Few things can match the feeling David Lavine gets when powering an airplane through the clouds toward a clear, blue sky.  Especially when transporting an Angel Flight passenger.  "It's one of those 'ah-ha' moments," he says.

An instrument rated private pilot, David began flying when his wife, Elaine, purchased flying lessons for him as an anniversary present in 1993.  He joined Angel Flight South Central in 1997 and has flown over 150 missions on behalf of the organization.  Since 2004 he has served the organization as a Governor's Council member, as President, and is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors.

David graduated from Temple University'/Eisenhower College with a degree in Accounting in 1976 and from Rutgers University with a graduate degree in Finance in 1980, joining Price, Waterhouse's Audit and Computer Systems consulting group after graduation.

Moving to Houston, TX in 1981 to join his family's machine tool business, David (over the next 30 years) co-founded a nationally prominent industrial auction company, a replacement parts business for machine tools, and two additional companies with exclusive rights to import machines in the Americas from India, Russia, and South Korea.  He has also participated as a partner in developing multi-unit residential properties throughout the southern and southwestern United States.

In 2004 David used the experience and perspective gained as a successful business owner and investor to launch an entirely new career and attain a new set of goals in the Financial Services sector where he is now Vice President, Investments and Portfolio Manager at UBS Financial Services.

David has been an active member of several trade associations including the Machinery Dealers' National Associtation (where he served as a board member and Vice President) and the Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers.  He also served as Vice President of a trade publication, "The Locator."

David and Elaine (his high school sweetheart) have been married for thirty-five years and have two sons and three grandchildren and are active in their home community of Sugarland, TX.  David has served as a Board Member and Chairman of the Building Committee of their Temple, and is currently President Elect of the local Rotary chapter.

« less

Upon graduation from the University of Houston in 1967, Russell Ginn began his career as a Certified Public Accountant with Arthur Young and Company where during his eight year tenure he directed the audits of numerous companies in the oil and gas sector and coordinating several mergers and acquisitions.  After leaving Arthur Young, he spent the next year and a half as Vice President of First Mortgage Company and Chief Financial Officer of Texas First Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trust.

In 1976 Mr. Ginn developed a passion for entrepreneurial leadership and over the next thirty-one years he cofounded two companies and acquired several others, both startups and turnarounds.   An indication of his success in and commitment to the industries in which he participated, he has served as Director and is a Past Chairman and current Director of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association, is a Past Chairman of the Valve Manufacturers Association of America, and served as Director of the American Petroleum Institute.

Mr. Ginn is active in philanthropic and community pursuits including serving on numerous committees in his local church and ten years of participation on the Tomball, TX Independent School District Board, filling various roles including two terms as President.  He has served on the board of directors and Executive Committee of Houston’s Open Door Mission for eighteen years, more than half of that as President.  He is a board member, Finance Chair, and mentor to the CEO for The WorkFaith Connection in Houston and has served since 2007 on the advisory and (now) the main board of the Houston Christian Foundation, an affiliate of the National Christian Foundation.  He was a trustee of the Union Baptist Association for more than 20 years, serving on the board of a subsidiary of that organization for thirteen years, ten of those as President of the board.

Russell lives in Houston with his wife, Beverly.  He is a multi-engine and instrument rated pilot and flies numerous missions for Angel Flight South Central each year out of his home base of David Wayne Hooks airport in Northwest Houston.

« less

Although a 6th generation Texan, Will Stroud attended the University of Mississippi and earned degrees in Management and Real Estate.  Will’s primary business is commercial real estate developer specializing in senior housing, assisted living and memory care, market segments in which he has developed over 10,000 units.  Along with commercial real estate, Will is also an active investor in a variety of other fields including restaurants,  oil and gas and ranching. 

Will comes by his passion for aviation naturally. His grandfather was a Major General in the Marine Corps and a pilot in 3 wars, so flying is practically part of his genetic makeup.  Will flew his first airplane before he could ride a bike and earned his pilots’  license before he could drive a car.  Will frequently flies missions for Angel Flight, but his aviation interests extend to a variety of other aviation related organizations as well, including the  Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association where he is a member of the President’s Council.

Will’s commitment to aviation is matched by his commitment to philanthropy. He currently serves on the board of Children’s Medical Center’s One Society and actively engages in supporting the mission of Dallas Theological Seminary.  In part, his philanthropic activity is driven by personal experience.  Will’s sister was diagnosed with Leukemia  when he was in the 1st grade, and she passed away 28 months later.  She spent 6 of those 28 months at MD Anderson in Houston, so Will has seen firsthand the impact that a serious disease can have not only on the patient, but also on the family members.  He is a director of the James A Stroud Foundation and the Jennifer Lynn Stroud Foundation, both of which were born of this experience and both of which pursue the sole mission of improving the lives of those around him.

« less

After obtaining a degree in Political Science with a minor in Real Estate at the University of Texas at Arlington, Bill worked in politics and finance briefly before beginning a career in commercial real estate at Henry S. Miller. Two years after Mr. Miller sold to Grubb & Ellis, Bill formed First Commercial Realty to offer commercial real estate services including sales, leasing, property management and consulting.

A few years later Bill also began developing residential communities, industrial parks, office projects and small shopping centers. In addition he acquires income properties and speculative land tracts for investment purposes. In 1987 Bill co-founded the first bank in his hometown of Highland Village, TX which was eventually sold to Wells Fargo. He also owned two restaurants and founded a food service software company.

Bill is a lifelong resident of the Dallas area. He & Cindy have been married 28 years and have three adult children. More than thirty years ago he fulfilled his dream to learn to fly following in his father footsteps (a bomber instructor in WWII). Cindy is also a pilot. They travel extensively in their Malibu and Bill enjoys aerobatics in his Super Decathlon. Bill has completed more than 150 Angel Flight South Central missions. He attends The Village Church in Flower Mound and spent 20 years on the board of Christian Community Action in Lewisville.

« less

A partner in the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Houston, Texas, Brian Antweil is a trial lawyer licensed in both Texas and New York. He has been lead counsel in high profile litigation throughout the United States representing clients in a full range of business, commercial and tort cases in state and federal courts and domestic and international arbitrations. He also has significant experience in bankruptcy and insolvency litigation.

Brian is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Houston Law Center where he serves as an Adjunct Professor in Pretrial Procedure and Trial Advocacy.  He is an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and is a frequent speaker for bar and other trade and professional organizations regarding trial presentation. 

As an instrument-rated private pilot, Brian flies several missions annually for Angel Flight.  In addition, he is active in community affairs in a variety of ways including participation in the Greater Houston Partnership where he serves on the Economic Development Advisory Board, the Aviation/International Advisory Committee, and is Past Chairman of the “Houston’s Greatest” Committee.

« less

Robert is an officer and Principal at TSB Offshore, Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, a consulting and project management company he helped to found in 1993 which specializes in oil and gas field decommissioning.  Prior to that he was President of SBM IMODCO, a California based marine contractor.  His early career included serving as an engineer and diving officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. He later attended graduate school, then worked in the initial stages of development of the oil and gas industry in the North Sea with the Norwegian Hydrodynamics Laboratory.  He received his B.Sc. in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, M.Sc. in Ocean Engineering from the University of Alaska, and Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas and a member of a number of professional societies.

Robert is a native of Mississippi but now considers Texas to be home.  He and his wife, Kathleen, have two daughters and a son, who is currently a Coast Guard officer. They are active in a broad range of charities, including their local church, Hosanna Lutheran, and all of the local public broadcast stations.  Robert currently serves as Chairman of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Robert is an instrument rated private pilot, currently working on his multi-engine rating. He was directly responsible for 25 Angel Flight missions in 2011 and sponsored other pilots to fly an additional 56 missions.

« less

Leslie Hess is a Transaction Advisory Services partner with the public accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP and was with Arthur Andersen LLP prior to joining Ernst & Young in June 2002.  Leslie focuses on assisting financial and strategic buyers and sellers with domestic and cross-border transactions including mergers, buy-outs carve-outs, and divestitures.

With over nineteen years in public accounting, she has gained experience in a wide range of industries, such as oilfield products and services, upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas, mining & metals, construction, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail distribution.

Leslie has advised clients on over 250 transactions and provided services such as buy-side and sell-side due diligence and advice related to structuring and negotiating agreement terms, including with regard to purchase price adjustment mechanisms and disputes.

Leslie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington & Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of CPA’s.  Leslie and her husband Randall live in Houston and she has served on the Angel Flight board since October 2009.

« less

Mark J. Moran is a highly successful corporate executive with over 30 years of experience in the airline industry.  After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Marquette University in 1979, Mark started his airline career with Boeing Co. that same year as a design engineer.  He worked there for five years before joining Piedmont Airlines and later moved to US Airways as the Director of Engineering.

Mark began working for Continental Airlines, Inc. in 1994, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility until January 2012.  More recently, Mark served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Continental Airlines.  In this role, Mark was responsible for 35,000 employees engaged in flight operations including in-flight services, airport services, technical operations, cargo, food services, system operations, safety, security, facilities, environmental, and CMI operations.  Including Continental’s regional partners, Mark oversaw more than 2600 flights a day traveling to over 260 airports around the world and carrying 63 million passengers a year. 

As a commercial pilot, he serves as a member of Angel Flight, flying volunteer missions to support cancer patients that otherwise cannot afford the necessary expense of travelling for their treatments.

« less

Mr. J. Peter Perez was raised in Jacksonville, Florida and attended the University of Florida where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. After graduation, Mr. Perez worked for several large companies in engineering and account management related positions.  These companies include Shell Oil Company, Betz Laboratories, Calgon Corporation, and the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO).

Mr. Perez is currently the President/CEO of International Laboratory Supply, Ltd, (InterLab) where he is responsible for overseeing daily management activities.  He has been an entrepreneur since 1982 with the formation of his first company, Microbe Masters.  During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Mr. Perez purchased numerous companies which he merged into International Biochemicals Group, Ltd (InterBio).  In 2002 InterBio was sold to Novozymes, Inc.; however, InterLab was carved out of the sale and grown into the company it is today. He has received national and international recognition with his successes in bioremediation and biotreatment.  These accolades include Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc Magazine Regional Entrepreneur of the Year, Hispanic Business Top 50 High Tech Companies, Louisiana Small Business Person of the Year, and National Small Business Person.

Presently, Mr. Perez resides in The Woodlands, Texas with his wife Ann. Besides overseeing the business operations of InterLab, Mr. Perez trades stocks and stock options and spends much of his time investing the family’s portfolio. When he is not working, Mr. Perez spends time with his two daughters and three grandchildren.  His passion is flying his Beechcraft Bonanza and his involvement in Angel Flight South Central, a charitable organization that transports patients and their families to and from clinical treatment.

« less

Dianna Stanger is strongly motivated by her passion for aviation.  She is Vice President of Operations for Whirly-Girls International, an organization dedicated to engaging women in rotary wing aviation.  An Angel Flight South Central (AFSC) Pilot since 2001, Dianna holds the distinction of piloting the first ever AFSC helicopter mission.  In addition to her Angel Flight missions, Dianna flies for Pilots ‘N Paws and various other local charities in her own Waco UPF-7, Cirrus SR22, Hawker Beechcraft Premier 1A, and Eurocopter EC120. 

While Dianna’s compassionate nature finds expression through Angel Flight, her competitive side is fueled annually through participation in the Air Race Classic, the oldest transcontinental air race in the United States.  By finishing first in the 2,400-mile competition in 2012, Dianna and her team were able to fund a scholarship for one deserving young woman to pursue an education in aviation through LeTourneau University. 

It’s not a surprise that Dianna is so aviation minded -- she and her husband are principal owners of Electro-Methods, LLC, a jet engine component manufacturing company in South Windsor, CT that has been in operation for more than 50 years.

A couple of years ago Dianna became the Calhoun County Airport Manager and opened a Cessna Pilot Center for flight training at the county-owned airport in Port Lavaca, TX.  Her work with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to secure over $3.5 million in airport improvements resulted in the Calhoun County Airport being named Texas’ “Most Improved Airport” in 2010, just three months after Dianna was named airport manager.

Each year, Dianna sponsors a Kids Day at Calhoun County Airport for local schools where about 350 sixth graders are introduced to flight, weather systems, the Coast Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, and many other aviation related experiences.  She also works with TxDOT to promote the Texas Kid’s Aviation Art Calendar by holding an annual art contest.

Nominated “Most Dedicated Female Pilot in the World” in 2011 by Women of Aviation Worldwide, Dianna does have interests other than flying.  When she is not busy operating one of her aviation businesses or flying Angel Flight missions, there is always the seven-thousand acre Wolf Point Ranch.  Dianna and her husband purchased the vacant ranch in 1998 and have turned it into a thriving operation.  Using the latest breeding techniques including cloning, the ranch is home to a herd of more than 1100 prized black Brangus cattle.  Dianna is also a competitive equestrian and has been awarded over twenty US National Championships in only eight years of competition.

« less

Jim Thompson is the President and CEO of ORIX USA and is responsible for managing ORIX Corporation’s operations in the United States. Mr. Thompson has 33 years of comprehensive experience in the U.S. capital markets. After joining ORIX USA in 1991 to initiate and manage ORIX USA’s activities in the commercial mortgage securities market, Jim Thompson was named Chairman and CEO of ORIX Capital Markets in 1997 and President and CEO of ORIX USA in 2004.

Before joining ORIX USA, Mr. Thompson held senior management positions with various financial institutions, including Financial Corporation of Santa Barbara and Mission Hills Mortgage, and was responsible for various loan origination, securitization and other capital markets and investment related functions.

Mr. Thompson also serves as the President of the ORIX Foundation and together with his wife, Angela, pursues various philanthropic activities through the Jim and Angela Thompson Foundation.

He is a Director of Dallas CASA and a member of the Board of Visitors of the AOPA Foundation.  He’s also a past Board Member of Family Place and the World Craniofacial Foundation.

Mr. Thompson is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Sky Educational Foundation which supports scholarships in aviation and promote aviation-inspired charter school development.

« less