Leadership

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Leadership Team

Experts who come from every corner of industry, commonly known as ” Business leaders”

Sean Heileman

SPA/Elevation President & CEO

Mr. Sean Heileman is the President and CEO of Serving Professionals in Aerospace (SPA) and a seasoned aviation leader whose experience spans both the cockpit and the flight line. As a pilot and aviation operator, he understands what mission-ready truly means—from the decisions made in flight to the precision required in maintenance, logistics, and safety on the ground. Over the course of his career, he has led aircraft operations and sustainment efforts, providing oversight, provisioning, and training for maintenance personnel and aircrews, while strengthening unit readiness through disciplined standards, repeatable processes, and performance-driven training.

Beyond day-to-day execution, Mr. Heileman is building SPA as a long-term aviation ecosystem platform—connecting flight training, maintenance capability, and operational support into scalable programs that help partners grow aviation capacity and develop the next generation of aviation professionals. His vision focuses on expanding access to high-quality flight and maintenance training, modernizing sustainment practices, and creating durable aviation infrastructure that can support economic development, humanitarian response, and future aerospace growth.

Ryan Periera

Executive Vice President and Business Developer

serves as Executive Vice President of SPA, bringing decades of leadership in operations, strategy, and high-tempo execution. A former U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter pilot, he pairs cockpit-level decision-making and mission discipline with a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and run complex daily operations in fast-paced environments.

Across his career, Ryan has supported and overseen large-scale proposal and bid efforts, built innovative operational processes that improve speed and accountability, and helped teams translate strategy into measurable outcomes. He is also known for his worldwide network and connections—relationships developed through global missions and international engagement—which he leverages to open doors, accelerate partnerships, and expand SPA’s reach across markets and stakeholders.

Jon Roberts

Vice President – Operations

Jon Roberts serves as SPA Vice President of Operations, leading the day-to-day execution that turns vision into safe, scalable, on-time results. With decades of experience managing complex programs, he brings disciplined operational leadership, calm decision-making under pressure, and a mission-first focus on people, standards, and performance. Jon is known for building dependable teams, strengthening compliance and safety culture, and coordinating stakeholders across government and private partners to deliver training, logistics, and enterprise operations with precision and integrity.

Business Professionals

A diverse and seasoned group of professionals who share a common goal – “Success”.

Stephen R. Braquet

Contracted Architect

Stephen R. Braquet, AIA, NCARB, our Project Manager, has been in the field of architecture for over thirty years. He has extensive experience in all phases of design, construction, airport design, program management and building types. Stephen is a recognized expert in roofing, waterproofing and building envelope projects..

Tiji Allen

Flight Training Consultant

Tiji Allen serves as our Flight Training Expert, helping drive standardization, safety culture, and student success across the I-CAPT pathway. His aviation foundation was forged through an accelerated ground-and-flight program created through a Kansas State University at Salina and Tuskegee University partnership, where he earned his Private Pilot certification—an experience that shaped his “train fast, train smart, train safe” mindset.

Tiji also brings a military-grade readiness discipline to how we teach procedures, risk management, and cockpit decision-making—so students build confidence, competence, and professionalism from day one.

Jacquel Tomlin

Business Development/Proposal Management Consultant

Mrs. Jacquel Tomlin is our Business Development/Proposal Management Consultant. Mrs. Tomlin brings more than 25 years’ experience in the federal proposal and grant development arena. -Mrs. Tomlin is highly experienced in overall contract and procurement administration functions of various contract and subcontract types for the Department of Defense, Civil Government Agencies, and Commercial organizations. Jacquel provides procurement advice and assistance to program managers, technical and financial specialists, and/or others on contract or procurement policies, problems, or issues. She serves as a lead negotiator, negotiating the contract amount, terms, and conditions.

Richard Wilson

Director of Aviation Maintenance

Our Maintenance Manager, Richard Wilson, has more than 27 years’ experience in Army Aviation with 12 years served as an elite U.S. Army 160th Night Stalker, retiring as a Sergeant Major and completing his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training. Mr. Wilson has provided Quality Engineering services and maintenance streamlining activities for more than 20 years in the U.S. Army. Mr. Wilson has served in multiple combat zones including Gulf War I and Operation Enduring Freedom. His combat maintenance experience, and combat leadership experience serves our team well as we prepare to court military, U.S. Government, and foreign customers.