Our Story
Metro Aviation was incorporated in 1982 as a helicopter charter, flight training and maintenance operation. Our entry into the air medical service business came in November 1983 with two used Hughes 500-D model helicopters, when Metro Aviation entered into a long-term agreement to provide helicopter ambulance service for Schumpert Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Metro Aviation now has air medical transport operations throughout the United States. Hospitals sign long-term contracts with us because of the advantages of: 1) caps on price escalation; 2) our strong equity position; 3) our commitment to minimizing aircraft downtime; and 4) our commitment to safety, quality and customer service.
Our presence is evident for many air medical, law enforcement and other components and installations. We have developed and received FAA Supplemental Type Certificates (STC’s) for many air medical components and installations including fixed and rotor-wing. Quite often, Metro Aviation not only performs the installation, but purchases the aircraft and trains the ground and flight personnel.
Our foundation of safety, quality and customer service has remained with us for 35 years and is still the cornerstone of our company.
Tradition
Metro Aviation celebrated 35 years in 2017 while reflecting on our traditional roots and our evolution into a global completion leader, reputable operator, state-of-the-art training center and trusted partner for companies across the world.
These are our stories. These are the experiences that made us who we are today.
Metro Team
Metro Aviation is constantly growing our capabilities and expanding our reach. Metro holds more than 30 Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) and completes about 35 aircraft each year for U.S. customers and global clients.
Mike Stanberry
Mike Stanberry is President and CEO of Metro Aviation, Inc. and has been Metro's sole owner since its inception in 1982. Mike's undying persistence with regard to safety is personified in his mantra: "For safety to exist, it must be a way of life." His dedication to safety was recognized by industry leaders as the 2009 recipient of the Jim Charlson Award, honoring Mike's commitment to safety, not only within Metro Aviation, but throughout the aviation industry. As Past Chairman of the Board and founding member of the Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA), he works with a diverse group of aviation operators to set the industry standard for safe air medical transportation. Mike also sits on the board for MedEvac Foundation International. Mike is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has held a private pilot’s license since 1973.
mstanberry@metroaviation.com
Mike Stanberry
President and CEO
MILTON GELTZ
Milton Geltz began employment with Metro Aviation in 1983 and holds the position of Managing Director. Milton’s primary duties include overseeing the day to day operations of flight operations, field maintenance, completions, finance, sales and marketing. Milton holds a degree in Professional Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Milton also holds an FAA Airframe & Power Plant license, as well as being an FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative for both maintenance and manufacturing. Milton has worked in aviation maintenance since he began his career in 1976 and was awarded the 2007 Aviation Maintenance Technician Award by the Helicopter Association International.
mgeltz@metroaviation.com
Milton Geltz
Managing Director
Kenny Morrow
Kenny Morrow began employment with Metro Aviation in 1995 and holds the title of Chief Operations Officer. Kenny’s primary duties include managing the day to day functions of the various accounting departments as well as working closely with Mike, Milton and Todd to ensure that all functions of the company are working in sequence. Kenny holds a degree in Business and Accounting as well as a Masters of Business Administration, both from Centenary College of Louisiana.
kmorrow@metroaviation.com
Kenny Morrow
Chief Operating Officer
Todd Stanberry
Todd Stanberry is the Director of Business Integration for Metro Aviation, Inc. Todd joined the company in 2008 after 13 years in commercial real estate. Todd’s primary role at Metro is that of contract administration and negotiation, though he interacts with customers on a daily basis and works with Mike, Milton and Kenny to ensure successful integration and management of its operations throughout the country. Todd earned his Bachelor’s from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is an active member of Noel Memorial United Methodist Church, Downtown Shreveport Lions Club and Southfield School.
tstanberry@metroaviation.com
Todd Stanberry
Director of Business Integration
Ann Lowell
Ann received the 2015 Pilot of the year award by the National EMS Pilots Association and has experience in a variety of helicopter operations, with more than 3,200 flight hours in various airframes. Her background also includes service as a paramedic and firefighter. She has spent the last 9 years in management and has 22 years of combined experience in customer service and EMS operations. Ann is responsible for critical coordination and training tasks related to Metro’s system of operational control.
alowell@metroaviation.com
Ann Lowell
OCC Field Training Manager
Amy McMullen
Amy McMullen joined the Metro Family in August of 2012 as the Aircraft Configuration Coordinator. She has worked hand in hand with Metro in different arenas for many years prior to her employment at Metro. Amy started her career in the aeromedical industry as a dispatcher at Willis Knighton’s Air Rescue helicopter in Shreveport, LA. In November 1993, the Willis Knighton and Schumpert Programs became a consortium, operated by Metro Aviation. From there she moved to Aeromedical Collection Services, an air ambulance reimbursement company, where she interacted with many of the same clients at Metro Aviation. Just prior to her move to Metro Aviation, she was VP of Revenue for Allegiance Health Management. Amy’s primary duties are to oversee the aircraft completions and assist with needs of our customers. Amy is a graduate of Louisiana Tech, a Nationally Registered Paramedic and a Notary Public.
amcmullen@metroaviation.com
Amy McMullen
Customer Configuration Coordinator
Becky Ross
Becky Ross joined the Metro family in December 2015. Becky is a Registered Nurse with more than 30 years of healthcare, hospital and nursing administration experience. Prior to joining Metro Aviation, Becky served in executive roles as a Chief Nursing Officer, Assistant Vice President of Quality, as well as Assistant Vice President of Emergency Services. She first worked with Metro in the fall of 2015 as a consultant for an operational customer experiencing major changes. Serving as the interim program director, she brought about the changes necessary to help the program regain solid financial and operational footing. Becky earned her MBA with a concentration in Health Care Administration in 2003 and holds the certifications of CPHQ and CMTE. Becky resides in North Carolina and was a North Carolina Great 100 Nurses Recipient in 2014.
bross@metroaviation.com
Becky Ross
Director of Transport Business Service
Brian Bihler
Brian Bihler holds the position of Chief Pilot at Metro Aviation, Inc. He began employment with Metro in 2009 as a Line Pilot, later taking on the roles of Regional Check Airman, Pilot Training Manager and Assistant Chief Pilot. He collaborates with the Director of Operations in managing daily functions in the Operations Department. Brian holds a Rotorcraft ATP certificate, FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor rating, and is a part 135 Check Airman. Prior to entering the air ambulance industry in 2007, he served as an Officer and Pilot in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Aviation Unit. He holds a degree in Criminal Justice.
bbihler@metroaviation.com
Brian Bihler
RW Chief Pilot
Don Rucker
Shortly after graduating from Centenary College of Louisiana, Don Rucker founded and operated a medical technology consultancy which helped pioneer Electronic Medical Record Systems. Don and his team of engineers made extensive use of light aircraft to further the companies reach, and it was during this time he developed a great passion for aviation. In 2016 Don joined Metro Aviation as the Director of Metro’s Technical Service Group. In this role, Don oversees some of the most technologically advanced safety initiatives in aviation, including Outerlink Global Solution’s IRIS System, the MetroAlert smartphone app and more.
drucker@metroaviation.com
Don Rucker
Director of Technical Services
Ed Stockhausen
Ed Stockhausen began his aviation career in 1976 and served three years with the Golden Knights (Army Parachute team) as crew chief and loadmaster. Later, he performed as an Army pilot qualified in Scouts and Cobra Gunships. He started flying EMS in 1982 for Norfolk General Hospital, followed by Geisinger Medical Center and Cleveland Metro, accumulating more than 11,000 accident/incident-free flight hours. Ed holds Commercial Instrument and Certified Flight Instructor ratings and has been with Metro Aviation since 2015. During his HAA career, Ed has held positions as an IFR captain, instructor pilot, check airman, regional manager, chief pilot and director of operations. Ed participated as a member of the International Helicopter Safety Team in addition to being a founding member of the Air Medical Services Safety Advisory Council and chairman of the Air Medical Operators Association Safety Committee.
estockhausen@metroaviation.com
Ed Stockhausen
Director of Safety
Eveline Bisson
Eveline Bisson joined the company in 2015 after working for over 20 years in program management as an air operator customer, including Metro Aviation. Eveline has worked in the air medical and critical care transport industry since 1992 based in different parts of the country for varied program models - hospital based EMS, privately held and non-profit consortium. Eveline is a registered nurse with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Phoenix, earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Washington State University, and certified as a Critical Care Transport Executive. Eveline has served as a board member for several industry associations including the Association of Air Medical Services. In 2009, Eveline was recognized as the Program Director of the Year by the Association of Air Medical Services.
ebisson@metroaviation.com
Eveline Bisson
Director of Business Transport Services
Holly Weber
Holly Weber brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our customer support team. Having spent a combined total of 16 years in the HEMS industry – both from the program and most recently from the revenue cycle management side at a well-known EMS billing company, she is well-versed in billing solutions, revenue cycle management, ambulance compliance and workflow efficiency. Holly’s background includes Vice President of Business Development and Transformation for Syncordia Technologies and Healthcare Solutions (formerly Health Services Integration), where she led the client relations, business development and marketing teams. She has experience with flight communications, dispatching, revenue cycle management, process improvement and the inner workings of a communication center. Holly earned her undergraduate degree from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Plymouth State College. She also holds an Executive Leadership Certificate and Executive Management Certificate from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, and is a Certified Ambulance Coder (CAC) and Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer (CACO) through the National Association of Ambulance Coders (NAAC). In her spare time, Holly is an adventurous world traveler.
hweber@metroaviation.com
Holly Weber
Director of Customer Revenue Cycle Support
Jack Sprague
With over 25 years of helicopter maintenance experience, Jack started his aviation journey as a soldier in the United States Army performing the duties of an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior mechanic. During his 10 plus years of active duty service, he held multiple leadership positions. His HAA career started upon his exit from military service where he worked for a 5-ship Part 135 HAA program in Southwestern Pennsylvania. During his 9 years of service with Metro Aviation he has performed in the roles of Lead Mechanic, Regional Maintenance Manager, Airworthiness Manager and now serves as the Assistant Director of Maintenance.
jsprague@metroaviation.com
Jack Sprague
Part 135 Assistant Director of Maintenance
Jim Arthur
Jim started his aviation career in 1992 as a flight instructor and has since flown numerous helicopter models and missions throughout the United States, accumulating over 6,000 hours of flight time. After 6 years of flying utility operations in Alaska, he began his work in air medical operations in 2000. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor Certificate in helicopters and is a former FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. Jim is certified in Six Sigma (Green & Lean) and has served at Metro’s Director of Operations since 2014.
jarthur@metroaviation.com
Jim Arthur
Director of Operations
Kristen King Holmes
A veteran, a volunteer, a triathlete. Just a few words that describe Kristen King Holmes. During her 9 years of service in the Army Reserve, Kristen went across deployed to Iraq twice. She’s stared down Saddam Hussein, entertained troops on her radio show in the Middle East, told her story on national televison, hosted a reality show, earned an Emmy and appeared as the answer to a Jeopardy question. Kristen joined the Metro Family in 2013 and enjoys interacting with customers and telling the Metro story. She oversees all of Metro’s communications, as well as marketing efforts for PAC International, the Helicopter Flight Training Center and Outerlink Global Solutions.
kking@metroaviation.com
Kristen K Holmes
Director of Marketing
Mark Breton
Mark began his aviation career in 1988 performing air medical, law enforcement and VIP completions on various model helicopters. In 1991 he entered the air medical industry as an EMS field mechanic for 12 years, eventually becoming the Director of Maintenance for that operator in Dallas. Subsequently he served as a Director of Maintenance for 2 other large air medical operators and has now served as Metro’s Director of Maintenance since 2014. Mark maintains an Airframe & Powerplant certificate and an Inspection Authorization.
markbreton@metroaviation.com
Mark Breton
Part 135 Director of Maintenance
Rebecca Stinson
Rebecca Stinson is the Director of Human Resources at Metro Aviation. She manages overall functions of the HR department including on-boarding, performance management, labor law compliance and policy development, employee relations, worker’s compensation, and many other aspects of employee development. It is evident that the “people” part of HR are important to Rebecca and her door is always open to be a resource to Metro employees. Rebecca has 12 years of experience in Human Resources as well as event planning, strategic planning and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech University and is a statewide Notary Public.
rstinson@metroaviation.com
Rebecca Stinson
Director of Human Resources
Shawn Bruton
Shawn began his career at Metro as the head painter in 1994. From there, he began gaining experience in various aspects of the completion business, including the production shop, engine shop and as a sheet metal mechanic. After earning his A&P License, he ran the East Wall at Metro, overseeing aircraft due for inspections and repairs. Shawn’s attention to detail and his ability to lead a team landed him his current role as the Part 145 Director of Maintenance.
sbruton@metroaviation.com
Shawn Bruton
Part 145 Director of Maintenance
Shena Medsger,
Shena Medsger has worked in the Metro Aviation safety department since 2007 and has been active in aviation for nearly 20 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Professional Aeronautics and Master’s degree in Aeronautical Science, both specializing in Aviation Safety and Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She has her fixed wing commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-ratings. Shen currently serves on the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Air Medical Services committee. She has been through the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) Safety Management Training Academy and is a Certified Medical Transport Executive. Shena has been a key developer of Metro Aviation’s leading Safety Management System (SMS) and is continually striving to improve upon it. In her spare time, she enjoys fostering dogs, exercising and exploring the outdoors.
smedsger@metroaviation.com
Shena Medsger
Asst Director of Safety
Terry Palmer
Terry Palmer has 30 years of experience in aviation safety and training and is the recipient of numerous awards, including HAI’s 2010 AgustaWestland Safety Award. She currently serves on the HAI Training and Safety Committees. In the last ten years, Terry worked closely with the NTSB, FAA and insurance companies in the effort to raise the standard of training for helicopter operations. As the previous chair for the IHST Training Work Group, she co-authored the IHST Training Toolkit. Terry is Board member and aviation advisor for the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS). After more than a decade at FlightSafety International, Terry is now the Director of the Helicopter Flight Training Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.
tpalmer@metroaviation.com
Terry Palmer
Training Center Director
