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www.AviationPros.com 51 T ravis Geist's uncle is in the aviation industry working for Delta out of ATL. "I went to visit him when I was younger and really got hooked with airplanes. To be really honest I have always wanted to be a pilot and that has really made me chase the aviation industry." Geist attended Kansas State University in Salina, KS, and received his bachelor's in aeronautical science. He interned at Duncan during summer breaks while attending college. He started as a Mechanic 1 and his basic job functions were to pull panels, lube things, and learn as much as posible. Then he went to nights and about a year after that he was Mechanic 2. Additional training was Global Maintenance Initial through FlightSafety International and Advanced Troubleshooting through Global Jet Services. His mentor, Troy Nail at Duncan, "has taught me a lot and really pushed me to be who I am today as a lead technician." Nominated by Jennifer Monroe, senior talent acquisition spe- cialist, Duncan Aviation: "Throughout his seven-year career with Duncan Aviation, Travis has displayed great leadership skills and has an innate drive for results. His communication and planning skills are imperative to keep team members and support shops apprized during projects to ensure milestones are met. As a leader, Travis is also laser focused on ensuring a safety remains a priority for himself and his team; not only to maintain their safety but also the safety of the aircraft. "Travis has completed the Global Express maintenance initial course, is run certified on both Challenger 604/605 and 300 series, and is a qualified inspector. To continue to grow his leadership skills, Travis has also completed internal training sessions such as "Management 101" and "A Look At Leadership." "Travis is extremely passionate about the aviation industry and remains active with his Alma mater, volunteering with students pursuing a career in aviation. He is also a member of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA). He serves as a respected men- tor to new technicians at Duncan Aviation and is a natural leader to those coming up in the industry. Travis brings his 'A' game to work every day and in all ways embodies Duncan Aviation's core values." His career goal would be to find a director of maintenance job with a local company that has a Bombardier product. At Duncan Aviation he is interested in either a project manager position or a team leader position. The true goal/dream would be an AG pilot. TRAVIS GEIST Airframe Lead Technician, 29, Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, NE NATHAN ALVAR Avionics Specialist, 27, Cirrus Aircraft Factory Service Center, Duluth, MN N athan's military experience lead him into the aviation field. He received his training from the U.S. Air Force and Lake Superior College. Advanced training includes Garmin avionics course, A&P; school, and Cirrus SF-50 course. He has received an FAA Gold Award for training. During his service he was selected as the F16 Maintenance Technician of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the Fighter Wing's maintenance and reliability. Mentors who have helped him in his career include Gerald Mensen, Bruce Ginkle Jr., and Broderick Jones. His current position is avionics specialist at Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth, MN. His responsibilities encompass fleet health for avionics and electric systems, lead troubleshooter, and being in charge of avionics mods and alterations. Nominated by Gerald S. Mensen, senior crew chief, Cirrus Aircraft Factory Service Center: "Nathan Alvar, an avid outdoors- man, hunter, and competitive shooter, is a Duluth, MN, native. He is also the lead avionics maintenance technician at the Cirrus Factory Service Center, located in Duluth, MN. Nathan, after graduating high school served his commitment in the U.S. Air Force as an F16 avionics technician. During that time he served on multiple tours of duty to theater operations supporting America's fight against terrorism. After serving his country, Nathan attended college locally before coming to work for Cirrus Aircraft installing avionics systems and trouble- shooting system faults on the Cirrus Aircraft SR production line. He honed his skills on Cirrus Aircraft in the manufacturing envi- ronment before taking on his current role in the Cirrus Factory Service Center. He is exceptionally skilled in his field having 10 years' experience with Cirrus and the U.S. Air Force. Nathan has been instrumental in the successful maintenance operations and troubleshooting during the initial rollout of the recently certified Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet. Nathan is continually called upon as the subject matter expert; he works directly with Cirrus Engineering and the in-house avionics representative resolving avionics dis- crepancies. His in-depth comprehension of avionics, systems integration, and aircraft knowledge of the Vision Jet has made him an indispensable asset to his team." Future goals include earning his Airframe and Powerplant license through FAA, and an FCC license, and he'd like to become avionics manager at Cirrus Aircraft.