly to composite structure stress analysis, certification, and testing. He’s excited to work on this very novel aircraft structure and can’t wait to say “Mission Accomplished!” and take his first trip on the ALIA to travel from Montreal to Burlington.

Tyler Collins

Tyler is a mechanical engineer on the battery team. Previously, he spent 5 years at Rivian designing many different aspects of the battery pack starting from a blank sheet. Now that he has conquered making batteries drive, he is very excited to help make batteries fly. In his free time, Tyler can be found chasing his kids, snowboarding, mountain biking, camping, or golfing.

Eric (Odie) Routh

A long-time “computer guy” who is driven by how things work and how to improve them. This covers everything from how people work together to cloud automation to continuous iteration for solving problems whether it’s in health care, content software, social justice, renewable energy, or aviation. Outside of work, he is probably looking for his coffee or enjoying good food and adventure with his family.

Christopher Miller

Chris is Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has spent the last four years designing and building airports across the Southeast. He recently earned his Private Certificate and currently flies with the GA Tech Flying Club. He is working with the charging infrastructure team and loves the future of sustainable flying. When not working or flying, he enjoys sailing his boat, hiking, backpacking, and going to breweries with his friends.

Kevin Tait

Kevin is originally from Chicago but has worked across the country with a range of aerospace companies, doing everything from experimental propulsion testing to fixing up aircraft. He loves exploring and working with anything that combines different engineering skills, and can never “wear too many hats.” His apartment and spare time are filled with DIY electronics, robots, custom PCs, Legos, and even a few 3D Printers, so life at Beta will never feel like work to him.

Hunter Leonard

My name is Hunter Leonard and I’m a tinkerer at heart. Powered by caffeine and the drive to make cool things, I spend my time building and restoring motorcycles to modifying kids’ power wheels, and racing them. When I’m not making things in my garage, you can find me racing motocross in the summer and skiing the slopes in the winter. Never half-ass anything, only use full ass.

Joffrey Renaud

Native from France, I grew up on a farm. I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Navy but finally became an Engineer. I discovered the wonders of composite materials during my Ph.D. at Polytechnique Montreal. I played with these materials on aircraft engine fan cases, race bike frames, EVTOL motor blades, and personal watercraft Hull.

Roman Guzman

Roman Guzman has over 12 years of experience in aviation. I have held several roles throughout my career including aircraft furniture builder, buyer, strategic sourcing, and project manager. I have extensive knowledge of supplier development, negotiation skills, and 3D model-based parts. My biggest achievement was leading a team on a new sourcing application for a Fortune 500 company. In my off time, I enjoy family time and golf.

Rebecca Nunn

Rebecca is joining BETA as a Project Engineer Intern for the Structures team in Montreal. She is studying Industrial Engineering at Concordia University, where she also serves as VP Internal of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers chapter. She is passionate about sustainability, and helping others, and you can almost always find a book in her hand.

Pierre Wadoux

Finishing a double master’s in robotics at Polytech Sorbonne in Paris, France, and aerospace at ÉTS in Montréal, Quebec. I dabble in everything from computer vision to 3D printing and will help the Fatigue team to analyze flight data. Quebec has some scary temperatures but I like kitesurfing in summer and snowboarding in the winter. BETA will be my last internship before graduation and I can’t wait to work with everyone.

Evan Cahill

20-plus years in the tech sector. Setting up production flows and work environments for ultimate efficiency is something that keeps me up at night. I truly love building things from the ground up and watching them mold and take shape into the final stage

Alex LeBrun

Alex enjoys skiing. Behind a boat, down a hill, whatever. He also likes fixing and rippin’ around on anything with fewer than four wheels. He hails from the Midwest where he worked in the motorsport and hydrogen fuel cell worlds, and is excited to advance sustainable aviation at Beta!

Aakash Varma

I am a recent Master’s in Engineering grad student from UCLA that loves all things autonomy! Prior to that, I achieved a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly. Throughout my years, the two major projects I worked on were smart home air quality system and EV battery management using pressure sensing. I’ve found a lot of passion and drive for the engineering world and can’t wait to dive into it here at BETA! Overall, I love being outdoors, checking out cars, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.

Matthew Visser

Matthew is an intern working on the battery team. He is currently studying Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where he also serves as a mechanical lead for the Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group. In his free time, Matthew enjoys skiing, boating, climbing, and listening to a little bit too much Taylor Swift.

Heather Woods

Heather’s first internship involved analyzing black box data from USAF jets. She then spent a decade upgrading electronic warfare systems on USN submarines, before pivoting to professional ballroom dancer and teacher. Joining BETA is a welcome return to the beginning of the circle. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, climbing, sewing, silversmithing, and learning anything new.

Alain Richer

Alain is a mechanical engineer with a passion for aerospace working for over 10 years in commercial and business aircraft. Besides things that fly, he loves cooking, karate, and hiking.

Luke Hirshberg

Luke has had an obsession with flight for as long as he can remember, whether it’s birds, planes, or rockets. He also has a deep passion for the environment, and BETA’s mission of electrifying flight makes working here a dream come true. Luke is super excited to learn to fly and can’t wait to assist anyone and everyone in any way he can.

Jerry Ricciotti

Jerry loves pointing his camera at interesting people and things. He thinks BETA is the most interesting thing he’s ever pointed a camera at.

Patrick Reilly

Patrick is a multidisciplinary engineer with a passion for finding creative solutions to complex problems. Prior to BETA, Patrick obtained his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College and spent 8 years at Sikorsky Aircraft developing novel active vibration control systems for helicopters. In his free time, he enjoys tree skiing, foraging, video editing, and tinkering. When he isn’t lost in the woods on the slopes of Mount Mansfield, you can usually find him at home with his wife, Melissa, and their two cats, Michael and Jan.

Anand Arya

Anand has close to two decades of structural analysis, testing, and certification experience spanning 5 distinctive programs (Passenger, Military & Business jets) across 3 continents. He is happy to share his expertise to certify Alia and beyond.

Jonathan Mayfield

Jon graduated from UC Merced with a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. Since graduating, he has worked on multiple operations teams for one-of-a-kind aircraft and spacecraft. When not at work, he can be found working on his pilot’s license, hiking, mountain biking, or snowboarding!

Julio Checa

Julio is a mechanical engineer from Montreal joining the Cabin System group. In past experiences, he has worked for Dassault Systems, Bombardier, and Mitsubishi Spicejet, always in the cabin interiors. He also developed some experience in electrical transportation working for Lion Electric where they build electrical buses and trucks. Besides aviation, Julio a big soccer fan, and try’s to pass those two passions to his kids by doing aircraft spotting and teaching all he know’s about soccer!

Kyle Wybranowski

Kyle is joining the Mobile App team. He previously worked on one of the highest-grossing apps on the app store and is now eager to work with cutting-edge sustainable technology. When he’s not coding, he’s making music, tending his garden, or enjoying some local food.

Curtis Libby

Curtis is an Instrumentation Engineer from Maine. He brings over a decade of experience developing and maintaining specialized instrumentation systems in both laboratory and field settings. He has past experience with marine renewable technologies and accredited laboratory testing and enjoys collaborating with diverse groups to solve challenging technical problems.

Travis Brown

Travis is interested in everything he doesn’t know yet. Professionally he worked as an avionics technician on F-16s in the Air Force. He’s currently a student working to achieve his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Arizona State University. In his spare time, he likes to snowboard, play hockey, hike mountains with his wife, and hang out with his three dogs.

Wolcott Beck Griswold

Beck is a recent MechE grad from The University Of Vermont. He finds tough problem-solving just as fun as spending time skiing in the woods!

Polly Mangan

Polly is an accomplished data scientist and proven team leader. She aims to grow data science at BETA on the pillars of reproducibility, graceful solutions, and continual knowledge building. Polly is thrilled to join the journey to electric aviation at BETA and hopes to one day land a seaplane on Lake Champlain!

Luke Moultroup

Luke is a local Vermonter and A&P Mechanic. He has worked as a turbine engine mechanic for the last 11 years and now works on the flight test team. Luke loves to work with his hands and spend time with his family. He built his own log cabin and enjoys tinkering on, and driving his race car!

Matt Scafidi-McGuire

Matt is a software engineer with 20 years of professional experience building backend services & frontend user interfaces. He is most happy, high in the mountains on skis, a bike, or a climbing rope!

Jose Roberto Silva Nogueira Barros Junior

Jose Roberto Barros is highly versatile and creative, with many models, applications, and solutions developed using MATLAB/Simulink, LabVIEW, C/C++, C#, Python, and even FORTRAN in different sectors, such as Aerospace, Finance, Automotive, and Energy. His portfolio also includes the development of real-time and machine learning programs. Jose enjoys traveling and the outdoors. He spends his vacations traveling.

Elena Guylay

Elena is a senior at the University of Vermont studying Psychology and Animal Sciences. She moved to Burlington from Sun Valley, Idaho, determined to stay connected to the outdoors. She likes baking, crafting, going to the waterfront, and spending time with her dog!

Michael Kuss

Mike has over 14 years of electric vehicle experience, primarily as a firmware engineer. Most of his work has been focused on charging system integration, and more recently, infotainment systems & diagnostics. At BETA he uses his skills and experience to develop charging systems. Outside of work, you can find him backcountry skiing or riding a tandem bike with his baby riding shotgun in a backpack!

Steven Pakulski

Steve has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from The University of Vermont. He was at IBM for 24+ years working as an Equipment engineer and starting up manufacturing lines. Most recently he worked at Keurig Dr. Pepper for 11+ Years, starting up multiple manufacturing sites from the ground up. Steve hopes to leverage that experience to get manufacturing rocking at BETA! When not working he enjoys time with family at the lake. He is an Avid, Water, and Snow skier and has a love for the outdoors.

Tyler Arsenault

Tyler is an engineer interested in dynamics and control. He has extensive experience integrating complex systems!

Stephen Dickson

Steve is a North Carolina native! He has a bachelor’s degree in Physics and Masters in Electrical Engineering. He loves working on hard problems with people smarter than himself!

Timothy Agnew

Tim previously worked as a marine air traffic controller, retail management, packaging equipment service engineer, and senior equipment engineer. His career has not been straight by any stretch of the imagination but what has remained true is that everything requires hard work, a great team, and some ingenuity. Tim truly loves a challenge, especially in the manufacturing space. Outside of work he loves spending time with his family and being outside!

Kelly Underwood

Kelly is joining the team with experience in systems engineering and an educational background in mechanical engineering. She previously worked for the FAA serving as a general systems engineer on the Aeronautical Services team supporting a portfolio of aeronautical information systems. She has a passion for sustainable technologies, aviation, and is always excited to be continuously learning! Outside of work you will usually find her dancing or working on another hobby.

Jakob Williamson

Jake is a native Vermonter. He graduated from the New England Culinary institute in 2005. He has had the pleasure of cooking for over 20 years from Vermont to the mountains of Colorado and back a few times. Jake enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and his dog, Sunny. His family stay’s busy with camping, hiking, kayaking, and fishing!

Mark Shaker

Mark came from the U.S. Air Force where he was a flight test engineer. He brought that experience to BETA to test motors both in the lab and in flight. Mark loves working at BETA because the results of the tests he gets to run here are quickly turned into design changes to improve the motors. You can often overhear him saying, “I didn’t break it, it was like that when I found it.”

Damir Nurkanovic

Damir is originally from Bosnia. He came to the United States in 1996. He is married to Amela and they have nine-year-old twins, Norah and Adam. They enjoy playing tennis and golf and recently sailing! Damir has his CDL and can drive anything. He also loves airplanes which makes him a perfect fit here at BETA!

Tyler Lever

Tyler is a former Tesla Dimensional Engineer. He helped the production ramp and launch of Model 3/Y, Plaid Drive Unit, 4180 Battery Pack, Megapack, and Semi.

James Marwell

Jamie is a mechanical engineer who has somehow found himself working on an array of non-mechanical engineering projects for the Study Hall team. Jamie loves to work with his hands and spend his free time either in a used bookstore or playing a board game with friends.

Sadie Strom

Sadie is an intern on the Supply Chain team. She is a rising senior at The University of Vermont studying Economics with a focus on the environment and energy. In her free time, Sadie can be found hiking around New England, drawing, leather working, and reading Nick Offerman’s weekly newsletter “Donkey Thoughts”.

Dan Rowan

Along with the Beta Eats Team, Dan helps to nourish the body with healthy, sustainable food so the mind is free to function creatively. Authentic, enthusiastic, and encouraging, Dan is of the mindset that positivity along with persistence creates success. Previously Dan worked in the hospitality industry. When he’s not working, Dan can be found walking his black lab, Schroon, bowling or golfing with friends, singing karaoke, or testing his random knowledge at local trivia nights.

Oliver Thode

Oli has worked on all kinds of electric vehicles from race cars to mopeds to quadcopters. He will be putting his degrees in CS and Robotics and a strong background in Electrical Engineering to use writing embedded code here at BETA. He is excited to dive into the world of electric aviation!

Alessandro Theodoli

22 years in the aviation industry has widely developed Alessandro’s passion for aviation. He likes to constantly discover and learn new topics related to aviation, but not only! Cooking, canoe-camping, soccer, bouldering, road bikes, and alpine skiing are among Alessandro’s favorite activities. His passion for aviation has guided him to obtain his PPL and is looking forward to adding the night rating! He is looking forward to starting his new adventure with the BETA team!

Daniel Morin

Daniel has more than 30 years of experience with CATIA designing, supporting, training, and setting them up with a wide range of companies. He is definitely an aircraft fan as he was drawing aircrafts at age 4! Daniel got his VFR license at age 24. When he’s not at work he loves skiing and kayaking and being outside enjoying nature.

Jay McCormack

Jay is a native Vermonter and loves the Green Mountain State. He’s passionate about sharing his love for aviation through instruction as a CFI at BETA.

Kasey Gelfand

Kasey is a mechanical engineer who could never decide which side to be on, nerd or jock, so he went for both. He loves playing sports of all kinds, from running to rock climbing to basketball, but is also always game for a chat about the origins of the universe (small talk works too).

Alex Gagnon

After graduating from The University of Vermont with a degree in Civil Engineering Alex’s 8+ year career in large-scale commercial construction took him around the country from DC to SF and Maine. He’s looking forward to leveraging his construction PM experience to help expand BETA’s physical footprint as part of the construction team. When he’s not at work building multimillion-dollar buildings, Alex enjoys taking on renovation projects at home and spending time in the mountains hiking, biking, and snowboarding!

Sam DeFazio

Sam grew up in western New York and graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in Business Management. He has spent the past 13 years in the healthcare industry working as a Program Manager, Business Analyst, and most recently a Product Manager. Outside of work you can find Sam on a golf course, in his garden, chasing his three-year-old daughter around, or screaming at his tv while he cheers on the Buffalo Bills and Sabres!

Ella Brisson

Ella is a Certified Flight Instructor from New Hampshire. After graduating from school in Salt Lake City, she moved back east to teach people how to fly, and continue sharing her love for aviation! When she’s not flying you can find her hiking, swimming, or reading.

Joe Verdino

Joe is a Materials & Processes Engineer with a passion for clean, sustainable energy and all things that fly. A lifetime student, he is working on his MBA part-time and plans to attend Beta’s flight school after that. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis with his friends and family.

Alia Bringas-Brand

As a Vermonter, born and raised, the enthusiasm for the outdoors shaped Alia’s passion for sustainability through building new and interesting creations. Now, Alia is a third year design student at the Rhode Island School of Design with a multifaceted approach to sustainability conceptual design development. As well as a design, Alia also loves surfing, cooking, and live music!

Avery Tuttle

Avery was born in Burlington and intends to move south, but something tells him he’s here to stay. He graduated from the AWI Structural and pipe welding program in July 2017 and the next day was at Velan Valve running the hard-facing robot. Avery’s happy place is the par 5-second hole at Rocky ridge, driver in hand!

Sophia Skinner

Sophia is always on the lookout for opportunities to learn, grow and add value to her team. She is keenly interested in the collective strength of individual creativity and how organizational systems allow that creativity to thrive. She is a Certified ScrumMaster, a wilderness guide, and holds a BA from St. Olaf College in political philosophy and international relations. At Beta, she works primarily in software project management. In her free time, Sophia can be found bagging rad peaks in the mountains, rock climbing, canoeing, knitting and nordic skiing.

Adi Ojha

Adi is an intern on the battery team. He’s excited about Beta’s mission to make aviation green! He’s a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Electrical and Computer Engineering with a emphasize of machine learning and information processing. In his free time, he likes to practice magic tricks and go for scenic runs.

John O’Rourke

John has 20 years of experience writing software to connect instrumentation for making medical measurements. He looks forward to putting that knowlege to use at Beta to revolutionize aviation. On the weekends he can be found exploring the mountains or sailing on Lake Champlain.

Celia Liberman

After her recent graduation with a Mathematics degree and minors in Chemistry and Computer Science, Celia explored her passion for aviation and space during her internship with NASA. She is beyond excited to be working with the software team on data visualization and test tools, configuration control, and other system improvements. She is also thrilled to be learning new skills such as flying at BETA.

Sydney Klugo

Sydney is an intern currently studying Dietetics at UVM. Outside of classes, she loves doing anything active, including running and exploring the trails in Vermont, solving NYT crossword puzzles, cooking, and taking way too many pictures of her food.

Leilani King

Leilani is a local Vermonter who grew up in St Albans and is an avid skydiver. After studying Mechanical Engineering and International Business Management, she started her career at Ford Motor Company working on the Electrified Powertrain, and is now making the switch from automotive to aerospace!

Malia Hodges

Malia is a native Vermonter earning a degree in mechanical engineering at The University of Vermont. She is an intern on the motor team and looks forward to taking flight lessons as well! Malia enjoys working in her garden, cooking, and building Legos.

Daniel Essington

Danny is an intern at BETA who is passionate about the future of aviation and is proud to be apart of it. He attends Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and studies aeronautical engineering technology. In his free time he enjoys the outdoors, photography, music, and is an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers.

Maura Duval

Maura grew up in Vermont. She is currently studying environmental engineering at The University of Vermont with a focus on sustainable design. She is passionate about the outdoors, spending a lot of time hiking, skiing, and sailing.

Spencer Dooley

Spencer is a recent graduate and now a current Master’s student at The University of Vermont studying Complex Systems and Data Science. He enjoys solving problems and loves a good challenge. In his free time, you’ll find him on the basketball courts!

Alec Towsley

Alec is an IT Professional with 5 years of experience from The University of Vermont. He enjoys tackling issues head-on with a hands-on approach. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking and tinkering with his VR setup!

Mel Tomme

Commercial Pilot, CFI

Mel grew up wanting to be an astronaut. It guided him to the AF Academy and to get a physics doctorate from Oxford. He had three wonderful careers in the AF: fighter pilot, physics professor, and classified satellite program commander. After Mel’s military retirement, he ran engineering for DISH. He had completely retired for two years before being found by BETA and now absolutely loves coming to work in Springfield, Ohio, where he sees himself akin to the janitor Kennedy spoke to at NASA: “I’m helping to build aircraft that will change the world!

Todd Stempel

Todd has a bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University where he majored in Physics and Mathematics. He has over 25 years of Safety-Critical Avionics system, software, and hardware experience across a broad range of commercial and military aircraft platform subsystems. Todd is a contributing member of the RTCA forum for Aeronautical Software (FAS) since 2017 providing clarifications related to DO-178C and the supplements. He is Co-Chair of RTCA/EASA SC-240/WG-117 SubGroup 1 which is producing a new DO-/ED- document related to Certification of Lower Risk UAS.

Mozart Pinto

Mozart is a Mechanical Engineer with a Masters in Aerospace. At BETA, he is part of the System Safety Engineering Team.

Nathan Petter

Equally comfortable in CAD or on the shop floor, Nathan enjoys bringing ideas into reality and testing tangible systems in the real world. He has broad experience developing products from military robots to toys for children and has been known to build things from flame-throwing, metal monsters, and sailboats just for fun! Nathan enjoys riding bikes, climbing mountains, and other forms of adventure.

Maggie Dobroth

Maggie is a Mechanical Engineer who grew up skateboarding and working in machine shops. Her passion for the outdoors and making things inspires her to work in the renewable energy field! When she’s not designing the mechanical side of electrical systems, she can be found on top of a mountain painting a picture or in the glades on her split board.

Henri Champigneulle

Henri is a recently graduated Aerospace Engineer from MIT, working with the Flight Sciences Team with a focus in Aerodynamics and Performance. He hails from Brooklyn, NY, and is passionate about aviation history, model-making, science fiction, and spending time outdoors.

Jack Boynton

Jack is looking to apply concepts from biomedical signal processing and research to flying creations!

Ahmad Alhadithi

Ahmad is an artist by nature and loves to draw and design. He started at a very early age and keeps doing what he loves the most every day! He got his first degree in industrial design in 2001 with honors! BETA allows Ahmad to combine his work, passion, and hobbies all into one!

Tyler Seeholzer

Tyler comes to BETA with a family of five and decades of Air Force Emergency Management, Remote Pilot, Electronic Combat, and instructional experience. A born-and-raised Vermonter, Tyler and his wife Chantelle have traveled the entire world; after living in Texas, Germany, New Jersey, and California, they know for sure that Vermont is the best place in the world to live and raise their three children; Archer, Tatum, and Desi!

David Couture-Benitez

David is currently studying a mechanical engineering Master’s at Concordia University in Montréal. He has experience in fields such as the defense and manufacturing industries from previous internships in Ottawa. Outside of school and work, David likes to snowboard in the winter and kayak in the summer!

Sarjit Singh

Sarjit is currently a master’s student at Concordia University in Montréal as he studies Aerospace Engineering. Sarjit’s interests include working with aero-structures, designing using composites, and structural analysis. Starting this summer, he will be interning at BETA working with the structures team. Outside work and studies, he loves running, roller skating, playing soccer, and is a huge Liverpool fan!

Devin Bowen

After graduating from flight school in Hawaii, Devin has flown helicopters all over the country and looks forward to teaching BETA team members how to fly helicopters! He is an ambitious person who spends his time in the outdoors and shares his love of aviation on the internet!

Gary Tilden

Gary brings 15 years of software engineering experience to BETA. Past fields include customer information systems for utility companies, semiconductor manufacturing, and educational app development. He enjoys fixing anything, not just software bugs. He’s an avid skier, and in the summer, he loves mountain biking and boating on Lake Champlain!

Tim Lussier

Tim is excited to be working with the BETA team as a Building & Equipment Maintenance Technician. He brings over 30 years of experience in the HVAC field. Tim enjoys boxing at a local gym, hiking, biking, and going for rides on his Triumph with his wife.

Meet Patel

Meet has over 7 years of aerospace experience, with his main focus on strategic sourcing of BTP parts, and supplier development. When not working he enjoys traveling to new destinations both stateside and abroad!

AJ Papillon

AJ has been working as a Manufacturing Engineer with a focus on CNC applications and programming for over 40 years. He has been interested in flying for as long as he can remember. He believes that life is an adventure and you can never learn too much. AJ has become a MEL private pilot, RYT200 (Yoga Teacher), Dive Master (SCUBA), and Gong Resonance Therapy provider. He loves walking his dog Niya, Motorcycle riding, Skiing, bicycling, kayaking, and many other outdoor activities.

Ganga Magar

Ganga emigrated from Bhutan in 2012. He currently resides in Essex, Vermont. He’s been cooking in restaurants for 10+ years.

Aidan Stair

Aidan is working with the BETA team as a mechanical engineer to help solve challenging manufacturing problems in electric motors! He brings relevant experience in conceptualizing and implementing clean-slate designs, as well as supporting legacy equipment.

Phil Clark

Phil is joining BETA as part of the quality team. Born and raised in VT, he has spent his career in the manufacturing world. His experience includes CNC machining, quality control, and manufacturing management. His love for aviation stems from his time in VT Air National Guard, where he worked with electrical and environmental systems on military aircraft. In his free time, Phil enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, running, and hiking with his wife and corgi.

Alex White

Alex is a Systems Engineer with 10+ years of experience in aerospace fuel systems, electrical power systems, engine control systems, sensing systems, and electromechanical control systems. Alex’s engineering skills also extend into his garage woodshop where he designs and produces one-of-a-kind items, many of which incorporate high voltage.

Mandy Grace

Mandy is a mechanical engineer from Ohio who has focused on the aerospace aftermarket customer experience since 2003. She is a curious listener, a questioner, and a dot connector who believes that true sustainability must be affordable. Mandy plays trumpet and field hockey. She loves to drive fast and enjoys spending time with her family, especially if it’s outside.

Deb Dudley

Deb is a certified health consultant with over 40 years of experience. She has an extensive background in employee benefits and assists with benefit design, solutions, and implementation. She enjoys a challenge which is why she loves problem-solving and being an advocate for all our BETA team members assisting them through the maze of health care! Born in Vermont, she enjoys most outdoor sports, flying and sailing with her husband, and spending time with family and friends.

Will Guisbond

Will is a Mathematics student and Private Pilot who loves all things that fly. When he’s not at work, you can probably find him heads down in a math textbook, poking around in the hangar, or exploring the outdoors via a number of methods including by bike, ski, or on foot.

Travis Rohlin

Travis joins BETA with 12+ years of automation and control systems experience. He has implemented entire manufacturing lines and enjoys getting in the weeds programming PLCs. His engineering and MBA degrees help him deliver the right solution for the business by justifying fully automated manufacturing lines or recommending when a simpler solution is sufficient. In his free time, he enjoys being outside with his three boys in pursuit of the coveted “World’s Greatest Dad” title.

Ryan Barta

Ryan has always been obsessed with the logistics of moving people and things. His passion for aviation, in particular, led to a pilot license, a career in aerospace manufacturing, and more recently, designing e-commerce air cargo networks. The combination of those experiences and the desire to turn the corner on climate change led him to Beta Technologies. At Beta, Ryan focuses on commercial strategy, network planning, and customer experience. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys adding new ratings to his pilot license, hiking, mountaineering, skiing, SUP, and taking photos along the way!

Todd Olson

Todd is a project manager who enjoys working on fast-paced projects with diverse teams. He’s been an engineer and project manager at OEMs and suppliers and is very excited to be at BETA. In his spare time, he enjoys doing anything outside with his wife, daughter, and golden retriever!

Tierney McCallister

Tierney brings design and technical documentation expertise to the team but lacks the ability to draw something as simple as a dog. She loves both the outdoors and indoors and can often be found roller skating, playing video games, or finding new trails to hike with her dog. She is a lover of music and looks forward to the return of concerts!

Stephen Yuenger

Stephen is a Materials and Process Engineer with over 10 years of experience in the automotive and aerospace industries. His background in metallurgy, additive manufacturing, composites, and lean six sigma has given him a diverse set of tools for materials problem-solving. Stephen is a naturally curious person who enjoys learning about everything!

Michael Cemprola

Michael is ready to help change the world! He is passionate about his family, the outdoors, and cutting-edge technology. He spends his time outside of work planning the next adventure in the mountains!

Kristen Blodgett

Kristen followed up a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Wake Forest University with an MBA at Champlain College and joins BETA’s Customer Experience team following a decade of managing client partnerships with automotive OEMs and integrating eCommerce strategies. Her interests include travel, snowboarding, golf, adventures with her high-energy Bernedoodle, Ace, and as of recently, flying single engine prop aircraft!

Francois Viens

Francois is an aerospace engineer, he has worked mainly for OEMs over the past 18 years. He has specialized in all aspects related to metallic fatigue, generating spectra, material testing, and publishing time-limited maintenance tasks. Francois is a true team player! He likes to be challenged but also likes to challenge others. He is thrilled to join BETA where he feels he can make a difference!

Nisha Shah

Nisha is an intern who is currently studying Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Pennsylvania. Outside of classes, she enjoys marinating in the sun, dancing, hammocking, and doing henna!

Amado Shrestha

Amado works on the battery team as an intern. He studies Mechanical Engineering at Stanford where he also participates in the Air Force ROTC program, captains the alpine racing team, and serves as vice president of the Stanford Polo Team. In his free time, Amado can be found enjoying the outdoors, skiing, flying planes, playing horse polo, climbing, or mountaineering!

Ryan Kuschel

Student Pilot Airplane

Ryan is an Electrical Engineer that brings over 14 years of aviation experience to BETA, working previously at Cirrus, Piper Aircraft, and Kestrel Aircraft. When he’s not working around the house or chasing after his kids, Ryan enjoys playing guitar, basketball, golf, and downhill skiing.

Greg Goldman

Greg was born and raised in Williston, Vermont before attending Duke University for electrical and biomedical engineering. After college, he moved to New Mexico to build electrical and control systems for oil and gas production facilities, specializing in programmable logic controllers and motor control centers. He quickly realized he missed the Green Mountains, and he’s thrilled to be back in Vermont as an electrical engineer focused on circuit board design. Outside of work, he can be found skiing, rock climbing, or riding his motorcycle.

Jeffrey Wagner

Commercial Pilot - SEL

Jeff has an MS in Systems Engineering, a BS in Aviation Management & Flight Operations, and over 20 years experience in aerospace and defense, from mechanical design engineer to managing a Program Management Office. He has a commercial pilot license and is a licensed A&P mechanic. BETA is the perfect opportunity to bring all of those skills together and help usher in the next evolution of aviation. Outside of work, you can usually find Jeff in his shop, trying to bring some vehicle back to life.

Benjamin Short

Ben is a technology enthusiast with more than 15 years experience working across various technical trades including 3 years in manufacturing/quality assurance, and two years in project management. From automotive repair to building science, Ben brings intense curiosity and a love of science to troubleshoot problems and design solutions. Give him some time, gum, and a paper clip, and he can bring almost any machine back to life. In his free time, Ben enjoys spending time outdoors and learning new skills from leadership to biomechanics to aviation.

Jordan McCallister

Jordan is a supply chain representative with over 7 years of Aerospace experience. In his spare time, he likes to hang out with Scout, his Australian Sheperd. He also enjoys playing drums and hiking!

Cortlandt Sener

Private Pilot - SES, Commercial Pilot - SEL, CFI, CFII

Cortlandt grew up in Burlington as a 5th generation Vermonter and after college spent 5 years working in 4 different Caribbean countries. He has been a project manager on wind farms, desalination plants, and multi-million dollar mechanical installations for universities and government agencies. He will be working with the manufacturing team at BETA to build the best possible manufacturing facility for Alia. He flies open cockpit aircraft year-round, lived on his sailboat for 2 years with his wife and enjoys exploring the most remote corners of the country.

Chris Havas

Chris is an electro-mechanical technician who spent 38 years maintaining semiconductor manufacturing equipment. A work transfer sent him to Vermont in 1992, where he has made the most of the outdoor activities, both self-propelled and motorized. He enjoys time spent on metal sculpture, old car restoration, and race/rally car fabrication. He’s married, with two young kids that he can’t seem to keep up with on the ski slopes!

Bruce Williams

Lifelong interest in all things transportation. Between ski runs in Vermont growing up, Bruce dreamed of one day becoming a transportation designer. He spent 20+ years at Ford Motor Company doing just that – designing cars, SUV’s, trucks, and even Ebikes. Working in Vermont with the BETA Team and designing electric aircraft sounds even better!

Grayden Shand

Grayden is a data engineer and full stack application developer. He’s spent years honing his craft to build resilient and highly available systems. He enjoys operating behind the scenes, diligently building the infrastructure to support his teammates’ work, while striving to tame system complexity. With a background in entrepreneurship, he also enjoys product design and economics. He is grateful for the opportunity to help make electric flight a reality at BETA.

Hannah Kemerer

Hannah considers herself a professional multitasker who enjoys a challenge, which is probably why she loves purchasing and the supply chain world so much. Born in Colorado, spent a bunch of years in Alaska and then ended up in Vermont, which is where she truly belongs. Outside of work, you’ll probably find her enjoying lots of “Type 2” with her husband and two boys, or running obscenely long distances with her friends while eating maple syrup.

David Baillargeon

Dave’s interest in manufacturing supply chains has lead to a variety of category management and strategic sourcing roles. Focus areas have included supplier development, risk mitigation and a China-based overseas assignment. When not at work Dave enjoys skiing, motorcycles and cooking.

Matthew Newton

Matt has 17 years of manufacturing experience in both semi conductor and optical/electromechanical assemblies. He utilized self taught knowledge of CAD and 3D printers to help improve manufacturing processes and safety. In his free time, he enjoys renovating his home.

Chase Drinkwater

Chase has been a Kart Racer since age 4. Being exposed to a large variety of machines that are designed purely to go fast fueled a creativity and desire to extract the highest amount of performance possible from any given thing. As a photographer, Chase has gotten the chance to take photos for a variety of disciplines. It’s always exciting to see so many different ideas play out in the world.

Andrew Pasco

Andrew is a student at Caltech studying mechanical engineering. He is an intern working with the subscale team. His love of modeling and designing with CAD began through high school robotics, and he is excited to begin applying it to more complex systems. Andrew is most comfortable in the water, whether pool, lake, or ocean.

Stefan Brecher

With a lifelong interest in anything that drives, flies, sails, or slides, Stefan is excited to dive into the world of full-scale experimental aviation!

Ryan Panzera

I received a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. I am coming to the team from California where I gained experience in the advanced composites industry. I will be assisting Beta with the quality systems team as well as composite manufacturing for the aircraft. I have a passion for all things aviation, and I like to spend my spare time at the beach with my dog, traveling, hiking/camping, and enjoying craft beer (in between hikes of course).

Kyle Reed

Student Pilot Airplane

Kyle comes from a career in construction management where he had the opportunity to help manage one of the most significant net-zero buildings in the U.S. He’s excited to work at BETA and leverage his project management experience with his interest in sustainability and aviation. Kyle grew up spending a lot of time in the Adirondacks where he developed a passion for outdoor adventures, travel, and photography. He’s excited to add piloting to that list.

Michael Skinner

Michael has an extensive background in Talent Acquisition and Organizational Development with large corporations and rapid growth startups. His primary areas of interest are with Aviation, Information Technology, Engineering and Government programs. At BETA he helps facilitate team operations to attract, influence and retain outstanding talent. Michael is also a musician and plays upright and fretless jazz bass.

Yesaswi Chilamkurti

Yesaswi is a Mechanical Engineer with experience in flow and thermal analysis. He is passionate about sustainable technologies and hopes to contribute to a cleaner and greener future for the planet. He spends his free time playing guitar, photography and hiking. He loves his dog and hopes to get her the translator collar from the movie “Up”.

Andrea Oleniczak

Andrea is supporting Team Ops and brings over a decade of experience designing, building, and operating both public access and academic innovation labs. She has a Masters of Fine Arts in glass, a love for historical crafts and the apprenticeship model. Above all, Andrea is a life long learner and is excited for the opportunity to learn how to fly.

Patrick Buckles

An aerospace engineer by education, Patrick has spent the last 15 years in business aviation. He has held a variety of leadership roles in engineering, marketing and sales and enjoys the passion of the BETA team in bringing our innovative products to the world. While not around aircraft, he spends his time golfing, hunting and being outdoors or with his family!

Corey Walker

Corey is a mechanical engineer who has spent his career developing a wide variety of electro-mechanical products in transportation and consumer electronics industries – from automated water dispensers for commercial kitchen applications to compute systems for self-driving cars. In his free time, Corey enjoys tinkering on projects and adventuring outdoors with his wife and yellow lab.

David Germain

David has his BS in Industrial Technology from ECU and has a passion for process improvement. He found his love for aviation while serving in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician. David is currently working on the Battery Manufacturing team at BETA. In his free time David can be found hiking, snowboarding and exploring with his dogs.

Isa Verna

Isa is currently finishing up high school and is an intern working with the project management team. She is looking to major in Physics with a track in Astrophysics. Outside of school and work, she enjoys acting, reading, and hiking.

Emma Davis

Student Pilot Helicopter

Emma is a flight test engineer and earned her MS in aerospace engineering from Utah State University. Prior to BETA she was a helicopter test engineer in the defense industry. In her free time you can find her at the gym, taking photos, learning something new, or hanging out with her two cats.

Casey O’Hara

A mechanical engineer who decided he really enjoys working with people not just machines, so he got his MBA to explore the business side of things. Coming from a background of construction & project management mixed with semiconductor and coffee manufacturing engineering with a touch of supply chain management, Casey has a desire to create the most productive environment possible for his coworkers. Life at home is full of family, pets, mountain biking, projects, and making slow things go fast. Thanks to BETA, he can now add flying to the hobby list!

Noble Livak

Noble is a Shipping and Receiving Materials Coordinator for Avenue D1 Recharge Team! Noble is also a student piolet! Native to Vermont, he spent his 20’s traveling and exploring. In the summer you can find Noble on the lake sailing his Pearson 10M or relaxing by the Huntington River!

Paul Kearney

Student Pilot Airplane

Paul is a member of the flight test maintenance crew. He can usually be found prepping one of the prototypes for the next test flight or riding in the chase helicopter.

David Gerstle

Private Pilot - SEL

David hails from Albuquerque, NM. Before receiving a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, he fed his adrenaline habit by working for several years as a ski instructor, zipline guide, skydiving coach, and indoor skydiving instructor. David discovered a love for general aviation by jumping out of aircraft of all shapes and sizes and obtained his private pilot’s license while studying in Boulder. He has experience in avionics flight testing, specifically flight display and autopilot development and certification.

Daniel Leonard

Dan has 15+ years of experience in various supply chain roles including purchasing & planning. Dan enjoys spending time outside with his wife, visiting breweries, and hitting every possible show in town.

Caroline Cating

Commercial Pilot - SEL, CFI

Caroline is a CFI at BETA, and she’s a nerd for all things aviation. If it flies, you can bet it’s on her list of things to learn. Sharing knowledge, facilitating learning, and getting to challenge herself and others to fly their best keeps her moving. She’s here to guide you through the process of learning to fly, so that every member of the BETA team can have a first-hand understanding of the industry they’re electrifying.

Travis Gang

Travis started his career in the aerospace industry as a stress analyst. After a break to earn his master’s degree, Travis spent the last nine years working as a systems engineer here in Vermont. Outside of work, Travis enjoys spending time with his wife and two young boys, working on his house, and visiting his family camp in the Adirondacks.

Garrett Russell

CFI, CFII

Garrett is joining the flight team as a flight instructor. A native of Vermont, he spent the last decade in the mountains of Colorado, where he directed a cross country ski program. A change in career brought him to Denver where he became a flight instructor. Garrett is excited to return to Vermont and when not at BETA, you can find him mountain biking, skiing and hiking with his dog, Burger.

Allie Cloyes

Allie spent the first decade of her career in Washington, DC as a Capitol Hill staffer and a lobbyist for air traffic controllers. Then she had a baby, moved to Vermont, and started a side-hustle photography business. Her journey led her to BETA, where she educates policymakers about the future of flight. She may not be an aerospace engineer, but she has assembled an IKEA play kitchen without instructions.

Marcus Pante

Marcus moved to Vermont to work as ski patrol after serving in the Navy and decided to stay because of the summers. He studied Environmental Science at Norwich University and after a number of years cleaning up Hazmat and investigating groundwater contamination, he realized that ensuring the safety of his coworkers and himself was something that he enjoys and has made it his career. In his free time, he can be found fly fishing, diving, woodworking or cooking. He has always had a passion for flight and feels fortunate to be a part of BETA.

Grey Rowell

Grey is an Aerospace Engineer with over 15 years experience working on aircraft/spacecraft. He has his bachelors and masters from Embry-Riddle and wrote his thesis on aircraft composite repairs. A big fan of EVs, he is excited to be part of the BETA team pioneering technologies for the future of aviation. In his spare time you will find Grey on the bike path, sailing on the lake or on the ski mountain.

Daniel Cashdollar

Private Pilot - SEL

Anything that combines aviation and engineering is what Daniel loves. He wants to live life to its fullest and has been blessed with many opportunities that he hopes can better himself for the future.

Alexa Sirois

Alexa is excited to further her career in the civilian sector of Aviation with BETA as a Composite Technician, in addition to the Vermont Air National Guard, where she works as a Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Technician on the F-35s! She enjoys the sun, big breakfasts, and Sunday family dinners!

Jack Tulloch

Private Pilot - SEL

Jack was a prior intern of 2 years and is now a full-time employee. He has bachelor’s and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from WPI. He has loved all things aerospace for as long as he can remember. If he is not out flying planes, he is either designing, building, or thinking about planes. Other interests include upside-down airplanes (F1 cars) and archery!

Sam Hobbs

Born and raised in VT, Sam’s love of aviation started at age 11 when a family friend kept their J-3 cub on floats at his childhood home. While he’s been flying off and on since then, he’s excited to be closer than ever to aviation. With a background in renewables, the confluence of interests is clear. He loves cooking and sharing meals with friends and family and always has a project of some sort around the house. Like most Vermonters, he loves playing outside no matter what the mode.

Noah Schwartz

Student Pilot

Noah is a 17-year-old industrious and curious individual, focusing on a variety of technical and collaborative projects. From astrophotography to rockets, welding to beverage manufacturing, he takes project ideas and turns them into reality. For 7 years Noah has operated a booth at the annual Champlain Mini Maker Faire, teaching participants how to design, build, and launch rockets on a compressed air launcher system. At BETA Noah works with the Charging Team, helping to put electricity into electric aviation.

Michael Leonard

Michael has been an A&P mechanic for 15 years, working on mostly turbine-powered business jets at a certified repair station. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two young children, motorsports, and anything that goes fast.

Austin Cate

Austin works on electrical system integration in the aircraft. He is an electrical engineer by training but a systems engineer in practice. He designed wind turbines for over a decade, making sure the electrical control and generation systems integrated smoothly with the mechanical structures and systems. He later led a team focused on utility-scale energy storage, installing 20 MWh of batteries on multiple continents. He grew up on a small farm in central VT where he learned to fix almost anything.

Austin Meyer

Austin Meyer wrote X-Plane and Xavion, and made the documentary movie “The Patent Scam”. Austin is also an investor and philanthropist.

Sarah Deshaw

Sarah brings an “all hands on deck” attitude and positive energy to her role on Team Ops supporting BETA’s best and brightest as an Education Partner and supporting efforts with Onboarding and Recruitment. In addition to her background in International Education, Sarah honed her project management and organizational skills as a professional parent volunteer in the BVT schools. Sarah is fascinated by the innovation happening at BETA and is excited by the opportunity to learn to fly!

Tom Henck

Tom is a Systems Engineer and Electrical Systems DER covering 14 CFR PARTS 23, 25, 27, 29. Systems engineering represents the perfect mix of all engineering disciplines to bring everything together through planning and requirements, it’s exciting stuff really! Experience includes but is not limited to ARP4754A, ARP4761, DO-178C, DO-254, DO-330. DO-160G, Mil-STD-810, and Mil-STD-461. As a DER assisting the FAA Tom works diligently to provide a thorough unbiased review.

Matthew Neal

I graduated from Champlain College in 2019 with a major in Creative Media where I focused on Game Development, Interaction Design, and Visual Art. In my free time and when I’m feeling creative I like to make artworks that respond to the viewer with motion, light, and sound. I’ve always loved technology and art, BETA is the perfect place for me to continue learning and pursuing both!

Phil Butler

Phil is an electrical and embedded software engineer. He is an avid woodworker and self-taught mechanic and is always hunting for exciting projects to work on. When he is not working he enjoys hiking, skiing, and climbing.

Luca Valle

An avid aviator, Luca has designed, built, and competitively flown RC gliders since the youngest age. He had a stint as a glider pilot and plans on going back to it as soon as life will allow. An outdoor enthusiast, he jumps on his bike or skis to enjoy the world outside as often as possible. He has studied Aerospace Engineering, where he learned how to design and build things efficiently, and Crash Engineering, where he learned how to break things safely. He is really pumped for this new adventure at BETA and looking forward to bringing Alia to successful certification!

Phil Barsalou

15 years in Aerospace developing and supporting helicopters and business jets as Materials and Processes. Shade-tree mechanic and woodworker who spends his free time wrenching on his old Porsche and building furniture. Enjoys auto-racing, skiing, and mountain biking.

Jean-Sebastien Leclerc

Jean-Sebastien is a mechanical engineer with a master’s in composite manufacturing. He’s always loved fast cars and as a young graduate student, wanted to start his career in Formula 1. He has worked in both the rotorcraft and aircraft industry developing and certifying novel composite structures using automated manufacturing techniques. At BETA, he is a part of the team supporting the development and manufacturing of Alia 250. He enjoys riding his bike, skiing, traveling, and cooking (he has 3 BBQs and a wood-burning pizza oven).

Hossein Ghiasi

My journey of close to two decades of research and work on composite structures includes a Ph.D. from McGill and experience on two composite-intensive aircraft programs (A220 and LJ85). Structural analysis, certification, and testing are not only my expertise but also my interest and I am happy to share it with Beta and help with the certification of ALIA.

Jennifer Barney

Jen developed a love for aerospace at a young age. It was confirmed when she attended the NASA Academy Internship as an undergrad. After getting her degree in Physics, she decided she really enjoyed programming and became a Software Engineer. She has spent her career developing and testing radar/sonar, HUMS, Fuel, and Proximity Sensing systems with a more recent strong focus on Verification and Certification. Outside of work she enjoys playing ice hockey, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family!

Lisa Moody

Lisa has been in food service for 25 years. She was born and raised in Vermont. She enjoys camping, boating, sunsets, and leisure bike rides with her family.

Leo Bardou-Marchand

Student Pilot Airplane

Leo is a PMP certified mechanical engineer with a master’s in aerospace engineering and product development. He’s always loved electric cars and robotic. As a young graduate student, he won the ION Robotic Lawn Mower Competition and DARPA IGVC autonomous robotic along with his student club. At BETA, he is a part of the team supporting the development and manufacturing of Alia 250. He enjoys playing hockey, community greening project and financial engineering.

Tim Erwin

When he’s not at work, he spends his time designing and building custom mechanical keyboards, playing video, board, and tabletop games, or working on whatever project car he has in my driveway. After getting an associates in Computer Engineering with plans to become a motherboard designer, he decided to start his career in electrical assembly, eventually branching into IT and software development, handling broadcast support for NY Public Radio, and eventually landing at BETA as an electronics specialist.

Thomas Couture

Tom is a Master Electrician/Business Owner with over 20 years in the trade. Many of which were spent installing photovoltaics, including the recharge pad at BTV.

Marty Thomas

Marty loves to design and build things, whether it’s a custom fly fishing rod or the high-speed, rotating machinery that he worked on for 18 years as a lead engineer for a defense contractor. His experience ranges from creative concept development, analysis, testing, manufacturing & assembly. A resident of Richmond, VT, Marty, and his wife are raising three sons. Marty coaches youth lacrosse and is always looking for an excuse to use his tractor or work in his machine shop.

Justin Woodruff

Justin is a Mechanical Engineer from North Carolina State University that juggled many roles on the Formula SAE team. At BETA, he is on the battery test team which keeps his ADHD in check and also allows him to break stuff professionally!

Stuart Bell

Stuart is a member of the BETA Carpentry Team. He has spent his time before BETA working as a residential carpenter, softgoods designer, and freelance graphic designer. When he is not working, you can usually find him in the mountains, chasing down some Smallies on Lake Champlain, or working on his latest project.

Blake Opsahl

Blake has been fascinated by flight ever since he was a kid, playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 and listening to his grandfather tell stories of his time working as a pilot in rural Iowa. As a grown-up, Blake has made a career out of this fascination, working as a network planner and all-around ops guy with aircraft manufactures, passenger and cargo carriers. At BETA, Blake focuses on business development and strategy. When not at the office, you’ll likely find Blake in his kitchen negotiating a new bread recipe, or out in the mountains trying to tire out his husky.

Brent Stansfield

Brent is a fresh Mechanical Systems Engineering Grad from Ontario’s Conestoga College. His pre-engineering background in automotive and machine shops has given him a love of hands on work. That, combined with his passion for creating a sustainable future meant BETA was a perfect fit! Outside of work he can be found enjoying the outdoors and searching craigslist for old cars and motorcycles.

Adam Benjamin

Adam uses his electrical engineering background in semiconductor testing and failure analysis to instrument and test motors and inverters. While working as a submarine electrician, he developed the skills and passion for the operation and maintenance of electrical machinery and power distribution systems.

Scott “Zip” Willits

Zip retired from the USAF where he had way too much fun flying Intel, Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft around the globe. As a civilian, he was the initial cadre that stood up the DoD’s first software factory “Kessel Run” as they revolutionized the way the DoD designed/delivered software to operators. Zip brings a wealth of aviation, operational and international experience to BETA and after years flying sideways is excited to actually look out the window.

Kyle Clark

Kyle says “Sometimes everything you’ve ever done suddenly intersects with everything you’ve ever wanted to do.” With specialties in business and power, he founded iTherm, which was acquired by Dynapower where he then directed engineering; but with a passion for flight it was almost inevitable that he would build a company around electric aircraft, and here we are. Fun fact, after Harvard, Kyle spent his NHL signing bonus on flight lessons.

Timothy Richter

Tim worked on hybrid and electric vehicle projects for GE since 2003. He designs, develops and tests electrical systems and software with a focus on component interactions, data collection and analysis. To unwind he shreds a vintage Strat with the volume at 11.

Ernest “Easy E” Philips

Easy E’s background is obstacle course designing – he designed for American Ninja Warrior, Tough Mudder, and Spartan Races. He’s also appeared on shows such as America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Amazing Race. At BETA he is a manufacturing builder and dabbles in a little bit of everything. He is looking forward to learning the aviation field. If you need a go-to guy for the apocalypse, this is your man.

Michael Craig

Student Pilot

Michale has been building/restoring houses for 23 years. He owned four companies in NH up until he visited BETA. He decided to give it all up to join this amazing movement in electric aviation. He couldn’t be happier with the career change and to be involved with the amazing feats that BETA accomplishes each week.

Dan Russell

Dan works on BETA’s data team building scalable applications in the cloud. When he’s not writing code, he’s on an adventure with one or more of: canoe, fly rod, tele skis, motorcycle, four wheel camper and Pico the Vizsla. Dan has had a lifelong interest in ‘things that fly’ and looks forward to becoming a private pilot with seaplane rating to get further into the backcountry.

Curt Kellogg

Curt is a Mechanical Engineer who has worked and played in machine shops since he was a kid. He has been designing machine components for the last 15 years. Curt moved over to BETA because he loves the fast-paced, ever-changing workload and a chance to work on something revolutionary. Outside of work you can find curt riding and building mountain bike trails.

Patrice Gaillard

Student Pilot

Patrice is a R&D Mechanical engineer with expertise in creative problem solving, product design, research and simulations. Born in South Western France, he is now enjoying life with his family in VT and you can find him x-country skiing or somewhere on a lake in the summer.

Caleb Mann

Caleb was born and raised a Vermonter from Colchester. He graduated from Saint Michael’s College and The University of Vermont in Mechanical Engineering. Caleb currently works on motor test and development here at BETA.

Brett Robinson

Pilot

Brett is recently retired from the Air Force after a 23+ year career. He has flown C-130s, C-17’s and C-40s and was occasionally pulled out of the cockpit to for staff jobs, including several assignments representing the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill. Brett lives in Maryland with his wife and three sons and is excited to part of the Washington DC team running BETA’s simulator.

Gregory Kern

Student Pilot

Greg has over 10 years of semiconductor manufacturing experience as a lead equipment engineer. His main objectives have been to drive productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives. He mostly enjoys being hands on and turning wrenches in a fast-paced work environment. At BETA he uses his skills and experiences in motor manufacturing planning. Outside of work, you can find him exploring Vermont on his mountain bike or by foot.

Chandler Habig

Chandler recently graduated from The University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. While wrapping up school, He worked over at Avenue D building the recharge pads for a little more than a year and has now transitioned to the motors team. He loves to build things and tries to get his hands on as many projects as he can. When he is not working, Chandler enjoys anything outdoors, including skiing, sailing, and playing pond hockey.

Patrick Gorun

Student Pilot

Born in Europe, and raised in Vermont, Patrick has extensive engineering background from semiconductor equipment design, to coffee processing and aerospace. BETA offers the ideal technical and cultural fit to apply this experience. Outside of work, kids, house projects and leading an active lifestyle occupy his time.

Thomas Rathbun

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES, CFI

Thomas graduated with a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Iowa. After graduation he pursued a career in collegiate coaching which brought him to Duke University. While at Duke he picked up flying and earned his CFI in a little over a yea. At BETA Thomas is a flight instructor and assists the manufacturing team with Environmental Engineering. When he isn’t flying you can find him traveling or working out.

Davis Lavoie

Davis is a rising junior at UVM studying electrical engineering. He is a local Vermont resident and loves going on hikes, camping and skiing in the winter. He has been working with the SN2 team to get it wired up and ready for flight.

Louis Gauthier

Louis has a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and a PhD from Laval University. He worked on Learjet85 (Crashworthiness), CSeries/Airbus220 and Global7500 Program. Louis is a ski, snowboard, telemark, and mountain bike certified instructor. Based in Bromont Qc. Interests include 3D printing & CNC Machining. Father of 4.

Nathan Ward

Student Pilot

Nate works on the deployment of our recharging infrastructure and is based in the mid-Atlantic. He is currently working on his private pilot license. When he has downtime, he enjoys hanging out with his two young children and three dogs, hiking, and kite surfing when the wind is just right!

Richard Donnelly

Student Pilot

Richard is an industrial designer who loves to drive, ride or captain anything that moves! You name it, planes, trains, boats, bikes, cars. 25 years in, he’s had a chance to design better versions of many of the above. BETA is his intersection of everything he’s wanted to do.

Hunter Fenn

A jack-of-all-trades type. He grew up in East Africa but ended up at UVM to earn a BA in Chinese Language/Culture. He was then a mechanic, a carpenter, and attended VTC for Electrical Eng. while working as a Mfg. Tech. Outside of BETA, you’ll find him at a cliff, bridge, or waterfall looking for the best spot to jump! He loves extreme sports and playing or working on anything with a motor.

Bettina Edelstein

Private Pilot - SEL

A former New York Times editor, Bettina moved to Vermont in 2012 to learn how to work on aircraft. As an A&P mechanic, she spent 6 years at Pratt & Whitney. She’s also been writing a memoir about learning to fly again after years away from airplanes and what that taught her about living. Her aviation experiences include flying the Hudson River Corridor in NYC, meeting one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen and sitting in the cockpit of a Spitfire.

Joshua Rock

An A&P mechanic, he started inline service at Heritage Aviation 25 yrs ago where he became the General Aviation Maintenance Manager, specializing in Cirrus aircraft.

Marc Stannard

Marc comes to BETA with 48 years of experience on this earth, from a foreman building million-dollar homes in Vermont, Colorado, and Seattle, to underwater welding on hydroelectric plants throughout New England as a certified commercial diver, to climbing trees as an arborist. He is an adrenaline junkie always looking for a new “fix,” and he’s found one here at BETA!

Zachary White

Zach is a program manager with a background in mechanical engineering and product development. Before joining BETA he spent 9yrs developing soldier equipment with an emphasis on visual augmentation systems. Zach holds a Master’s of Science in mechanical engineering and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and anything else that gets him outside.

Ed Hall

Ed wears many hats, primarily because he’s bald, but also due to his diverse background and category-challenging skill set. At BETA, he helps translate the between various stakeholders to ensure that expectations are aligned. Also, engage end-users early and often for feedback on iterative prototypes.

Katie Clark

Katie keeps BETA operations, artistic vision, and soul moving in the right direction. She has experience with multiple start ups and is an expert level multitasker. She has fantastic taste in shoes and curses more than we’d like.

Stephen Ross

Steve has written a bunch of stuff for a bunch of industries, most of which he is not at liberty to discuss. Especially the program that was retrofitting sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. Steve loves spending time with his family and likes to run for fun. Considers himself to be a walking encyclopedia of classic rock and says his favorite Led Zeppelin album is “Dark Side of the Moon”.

Brian Esser

Student Pilot

Brian utilizes his knowledge and experience across multiple technical disciplines to design, build, and deploy specialized instrumentation and measurement systems to further our knowledge and understanding of how our aircraft performs in the physical world. Brian enjoys both sharing his knowledge with others, and learning from the diverse backgrounds and skillsets of those he works with.

Chenjie Lin

Chenjie’s expertise is conceptualizing and developing novel electric motor and drive systems. Before joining BETA, he worked as a research engineer at ABB U.S. Corporate Research Center, where he initiated and led R&D projects to develop next-generation technologies. Chenjie loves basketball and always finds inspiration in sports to fuel his passion. He doesn’t like cooking.

William “Bill” Campbell

Current passions include playing hockey, which I took up way too late in life. I also enjoy woodworking, salt water/coral aquariums, and working on classic cars.

Asjad Pasha

A Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics from Iowa State University. Learning and growing within the Quality Engineering domain has been a passion ever since joining industry. Previous experience includes working at Haas Automation and Virgin Hyperloop. Certified IPC trainer for J-STD-001, 610, and 620; GD&T certified, SOLIDWORKS Mechanical Design certified, ASQ Certified Quality Process Analyst, and certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Outside of work, interests include mixed martial arts, camping, and staying up to date with politics.

Joe Trovato

Joe started as an electrical engineer but has ventured into software, robotics, machine learning. He has worked at variety of startups on emerging technologies. First, he worked on a team to build an embedded sensor system and software tools to help professionals predict avalanches. After avalanches, Joe focused on autonomous UAVs designing sensor systems and autonomy frameworks for hard kill counter UAS applications.

Jacob Hurwitz

Student Pilot

Jake hails from the heart of the green mountains. After graduating from UVM in 2016 with a degree in mechanical engineering he worked as a carpenter and part-owner of a local custom home building company. As a Six Sigma Black Belt he now supports the manufacturing team at BETA aiding in the transition from research and development to certified production. Outside of work you’ll find Jake at the top of a mountain on either his skis, bike, or dirt bike. If he isn’t out in the woods he is the garage tinkering with or fixing the toys.

Bertil Kurth

I have lived in Vermont with my family for nearly 25 years, largely because we love how close to nature we can be here. I am passionate about the environment, the protection of natural spaces, and the many ways we can enjoy the outdoors in this beautiful state and country. I am most proud of having raised two beautiful children here in Vermont, and watching them follow their own dreams is one of my greatest joys.

Charles Guthrie

Camron (not to be confused with Cam) is another of our military-grade test pilots. He flew Vipers for the ANG under the call sign Arlo. You might also call him a walking encyclopedia of avionics if there was a kind of encyclopedia that ate other encyclopedias for breakfast.

Raechel Dysart

Raechel is an inventory management and merchandising professional with 10 years of experience working for global retailers and manufacturers. Her expertise is in inventory purchasing, planning, forecasting, and trend analysis. In her free time, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her family or working around her house. Some of her passions include snowboarding, biking, cross country skiing, hiking, and interior design.

Scot Swanborn

Scot is a master craftsman and once upon a time environmental chemist. As a business owner, he designed and manufactured furniture and cabinets but his experience spans plumbing, electrical and general carpentry. At Beta, he fabricates aircraft and charging pad prototypes.

Amber Austin

Amber brings forth an extensive background in customer service. She enjoys learning new skills and never backs down from a challenge. Works full time while enrolled part-time, in order to complete her Finance degree. Outside of work she can be found camping, biking, and baking, all with her family.

Andrew Giroux

Andrew is adept at embedded systems, including circuit board design and firmware development. In the past, he’s built sensor systems for helicopters, internet-connected smart grid devices, and fast electric cars. He’s been a volunteer firefighter and EMT for a decade.

Jarad Roach

Private Pilot - SEL

Jarad has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Engineering Management. He has been working in Transportation his entire career, starting out in locomotives and for the last 10 years aerospace. His experience includes project and program management roles on NPI and Post EIS projects for HUMS (Health and Usage Management Systems) and Electric Brakes, with a heavy focus on system and software certification. In his free time, Jarad enjoys kayaking, hiking, playing pickup hockey and traveling.

Philip Retzloff

Phil is an expert woodworker by trade and an entrepreneur who gave up making beautiful wood kids’ toys to make big kids’ toys. At BETA he designs and builds aircraft and recharge pad prototypes.

Kyle Werner

Kyle is an expert in sensing technologies, mechanical design, and rapid fabrication. He’s worked on everything from electric vehicles to race cars, to aerospace sensors. If it’s high voltage and high speed he’s in his element. Some say he dreams in GCODE.

Ross Elkort

Ross is a Mechanical Engineer with a passion for anything that moves. He is a recent graduate of UVM who has wanted to work at BETA since first hearing about the company on the Smugg’s chairlift. Outside of work, you can find him tinkering with and racing cars or out running, mountain biking, or snowboarding.

Ben Colbourn

Ben is variously our remote test pilot, rapid prototyping, and design specialist. He has his hands on anything mechanical and electrical. He’s also the world record holder (Guinness approval pending) for piloting the largest remote control electric aircraft in history.

Logan Morris

From across the lake in NY. Logan received his degree in mechanical engineering from Stony Brook University. He has experience working in a few different fields including test engineering in the aerospace industry, mechanical machine design in the food industry, and engineering/production manager in the railway industry. In his free time, he enjoys getting to the mountains and the lake with his dog and fiancé, fitnessin’, golfin’, and grillin’.

Willa Clark

Willa is a capable pilot on multiple aircraft and happens to be the youngest pilot on our team. Willa even flew aircraft before she drove a car. She once jumped out of a Lancair at night, that was still moving, on fire. (the plane, not her!) If that wasn’t impressive enough, she assists in many areas of our business including the recharge pad infrastructure, social media, and other hands on technical work.

Edward Eseppi

Eddie graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in accounting. Since then, he has worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club ‘s hut system in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Alta Ski Area, and more recently, a public accounting firm based in New Hampshire where he predominantly assisted nonprofits in their financial reporting. Outside of the office, you can find him exploring new gravel roads by bike, skiing, or on the hunt for the best pizza around.

Devon Rothman

After spending 9 years in New York City working for financial institutions, Devon decided to pack it up and look for greener pastures (mountains). His passion for aviation, innovation, and sustainability brought him to BETA where he is excited to be learning to fly. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, skiing, and breathing in that fresh Vermont air instead of city smog!

Schuyler MacDonald

Schuyler grew up in Burlington, Vermont before attending university in Bozeman, Montana. He has always credited growing up in his Dad’s metal shop to have helped progress him early on as a designer and manufacturer. After a few years skiing and hiking he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in Aerospace. In his free time, he hikes and skis, and sometimes hike to ski. He rock climbs, plays disc golf, sails, paddle boards, canoes, backpacks, and bikes…most of all, he likes to be outside.

Abbey Blankensop

To Abbey, there’s a beautiful and intentional challenge having an advertising degree in a state where billboards are illegal. Moving from the western Chicago suburbs to Burlington, Abbey is a member of the marketing and creative team at BETA helping with internal and external communication and creative branding of this amazing company.

Kathleen Murri

Kathleen started her career in automotive manufacturing where she spent thirteen years in an array of different roles; primarily Production Control Manager, ERP Implementation Lead, and Continuous Improvement Liaison. After successfully implementing an ERP system internally she spent three years as an ERP Consultant where she helped multiple manufacturing clients in both the F&B and Automotive worlds. She is very excited to bring her manufacturing, project management, and ERP skills together to benefit Beta.

Skye Carapetyan

CFI, CFII

Skye acquired flight time as a student, instructor, and airline pilot. After transitioning from the airlines into sales, it was inevitable the two paths would cross again. From experience as Vice President for the western US at a logistics company to his role as National Sales Director for an EV startup, it has culminated with BETA. Skye’s primary role is to develop the charging network for the Western US. Outside work you’ll catch Skye trying to keep up with his two kids in their outdoor activities.

Travis Jones

A “Jack of all trades”, Travis has spent his career performing root cause analysis, creating electrical and mechanical designs, troubleshooting fielded equipment, and training others in at height safety and rescue. An Electro-Mechanical engineer armed with a business degree, Travis is excited to draw on every skill he possesses as part of the BETA team. In his spare time, Travis enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, beekeeping, snowboarding, and off-roading in his Jeep.

Shannon Murphy

Shannon is a student at UVM studying mechanical engineering. She works at the university’s makerspace and applies those skills to BETA’s 3D lab through machine maintenance and 3D printing!

Rayan El-Kotob

Rayan is a Lebanese import, materials engineering grad from Vancouver with a strong background in manufacturing, renewable energy, and a passion for data and sustainability. Rayan’s passion for a sustainable future and data drive process is what helps her wake up each day. Instead of coffee, some tea and a stretch are how Rayan best prefers to feel revitalized.

Ed Eppler

Student Pilot

After advising aerospace and defense companies around the globe for nearly twenty years, Ed retired from investment banking to help his favorite client achieve his most ambitious dreams. Ed’s excited to be back in VT (home of his alma mater) where he can pursue his passions for backcountry skiing and cycling. And, Ed is eager to experience life in the cockpit after spending millions of miles in coach.

Brandon Hanley

Brandon is a recent graduate from the four-year electrical engineering Technology program at Vermont Technical College. His high school CAD instructor taught students to have a great work ethic; a lesson Brandon holds very importantly in his life. He is passionate about his work, learning new things, and helping those around him. In his free time, Brandon enjoys photography, painting, playing clarinet, piano, and bass, skiing, and waking up to a cup of coffee hand-brewed from his AeroPress.

Matthan Stroethoff

Matthan works with the carpentry team at BETA building charging infrastructure. He previously owned a home improvement contracting business here in Vermont. When he’s not hiking, biking, skiing, or swimming you’ll probably find him sitting in a cozy spot reading a book.

Abby Rathbun

Private Pilot - SEL

Originally from Ohio, Abby came to Vermont to study mechanical engineering at The University of Vermont…and to not be in Ohio. At BETA, she works on the manufacturing team in the production control space. She found a love of flying while in high school, but you’ll also find her skiing, hiking, reading, swimming, and hanging out in downtown Burlington!

Jeffrey Goldman

Jeff is a rising senior studying mechanical engineering at The University of Vermont. He is an intern who assists with the design, assembly, and testing of batteries. Before joining the team at BETA, Jeff worked at Hayward Tyler Inc. where he designed components for performance testing industrial pumps. He’s always up for a company bike ride!

Colin Spencer

Colin is a lifelong nerd who loves to make things. He has dabbled both personally and professionally in a wide variety of technical pursuits, following a meandering path from getting his ham radio technician license at age five to designing and validating motherboards for industrial and rugged PCs. Outside of work he spends his time making & playing music, skateboarding, playing video & board games, and generally geeking out.

Tyler Skroski

Tyler is working with the battery team on the mechanical design of modules and packs. He is focused on safety testing and integration of pouch cell technology. In his free time, he loves to explore the woods, bike, and all mediums of art.

Justin O’Brien

Born in Vermont, Justin has been around the automotive industry since he was in diapers. Outside of work he enjoys playing with anything with a motor, drone flying (before he landed it at the bottom of Lake Champlain), and long walks on the beach with his cat.

Tim Peters

Tim has worked in kitchens for the past 27 years from New Jersey to France, then to Colorado, Charleston, Columbia, South Carolina, and finally landing in Burlington. When he’s not wearing his apron he enjoys fishing, hiking, photography, and cooking at home with his wife Amy and dog Newton. His goal is to bring the BETA family together each workday with a noontime feast.

Hailey Schofield

Private Pilot - SEL

Hailey’s background has taken her through teaching, illustrating, and the beer industry. She has an entrepreneurial product-based sales background and as well as a passion for aviation. She works with a team managing the inbound client interest at BETA. When she’s not flying, you can find her illustrating and metalsmithing or in the woods exploring, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and canoe camping.

Niels Arentzen

Niels is supporting the supply chain team. His interest in procurement grew as he was leading the conversion to electric lawn care equipment at The University of Vermont. Outside of BETA he can be found on the lake, painting houses, or juggling a soccer ball!

Tyler Austin

Tyler Austin works in supply chain inventory and logistics at the Ave D and Ave 2D2 sites. Previously, he worked for 15 years for Green Mountain Coffee in 5S, inventory control, and supply chain excellence. His main priority will be setting up a process that flows with the system and the business to drive a highly functional supply chain from receiving to storage into production. Outside of work, he is near the grill cooking in the summer with his family, camping, boating and fishing. In the winter he is at the hockey rink or on the snowmobile trails.

Jordan McCann

Creating is Jordan’s passion. He’s spent the last 6 years manufacturing rugged and industrial computers while improving manufacturability and build processes. He will now bring Lean and 5s skills to scaling the build operations at BETA as a manufacturing technician.

Jerrett Schnabel

Jerrett is a former automotive technician, specializing in electrical diagnostics. Graduated from CTE and UTI with multiple awards. Dedicated to solving issues and helping others.

Jared James

I am a machinist/mechanic with 20+ years of experience. I like to work with my hands. I built a 1931 hot rod truck from the ground up and I drove it (legally) on the road for several years. I enjoy troubleshooting and repairing things- especially small engines. In my free time, you can find me spectating my kids’ sporting events, tinkering in the garage, working on garden tractors, hunting, or fishing.

Alana Brault

Alana started working in manufacturing on her 16th birthday as a capacitor assembler and has held many positions within the industry since. At BETA, she’ll be using her skills and experience in production planning and ERP admin to help get production moving. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, hiking, and hanging out at the lake. She also has a minor obsession with giant pandas.

Sloan Forstrom

Sloan is a born and raised Vermonter, living in Burlington for 5 years. He’s been welding since 2010 and attended AWI in 2012-2013, graduating top of his class with every certification they had at the time. Over the last 4 years, he has been mainly TGAW and is looking forward to getting back into the certified welding field. In his free time, you will find him tinkering or bashing on one of his many motorized toys. Having NEVER flown, he is very excited and thankful for the opportunity to get into an aircraft!

Micki Dalpra

Student Pilot

Micki supports recruiting and talent acquisition for the company. She has experience in mass-hiring within the electric vehicle manufacturing and production world. She is ecstatic to assist BETA with electrifying aviation and changing the world of flight through the core of the company: its people.

Danielle Price

Student Pilot

Danielle always wanted to be an astronaut until she realized she was claustrophobic. She then decided to pursue degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering at West Virginia University to design and manufacture the equipment necessary to get others airborne. She has worked for multiple aerospace companies such as Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace and is passionate about the world of aviation. She spends her free time rock climbing, hiking, practicing yoga, and riding her dirt bike. Her happy place is in a hammock along a river, on top of a mountain, or admiring the beauty of Vermont from the sky.

Craig VandeVusse

Student Pilot

Craig is a mechanical engineer with a passion for structural analysis, model validation, and things that vibe. He spent his early career with the Navy conducting explosive shock and vibration tests (google full-scale shock trial”) and the past few years analyzing injection molding machines. In his spare time, Craig loves backcountry skiing, rock climbing, and hanging out with his wife and baby daughter.

Andy King

Andy grew up in an automotive business before joining the Air Force after a short stint at the Univ. of Florida. He spent 10 years disarming explosive devices, 2 of those spent as an instructor at a multi-service explosive ordnance disposal school. He returned to the automotive world for 12 years before continuing his college career at St. Mike’s. Andy is an intern that will be finishing his undergraduate degree in Mathematics, with a concentration in engineering and data science this Spring. He is currently working in the motor lab supporting R&D and dyno testing. Outside of work and school, he enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson, racing just about anything, and spending time with his wife and teenage children.

Robert Bottomley

Rob’s focus at BETA is on the design, analysis, and integration of novel technologies for flight. Rob received his BS/MS in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University and worked as an aerospace/mechanical engineer for Tethers Unlimited developing low TRL technologies towards NASA flight readiness. Rob’s expertise includes mechanical/ thermal modeling and design, composites, mechatronics as well as BMX/mountain biking, snowboarding, dim sum, and all things music.

Kevin Carter

Kevin has spent his career in warehousing, inventory, and logistics management in the foodservice equipment repair and luxury lighting industries, with a focus on continuous improvement. He is passionate about operational efficiency, accuracy, and simplicity in the world of inventory control and logistics. When not at BETA Kevin will find himself trail running or getting lost somewhere wandering remote backroads on his adventure motorcycle.

Carson Kurtz-Rossi

Carson is currently studying electrical engineering at UVM and plans to graduate this spring. He is interested in control systems and has recently found a love for programming which he hopes to further explore after graduation. At BETA he is working on documentation and improvement of the Big Friendly Press Machine that will be used to manufacture parts for the scale model drones. Outside of school and work his hobbies include skiing, mountain biking, and flipping butterfly knives.

Jayce Slesar

Jayce is here at BETA just to simply solve problems with his friends!

Matt Tabasko

Matt works across teams to implement simple and efficient business systems and workflows to enable electrified flight. Prior to BETA, he led global software and consulting teams across finance, automotive, CPG, and healthcare industries. He specializes in full-stack SDLC, UI/UX, sales engineering, product strategy, and software integrations. Matt lives with his family in the mountains in a net-zero house and enjoys restoring vintage Marantz amplifiers, building speakers, biking, snowboarding, and running!

Tom McCallister

Commercial Pilot - SEL, SES, Commercial Pilot - Helicopter

Tom is a flight test engineer and flight analyst DER. He started his flying career when he was 14, paying for lessons by working at his parent’s sign shop. He received a degree in aerospace engineering from Embry Riddle and has spent his career flying and certifying high-performance aircraft.

Wily Rahill

Private Pilot - SEL, Private Pilot - SES, Commercial Pilot - SEL, CFI, CFII

Wily Rahill loves flying, adventure, learning, exploring, and inspiring others about the wonders of aviation! He retired after 30.5 years in the military flying and instructing in F-16s, the last 19 years as a Green Mountain Boy, and had 10 overseas deployments. He has owned his 1957 Cessna 180 Skywagon for 25 years, it’s the family SUV for Cathy, Sky (also a pilot), Finn, and Wily. He flies 737s for United, but loves flying with BETA teammates in any fixed-wing planes, especially the taildraggers!

Joe Lane

Student Pilot

Joining BETA’s finance leadership team, Joe balances his passion for business with his love of fly fishing. He enjoys traveling to unspoiled waters in search of trophy fish. In addition to progressive roles in corporate finance, Joe has shared his FP&A expertise with over 100 growth companies as an enterprise planning software consultant. True to his conservation roots, Joe is driven by the prospect that the innovative work at BETA will lessen the human impact on our wild places.

Whiskey Dog

Whiskey is a nine year old Jack Russell Terrier. He enjoys short walks on the beach and long days in the hanger. 90% of his waking hours have been on the job for moral support. He runs on three legs and loves baby carrots. He’ll be airborne in the very near future and looks forward to getting fitted for a Stearman harness in order to enjoy loops and rolls with his dad.

Ted Dudley

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES, CFI, CFII

Ted, another former F-16 and A-10 pilot, comes to Beta as a flight instructor after two 20-year careers, in the Air Force, and at Delta Air Lines. He lives in Colchester, VT, and sometimes Melbourne Beach, FL. He used up nearly all of his lifetime supply of good taste in choosing a spouse and can be found sailing his sloop with friends on Lake Champlain on many summer days.

Michael Maluk

Mike has worked on everything from stealth bombers to guitar amps. He used to sleep on a blow-up mattress in his closet to make more room in his apartment for machines and tools.

Alex List

Private Pilot - SEL

Alex is a software engineer with an entrepreneurial, product-oriented background in the aerospace and mobile application domains. Studied computer science at MIT, with a masters thesis in aerospace engineering.

Brian Klinka

Brian brings over 35 years of aviation engineering experience with him to BETA, including military and commercial design development and certification of advanced systems and technologies for aerospace applications. His passion for the aviation world (and admittedly stubborn refusal to retire) led him to teach himself the principles of eVTOL and most recently the development of policy and regulation for eVTOL airplane projects on behalf of the FAA. A fan of all things fast and fun, on the weekends, Brian can be found on his boat about a mile offshore cruising at 30 knots, surrounded by friends and family.

Cameron Jonas

Student Pilot

Cam is a USAF-trained aircraft technician who rolls up his sleeves and does whatever needs doing. His focus is integral to building and maintaining flight test aircraft, component integration, and the logistics to make it all happen. Basically, if Cam doesn’t know, we’re in trouble. Prior to BETA, he studied fine woodworking and sustainable building in the mountains of VT, hence the beard. Now, he basically lives at BETA, somehow getting paid for his hobbies, and answering the constant question “Ask Cam!”

James Lott

Student Pilot

James grew up fixing old cars in his spare time, then started fixing up old airplanes for the US Air Force. Now he works with the Plattsburgh Ground Crew assembling, maintaining, launching, AL, and recovering ALIA on Flight Test missions.

Shawn Cimonetti

Student Pilot (Airplane & Helicopter)

Shawn works on all things scale models, from mechanical/electrical design through propulsion characterization and flight tests. He video streams ALIA flight tests and seems to enjoy hanging out of the chase helicopter more than flying DIY camera drones at home. He’s dedicated to BETA while wrapping up his last few UVM mechanical engineering classes. Hobbies include building microfluidic sounding rocket payloads and getting lost in the woods.

Fabian Baumann

Fabian is a recent graduate from Carleton University where he studied mechanical engineering. He spent the last year of his university degree designing and building a human-sized 3D printer. At BETA, you can find him working with the motor team engineering the future of aviation.

Willem Hillier

Willem started building circuits at age 8, and since then he has worked on a variety of projects, including electric racecars, low-cost mobility scooters for children, and robotic musical instruments. At BETA, Willem designs and debugs PCBs and related electrical systems. As of his sophomore year, Willem is pausing his BSEE at UVM to work at BETA full time.

Joshua Myslik

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - Helicopter, CFI

Josh thrives on mechanical product development and has spent his career evolving a skill set to be able to bring ideas from concept, to CAD, through to manufacture and test. He has a passion for getting airborne and is an instructor for fixed wing aircraft, a commercial helicopter pilot and is always looking for ways to incorporate flying into his day to day. Before BETA, he has worked on a team developing eVTOL aircraft, at Scaled Composites building the world’s largest airplane, building a replica of the first airplane to cross the Atlantic and a too short of a stint blowing up scale models for the movie industry.

Matt Edson

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES, CFI, CFII

Matt is a retired F-16 pilot and currently on leave from Delta Air Lines to share his love and passion for flight with the Beta Team! Matt is a full time pilot and flight instructor at Beta while assisting with the Alia Flight Test program. A Vermont native, He lives in Jericho, Vermont, with his wife Mia and two boys, Walker and William, whom also love to fly!

Steve Widdis

Student Pilot

Steve Widdis is a mechanical engineer with over 10 years of experience in R&D and a passion for finding practical solutions for complex problems. When he can steal some time to play, you can find him kite surfing, sailing, mountain biking, or skiing with his wife and 3-year-old daughter.

Chris Townsend

Student Pilot

Chris is an electrical engineer working on sensing and hardware embedded control systems required for fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control. Chris has a background developing both hardware and software for embedded sensing systems. He was formerly a lead engineer at MicroStrain. No relation to Pete.

Grayson King

Grayson is a circuit design wizard with 25 years of industry experience and a snow & water sports junkie who’s been sliding over water in various forms just about since birth. His happy place is that magical “flow state” where time and self disappear into focused activity. He finds it just as much when absorbed in the Zen art of a complex PCB layout, as when arcing turns through the trees on skis, or flying along a foot or two above the lake chop on a wind foil board.

Melanie Craig

Melanie specializes in facilities communication and activities that support the daily functionality, performance and operational structures for the team. She never stands still. She’s here to make efficient use of our spaces and equipment, to look after our teams and our guests, and to assist with the daily operations of our properties and assets. She is rebuilding her home one room at a time, and enjoys being unplugged with her family at camp, “Camp Paradise”.

Malcolm Achilles

Student Pilot

Malcolm is currently working on his degree part-time while working full-time. He works on anything and everything that needs to happen including CNC Machines and other industrial equipment. He is a competitive Mountain biker racing around the East Coast.

Jake Nealy

Student Pilot

Jake is an electrical engineer and drone aficionado. He is passionate about building UAV platforms with an emphasis on long range communications and long flight times. In his professional career he has worked extensively with IMUs, control systems, wireless communications, and embedded systems. When not pushing long-range limits he can be found in the mountains, hiking with his dog Sampson, or chasing fresh tracks on his snowboard.

Will Callahan

Student Pilot

Team support and facility upgrades best describes what Will does at BETA. After building houses for nearly 20 years, he had the good fortune of being brought in temporarily to help with fixing up BETA’s north hanger nearly 2 years ago. That job led to more projects and eventually a full-time status here helping team members achieve their goals through whatever support is needed. He’s a father of 3 kids: Brooks, Astraea, and Ronan. He’s lived in Essex, VT for the last 8 years with his wife Rachel, and grew up in Middlebury, VT.

Chris Caputo

Student Pilot (Helicopter), Private Pilot - SEL, Private Pilot - SES, Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES, CFI, CFII

Chris, or call sign Pooter, is one of our Certified Flight Instructors who has a passion for teaching and flying that is truly contagious…so contagious, that he married his T-37 flight instructor, Laura. Prior to BETA life, Pooter spent 31 years in the Air Force as a dedicated combat fighter pilot with over 4,000 hours in the A-10 and F-16. He also logs flight time as a first officer with Delta Air Lines on the 757 and 767. Chris loves being part of the BETA team, wearing cool hats, talking with his hands, and keeping a pulse on all things aviation.

Bianca Marrier

Bianca is a licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, she is one of only a few women that carry a license in the state of Vermont.

Matthew Colby

Student Pilot

Matt is realizing a lifelong passion for airplanes. He got an opportunity to bring mechanic experiences in the bicycle, motorcycle, and auto industries to aviation maintenance. Whether it’s working with the team to install an engine, wiring in the latest avionics, or continuing his training for a private pilot license he wants to be immersed in flight. That, paired with an organization that wants to change the world is his dream come true.

James Whitehill

James is a recent RIT Industrial Design graduate that started his career in the fine furniture industry. He worked on woodworking projects for residential and commercial spaces with contributions including design ideation and iteration, as well as CAD drawing and CNC manufacturing. He has always been interested in creating functional, beautiful objects that eliminate problems and annoyances. At BETA, his role is to support the recharge pad team with building and problem-solving. Outside of work, James loves all outdoor activities, especially skiing and mountain biking.

Tom Hughes

Student Pilot

Tom is a Mechanical Engineer from West Virginia and has a passion for all things test engineering. In the past, he has designed, tested, and certified de-ice components for GA aircraft. At BETA, he runs the environmental test lab.

Lino Verna

Private Pilot - SEL

Lino has taken apart almost every single thing he’s ever owned. Some things he’s put back together, others he’s even made better. BETA provides an awesome extension of this habit – understand it, design it, build it, test it, make it better. While not working or flying, you might find him with his family, in his machine shop, or on his tractor. He also finds writing in the third person exhausting.

Jordan Potvin

Student Pilot (Airplane & Helicopter)

At BETA, Jordan is a project manager, electrical engineer, and drone pilot. He’s always looking to take on new challenges and improve his skill set. He enjoys big challenges and celebrating little victories. If he’s not at the office or in the field flying scale models, you can usually find him enjoying the waters of Lake Champlain or the views offered by the Green Mountains.

Stephen Beams

Student Pilot

From antique fabric airplanes to turbine-powered helicopters, Steve keeps’em flying. A holder of an FAA airframe and powerplant certification with Inspection Authorization, he’s been passed down the love of aviation from his father who was a naval aviator. When he’s not kicking around the hangar, he’s hanging with the family or stopping hockey pucks.

Luke Randall

Luke is an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic and has his Inspection Authorization (IA) certificate. Luke has worked for private companies as an A&P Mechanic maintaining certified aircraft. He supports keeping BETA’s certified aircraft flying. Additionally, Luke lends his skills and hands to the development of the aircraft of the future.

Georgia Boylan

Georgia has experience in various types of procurement, starting in the food and beverage industry, then followed by OEM and R&D manufacturing in the metals industry. Georgia is excited to be a part of the BETA team, and use her past knowledge to help the team move forward. Georgia enjoys cooking, and the outdoors. She spends her summers hiking and winters skiing.

Nate Dubie

Commercial Pilot - Helicopter, CFI, CFII

Nate Dubie is one of our Helicopter Certified Flight Instructors. He loves sharing the challenge of hovering and vertical flight with our team. On the weekends he is a Senior Army Aviator in the National Guard flying the UH60 Blackhawk and UH72 Lakota. Additionally, as a good Vermonter should, in his free time he manages a large maple syrup orchard with his family.

Tanner Bechard

Tanner has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering from Morehead State University. He worked at a custom CNC machine shop where I learned how to program and operate all types of CNC machines. He currently works at the Valley shop where he makes parts for the aircraft and helps with upcoming manufacturing projects. Tanner was born and raised in Georgia, Vermont. I am very excited to be a part of such an exciting and impressive company as BETA.

Aaron Grossman

Aaron is an award-winning artist and fabricator with a background in electrical work. He’s also a combat-wounded USMC vet. At BETA, he’s involved with mechanical integration and flight test support. When he’s not at work he’s busy setting up a maker space and designing a flaming art car to bring to Burning Man.

Zachary Fraser

Student Pilot Airplane

Zachary came to BETA from the auto body world, bringing over 15 years of experience and knowledge in all aspects of bodywork, painting and refinishing. Along with making things smooth and shiny, he brings lots of hands on skills to the team, always striving to help wherever needed.

Chris Doyle

Student Pilot (Helicopter), Private Pilot - SEL, Private Pilot - SES

Doyle has a lifetime passion for aviation. He earned a Finance and Business Management degree from Syracuse U but always preferred hands on work to crunching numbers. Landing a summer job as an apprentice aircraft mechanic for Jim Parker Airshows provided the opportunity to learn to fly eventually flying his 1947 Luscombe airplane across America. After 24 years as a prototype engineer at Burton Snowboards BETA called (well, texted actually) and he jumped at the chance to be part of the future of Aviation.

Lan Vu

Student Pilot Helicopter, Private Pilot - SEL

Lan is an electrical engineer, turning wrenches, building high voltage batteries, and flight testing. Before Beta she worked in the defense industry, working on nuclear submarines and mine resistant ambush protected vehicles. She once volunteered to trailer Ava’s fuselage across the country in 51 hours and then made the same trip once she earned her private pilot license in a Cessna 182 in 18 hours. In her free time she loves to explore the beautiful state of Vermont with her family.

Matt Sheppard

Private Pilot - SEL

Matt studied Computer Science at Clarkson University, since then he’s worked professionally with software in many industries. Now at BETA he works with flight and system data collected to ensure the safety of our pilots and the performance of our aircraft.

Caroline Kirkland

Student Pilot

Caroline just graduated from NCSU with a BS in mechanical engineering where she participated in FSAE on the manufacturing and suspension teams. At BETA she is focused on battery testing and electrical systems. When not at work Caroline enjoys cooking, working out at a local gym, and hiking with lots of layers while she acclimates to New England weather. Volume control isn’t her forte so, despite a quieter electric aircraft in the hangar, colleagues are still encouraged to wear hearing protection.

Nick Austin

Nick works with the electrical team at BETA building and testing electronics. He’s worked in the field of electrical assembly and test for over 10 years and holds an associates degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Web Design and Development. In his spare time he enjoys woodworking, aerial photography, and the endless pursuit to break 90 at the local golf courses.

Michael Clark

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter)

Mike works on the manufacturing and deployment of our recharging infrastructure. In his spare time, he is also one of our Helicopter Certified Flight Instructors and flies the UH60 Black Hawk for the Vermont Army National Guard. Before moving to Vermont, he served in the US Army fine-tuning his professional cat-herding skills. He didn’t fly President Obama but did shake his hand once.

Leslie Ofsuryk

Leslie comes to us with 16 years of Manufacturing experience and has spent the last 8 years in Supply Chain. She enjoys every aspect of working within a Supply Chain Team and learning new products.

Emily Hamlin

Emily is a recent college graduate with degrees in Computer Science and Physics. She is part of the software team at BETA and works on data visualization for flight and inverter testing. In her free time she enjoys climbing, hiking, and working on art projects.

Riley Griffin

Student Pilot

Riley’s focus at BETA revolves around the design, analysis, and integration of novel electric aircraft. Riley received his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and worked as a research engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences prior to joining BETA. Riley’s expertise includes aerodynamic modeling, performance analysis, structural load testing, early morning mountain biking, backcountry skiing, restoring vintage audio equipment, and working on his 1800s farmhouse in Vermont.

Laura Caputo

Commercial Pilot - SEL

Laura spent 15 years flying in the military, and 2 years in the corporate world. She holds her Multi-engine Commercial and Airline Transport Certificates with type ratings in DC-10, Lear-35, and Gulfstream-IV aircraft. She teaches Ground School courses for BETA and mostly spends her time hoping the experiences and knowledge she’s picked up along the way can be shared with other team members, and contribute in some positive way to Team BETA.

Ryan Ober

Ryan works in graphic + web design, video, audio and anything else he can drum up. He recently flew a helicopter for 7 minutes and is now excited to begin actual pilot training. Outside work, Ryan enjoys being with his family, playing guitars, and then more graphic design.

Eric Beauregard

Eric started his career in the USAF as a Crew Chief on heavy cargo aircraft before working for BF Goodrich and Boeing on 727, 737, and 757 aircraft as a Flight-line Mechanic. He derailed into the plastic injection molding industry working in R&D for 20 years before BETA got him back on track! Outside of work, Eric loves to spend time with his family hunting, fishing, raising beef cattle on their farm, and playing music with his 3 children.

Nathan Wiegman

Student Pilot (Helicopter)

Nathan is a member of the battery team, focusing on electrical, mechanical, and abuse testing. He thinks this is the best job ever, mostly because he routinely gets to play with high voltage and explosions. He also once rode a motorcycle from Shanghai to Moscow, because why not?

Mike Bandy

Student Pilot

Bandy has spent his professional life directing fast-paced procurement and operations traffic in the power electronics and semiconductor industries while simultaneously working to establish strong and dynamic relationships with the supplier base. Craves operational excellence and logical, systematic flow of day-to-day business. When away from BETA you can find him conducting culinary experiments for his family and obsessing over his record collection pondering if life would be any different had Prince kept the bass track in ‘When Doves Cry’.

Peter Gottlieb

Private Pilot - SEL

Peter is an electromechanical systems engineer focused on developing safe, high energy battery systems for electric flight. His previous experience includes leading the electrical engineering teams at A123 Systems and Vionx Energy. Peter earned his degree from MIT. In his spare time, he develops innovative techniques for RF amplification and power measurement.

Melissa Morris

Student Pilot

Melissa is a recent college graduate of UMASS Lowell with a degree in mechanical engineering. She is currently part of the stator team at BETA. Outside of work she enjoys baking, traveling, and listening to Broadway musicals.

Nick Warren

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES, Commercial Pilot - Helicopter, CFI, CFII

Nick is one of our experimental Test Pilots. He is licensed for both Rotary and Fixed Wing aircraft and is a certified flight instructor. Nick is a veteran of the USMC where he was an attack helicopter pilot with significant OT&E experience on aircraft weapons and threat countermeasure systems. He also flew President Obama around quite a bit.

Casey Hammond

Casey comes to BETA with 10+ years of experience in the automotive technician field. He utilizes his skills and experience of mechanical knowledge to aid in all types of skilled and detailed hands on work, specifically manufacturing electric motors. Outside of work, Casey can be found (maple) sugaring, hanging out with his family, and enjoying the outdoors.

David Churchill

Private Pilot - SEL

Dave is a jack of all trades if by trades you mean mechanical design, analysis, fabrication, testing, and writing software. Dave’s very first job was in Aerospace, designing wind tunnel test models for Boeing. He then spent 30 years testing out a few other careers including a University Faculty member researching total hip and knee replacements, and developing inertial navigation sensors. He finally joined Beta after concluding that Aerospace was the best choice after all. Dave describes BETA as a “Great team with a big vision, strong on smarts, minimal bullshit.”

Cullen Jemison

Student Pilot

Cullen is an electrical engineer and embedded software engineer with prior work experience designing smart-grid IoT devices. He graduated from UVM in 2019, where he studied electrical engineering. While at UVM, Cullen designed, built, and drove electric race cars. Outside of work, Cullen enjoys working on his electronics projects, skiing, and playing the saxophone.

Brettan Martelle

Brettan has a background in systems engineering, airplane certification, and air safety. Before coming to BETA, she spent 15 years at Boeing, with most of that time on the 737 and 777 airplane programs as a lead engineer and company DER and the rest on the Airplane Safety team working with the NTSB on major crash investigations. Outside of work, Brettan enjoys being in the mountains hiking or skiing or playing pond hockey with her daughters.

David Lavery

David is working on component quality control. He has spent the last 15 years in the aviation MRO industry as a machinist and quality control inspector. He has a passion for all things aviation. If he runs into you while walking, it’s probably because he’s looking up at an aircraft somewhere in the sky.

Christopher Woodall

Student Pilot

Chris is an embedded software engineer with prior work experience in servo motors, medical robotics, and scientific instrumentation. He makes our motors spin, writing the code to control and evaluate our electronic propulsion system.

Brandon White

Brandon is a mechanical engineer who has spent the last 8 years in a design and development role specializing in thermal and structural design and analysis. Falling back on solid engineering principles, he has a passion for solving some of the more diverse and challenging problems in the simplest way possible. Outside of work, you can find him deep in the woods hiking, hunting, or fishing.

Zach Pan

Zach works on the magic box between battery and motor called “power converters”, which constantly struggles with high voltage, high current, and can be microseconds away from short-circuiting. He also enjoys outdoor activities whenever time allows.

Tom Orner

Tom is responsible for accounting and financial reporting at Beta. When not in the office you can find him enjoying all the great outdoor activities Vermont has to offer.

Sarah Overfield

Sarah is a mechanical engineer with experience in design, development, and analysis. Problem solving is the favorite part of her day. When not working, she prefers to be outside hiking, skiing, kayaking, soccer, etc.

Morgan Knapton

Student Pilot

Knapton comes to BETA from the Manufacturing Engineering field, where he received degrees in Physics & Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering, as well as his Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Knapton utilizes hands-on expertise and data-backed decision-making to affect change. In addition to being a student pilot here at BETA, he helps design and roll out the manufacturing systems & processes that will build the next generation of electric aircraft.

Jill Gagne

Student Pilot

Jill has a BS in Software Engineering. She comes from the Healthcare IT industry where she led a global team of 400+ employees that developed Electronic Health Records and Practice Management Systems. She has over 25 years of software industry experience ranging from software testing and programming to project and people management. At BETA, Jill works with the engineering team focusing on communication and formalizing and streamlining development processes. Jill is an avid sailboat racer and hiker.

Sam Crites

Student Pilot

Currently studying computer engineering at Northwestern, Sam’s experience is in software and embedded systems. In the past few years, he’s developed drone systems and firmware, developed commercial IoT devices, designed and built a 3D printer and lead his high school robotics team. In his free time, he loves sailing, playing electric guitar, and refusing to get a a haircut.

Alex Goodchild

Alex has spent the last several years integrating field experience with formal education, specifically on UAV’s and ROV’s, from an electrical, and use case background. Team work and exploration are his passion, and make work meaningful. At Beta, he works with the scale model team, building, planning tests, and assisting to get aircraft of the ground! His free time is spent exercising in any way, building, listening and playing music, flying RC, and enjoying life with his family!

Blain Newton

Blain is responsible for Finance and Operations here at BETA having spent most of his professional life leading global healthcare technology companies. After spending a lot of time as a kid around aircraft at the 174th in Syracuse, NY, he is excited to be learning to fly and helping to transform aviation with the rest of the BETA team. Outside of work he’s either dreaming of fly fishing or trying to keep up with his wife and 2 young kiddos on the mountain.

Adam Manor

Adam spent 10 years as a metals technology fabricator for the United States Air Force. He has worked as a welder/machinist in nine different countries, manufacturing and repairing parts on airframes.

Alex Scaperotta

CFI

Alex is a mechanical engineer who has spent the past eight years soaring the green mountains. At BETA, Alex combines his knowledge and passion to build and test the next generation of electric propulsion. When he’s not at work, you’ll probably find him dangling off the side of a cliff or hunting for untracked snow.

Sean Donovan

Student Pilot (Helicopter)

Sean is a mechanical engineer focused on all aspects of electric aircraft design and builds at BETA. His previous experience includes extensive high precision and high-speed aerospace and automotive automation design. In his free time, you’ll find him in a custom-built camper van down by the river.

Cody Spiegel

Cody was born and raised off the electric grid in a solar-powered home in Central Vermont. He attended UVM and studied mechanical engineering. After college Cody worked at NRG Systems where he spent four years conceptualizing, developing, and testing a patent-pending Bat Deterrent System. Cody’s expertise and passions include creative mechanical design, testing, manufacturing and hands-on research, and development. In his free time, he enjoys a healthy balance of home improvement projects, gardening, beekeeping, and chasing striped bass off the New England Coast.

Josh Auerbach

Student Pilot

Josh is a computational scientist with expertise in software engineering, machine learning, robotics, and stochastic optimization. Before joining BETA he was Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Innovation at Champlain College and a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL in Switzerland. When he’s not working you’ll probably find him out in the mountains: climbing, hiking, biking, or huffing uphill on his splitboard in search of steep lines and deep powder.

Al Pfaff

Al has spent most of his career doing test engineering in the plastics industry and is continuing that type of work at BETA. He loves hands-on engineering and making things work. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with family, being a weekend warrior around the house, woodshop, and woods while trying to fit in some hunting, fishing, and flying.

Greg Leech

Greg brings to BETA over 30 years of construction experience. He’s been a project manager for 25 years. He’s worked for large civil/heavy construction firms, large construction management companies, and the University of Vermont. Immediately before coming to BETA, he oversaw UVM’s $72M dorm project and the $7M addition to the Grossman School of Business and a few projects for CEMS. He also worked on the Green Mountain Club’s suspension bridge over the Winooski. Today at BETA he oversees the renovations, fit-ups, additions to the physical plant.

Manon Belzile

Student Pilot (Helicopter)

Manon is a mechanical engineer with a love for analysis, software, hardware, validation, and things that make noise. She typically starts her day by climbing Mt. Mansfield before dawn or waking up the loons on the lake with her rowing shell.

Chip Palombini

Commercial Pilot - SEL, Commercial Pilot - SES

Chip’s passion for flight developed at iTherm where he designed high-frequency power electronics out of a motel room while staring at a J-3 on floats. iTherm was acquired by Dynapower. At Dynapower Chip was the Director of the Energy Storage Group and managed business development, marketing, sales, product development, certification, intellectual property, and managed critical global supply chain. Chip has over 30 patents globally. When he can’t be found flying he’s usually pedaling a bike to get a pastry and a latte.

Stuart Schreiber

Student Pilot

Stuart has a passion for environmental sustainability. He has spent his entire professional life in Product Development delivering products that contribute to a greener world. His experience began at Ford Motor Company where he worked on many aspects of electrified propulsion and focused on HV battery design. He continues his pursuit of sustainability at home where he continues to grow his family homestead which provides food, heat, and energy for his growing family.

Herman Wiegman

Private Pilot - SEL

Herman’s expertise is in technical analysis of power and control systems, construction of multidisciplinary models that directly feed real designs. Before BETA he worked on energy storage for GE Global Research where he was Principal Engineer in their Electric Power Technology Center.

Vincent Moeykens

Private Pilot - SEL

Vincent is a recent graduate of UVM where he studied computer science and math. At BETA, he works on developing high fidelity simulators, and resilient telemetry networks. He is also a licensed pilot and has been flying gliders since before he could drive. In his free time, he volunteers as an Advanced EMT on local rescue squads.

Miranda Ladue

Student Pilot

Miranda has a degree in business from the University of Vermont. She has worked in the healthcare industry for over 15 years in a variety of roles that include: managing EHR implementations at major health networks, running product development for a $200M EHR product, and running product and operations for multi-national healthcare analytics company. At BETA, Miranda builds and supports the operations infrastructure that allows the team to build electric aircraft at scale.

Braedon Lohe

Student Pilot

With experience building electrified race cars at UVM, working at a small electronics manufacturer, and testing the latest generation of plug-in hybrids at Ford, Braedon brings battery know-how, electro-mechanical integration experience, and testing & validation knowledge to the BETA team. When not at BETA’s KBTV headquarters, Braedon can usually be found working on one of his vehicles or, in the winter, out on his snowboard.

Steven Orisko

Student Pilot

Steven is an autobody guru utilizing his toolbox of skills to make presentation models and assist with anything on the airplane. When he’s not hanging around the hanger, he’s out plowing snow or digging with his excavator like a kid in a sandbox.

Cole Hanson

Private Pilot - SEL, Private Pilot - SES

Cole is a recent grad of UVM in Mechanical Engineering, which he applies to research, design, and development of our aircraft recharging station. He designed and built an electric go-cart with the torque of a mid-sized snow-blower. We keep it on-site for late-night pizza runs.

Vatsal Vakharia

Vatsal helps with systems engineering activities.

Mike Mastrandrea

Mike has spent the past four years quenching his thirst for knowledge in mathematics and finance at MIT. He leverages what he has learned in support of the finance team and anywhere else he can contribute within the business. He spends the majority of his free time flying, racing sailboats, restoring and racing vintage cars, and skiing.

Morgan Randall

Morgan has worked in many facets of human services. She has a Master’s Degree in Psychology. Morgan supports Beta with whatever needs doing mostly in the scope of working with the people. She is intrigued by the remarkable vision of Beta and the amazing people on the fast track. Morgan enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, and spending time with family.

Dale Williams

Private Pilot - SEL

Dale has worked in a variety of electrical, mechanical, and building control engineering roles. In addition to engineering, he has extensive experience in carpentry, plumbing, high-efficiency heating systems, and metal fabrication. Outside of work he enjoys restoring classic vehicles and travels the world touring on motorcycles. At BETA he designs, builds, and tests electrical and mechanical systems.

Michael Camire

Student Pilot

Michael is Master Craftsman and Carpenter who owned his own remodeling company for over 25 yrs. He is also experienced in Electrical and plumbing. His role at BETA is building the re-charge pads and control centers.

Bella Rieley

Student Pilot

Bella is a mechanical engineering intern learning the ins and outs of BETA’s composite and airframe production. She’s currently earning a degree in mechanical engineering and looking forward to a career in the aerospace industry.

Jeff Solomon

Jeff has over 25 years of experience with Quality Systems in the aerospace industry. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and has worked at Collins Aerospace and General Dynamics. He is an adjunct lecturer in Statistics at UVM. In his spare time, he paddles Dragon Boats (has been to two world championships so far), plays golf, and bicycles.

Matt Harris

During a career that has taken him through aerospace, consumer goods, tooling, and sporting goods, Matt’s passion has been making things better, faster, and cheaper. When not at work he can be found with his family on top of a mountain or hanging from a thin thread deep within a cave or canyon.

Collin Freiheit

Collin’s professional passions include control system design and implementation. He graduated from UVM in 2020 with an MS in mechanical engineering. Shortly after graduating, Collin built a quad copter equipped with a custom 8-bit flight controller.

Morgan Gomez

Morgan has a degree focused on UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) along with a background of working on underwater robotic systems and ROV’s (Remotely Operated Vehicles). He enjoys the learning experience from solving problems and has gained experience ranging from PCB design and programming to designing and building carbon fiber parts. When not at work, Morgan can be found tinkering on his mountain bike or sitting too close to his vintage stereo.

Andrew Snay

Andrew has worked in warehouse settings as a back-door mover and shaker. Anything that involves shipping and receiving logistics, he has a hand in.

Team

BETA Directors and Advisors

Dr. Martine Rothblatt

Dean Kamen

Chuck Davis

Dr. David Churchill

Kyle Clark

John Abele

Chris Timchak

Eric Hirshberg

Adam Grosser

Will Roper

Mike Stone

BETA Directors and Advisors

Dr. Martine Rothblatt

Dean Kamen

Chuck Davis

Dr. David Churchill

Kyle Clark

John Abele

Chris Timchak

Eric Hirshberg

Adam Grosser

Will Roper

Mike Stone

Our Team

Elijah Pedriani

Daniel Simon

Arlo Pouliot

Hieu McElroy

Jason LaShelle

Adam Hadlock

Collin DeWitt

Think you'd fit in here?

Julien Lek

Braden Thiel

Anna Svagzdys

Casey Purcell

Ryan Nielsen

Austin Myers

Mark Fronhofer

Leandro Della Flora

Brayden Duggan

Jason Danovitch

Claudio Culetto

Andrei Babyuk

Hamza Arshad

Seth Armstrong

Hunter Spannaus

Jordan Dexter

Kevin Provost

Victor Zaccardo

Carly VanOpdorp

Taylor Sirois

Andrew Shallcross

Matt Riley

Gabriel Penner

Mike Peckinpaugh

Phoebe Peckham

Trevor Mitchell

Mason Maeder

William Guild

Jonathan Girard

Sarah Colebaugh

Eric Senecal

Peter Roy

Cody Nary

Hollis Munson

David Molnar

Alyssa Giorgio

Evan Estep

Ian DeVries

Luke Wheeler

Kayla Chenier

Shahmeer Patel

Gary Martin

Daniel Kakaley

Brian Dunkiel

Cormick Dineen