Gift of Flight, Inc NFP is registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization founded to improve America’s future by inspiring careers and pursuits in aviation, aerospace, science, technology, engineering, and math — with special attention towards the underprivileged or at-risk youths (ages 14-21) — by providing discovery flights, flight instruction, aerospace education, STEM training and competitions and scholarships. Having only just started the organization in May 2015 and acquiring our 501(c)(3) status in August 2016, we are admittedly still just in the forming phases of operations — seeking our initials grants\donations and testing the business model on a small, manageable scale in the Chicagoland area first — but we are very excited about the prospects that we are currently pursuing. The Gift of Flight vision was founded and is currently supported by the following Directors and Officers:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Gary Brown
(Founder, Chairman & President)
Since acquiring his pilot’s license in 1995, Gary has enjoyed sharing his passion for aviation by giving flights to family and friends, savoring their post-flight smiles after experiencing the magic of flight. But, he also discovered that the responsibilities of being a pilot – maintaining and advancing proficiency, skills, critical thinking, good health and traversing regulations — also assisted him in leading a wholesome, productive, and healthy life.
Couple that passion with his childhood immersion into science and aerospace – his father, an Engineer for Pratt & Whitney, provided the left-brain stimulus by taking him to numerous company tours and airshows and his loving mother provided more of the right-brain experience between church and the arts – and it’s no surprise that he dreamed of founding a charitable organization that could provide similar experiences to youth who otherwise may not have such opportunities.
By profession, Gary is an Information Technology Manager, who still maintains hands-on web-application development skills (you’re likely seeing his handiwork here), and is married to a loving (and exceptionally supportive\tolerant) wife Lisa, with three beautiful children, in West Chicago, Illinois. Gary is also a Commander and Mission Pilot for the Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Auxiliary, and modeled much of Gift of Flight operations after their impeccable safety training, regulations, and risk management.
Adam Strack
(Director, Vice President, Treasurer)
Adam has had a love and fascination with flight since the first time he saw a plane do touch and go water landings near his house. Though not a pilot (yet) he is an avid Flight Simulator and Remote Control (RC) enthusiast. Introducing the opportunities that a passion of flight and technology can bring, especially to todays youth who may not normally have that chance, is why Adam is a part of Gift Of Flight.
Adam was a Founding member of the Washington DC based Association of Online Professionals. He is also an Extra Class Amateur Radio operator, FEMA certified in Incident Management, participates in the Evanston, IL Police Advisory Board, and is a member of the Evanston Community Emergency Response Team. Adam and his wife, Susan, are also active runners. Together they especially love to participate in events such as the Chicago Police Department Run To Remember and the Chicago and Indianapolis Marathons.
Adam Strack currently works for Microdynamics Group in Naperville, IL as Chief Information Officer. He previously worked for Gallagher Bassett Services as VP of Operations, Client Services, and Vendor Management. In the 1990’s Adam worked at USRobotics and later 3Com as Director of World Wide Level 2 Phone and Online Support.
Brian A. Rudd
(Director, Secretary)
Brian caught the aviation bug at eight years old when his father purchased a Quicksilver MX ultralight. He spent many summers at the local ultralight airport watching the other pilots, learning as much as he could, and shamelessly begging for rides. At the ripe old age of fourteen, Brian completed initial flight instruction and embarked upon his first solo flight in his father’s ultralight. A long-time cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, Brian attended the Flight Encampment (now known as the Johnson Flight Academy) twice in the early 1990s where he earned solo flights in a glider and in powered aircraft. Brian has since earned a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings and enjoys sharing his love of aviation with friends and family. More recently, Brian ventured into the world of aircraft co-ownership and can be frequently found at the airport with his 1969 Twin Comanche.
Similar to Gary, Brian is married to a very supportive and patient wife who truly understands his love for flight. An attorney by trade, Brian focuses his practice in the defense of business entities involved in litigated civil matters. His experience in counseling clients, coupled with his love of all things aviation, formed a natural interest in guiding young people in pursuing their own interests in the world of aviation.
OFFICERS:
Arzania “Zook” Williams
(Safety Officer)
Zook was first bitten by the aviation bug when he was 14 years old. One of his uncle’s, a retired Air Force pilot gave him his first flight in a GA airplane. Though the events of his life carried him away from aviation, the fever continued to burn and he was finally consumed by it in 1998 when he earned his Private Pilot certificate. Since then he has logged over 1,000 hours and today is the proud owner of a Piper Cherokee.
Professionally, Zook has spent the last 32 years serving in law enforcement. In 2012 he retired from the Naperville, IL Police Department and is currently an officer with the Naperville Park District Police Department.
Zook is active with several aviation organizations. He currently is the Vice President of the Illinois Aviation Museum, located at Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport. The Museum is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to the growth of aviation by preserving its past and promoting programs to ensure its future. He has also been a member of the Civil Air Patrol for the past 10 years. His primary specialty with CAP has been as a safety officer which has seen him develop into his current assignment at Deputy Commander of one of the Illinois Wing’s Group Headquarters staff. Zook is also very active with the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program which offers free flights to children between the ages of 8-17 years old. This summer he achieved the milestone of giving 400 such flights. And after all of this, if he has any time left over, he will take his plane up in the air and stare at nothing!
Zook just celebrated his 36th anniversary with his wife, Karen. They have 2 adult children and 4 grandkids. Karen is enthusiastic about flying when she has a purpose (visiting those grandkids who live in Iowa).
“In my years of sharing the love of aviation with our youth, I have seen many who have not been able to achieve this dream because of a lack of resources. Gift of Flight is devoted to filling this void and I am proud to be able to contribute by assuring that Safety is a top priority in everything that we do.”
Michael Baraz
(Operations Officer)
Michael Baraz fell in love with flying and earned his Private Pilot certificate, instrument rating, and bought a Mooney aircraft in 2004. He went on to get his Commercial Pilot certificate, multi-engine rating, and recently his Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. Michael supports the Aircraft Owners and Pilots’ Association (AOPA) and is a Hat-In-The-Ring Society member of the AOPA Foundation, which works to improve aviation safety, preserve community airports, and encourage learning to fly for career and personal benefit, in the interest of ensuring the future of general aviation.
Michael makes great use of his aircraft for philanthropic causes. As soon as he qualified, Michael flew missions for Angel Flight Central, an organization of volunteer pilots who provide free transportation to people with life-threatening medical conditions without the resources to get to the health providers. Additionally, Michael has flown hundreds of rescued dogs and cats to the safety of no-kill shelters, fosters and fur-ever adoptee homes. Michael has organized and provided Aviation Career Days to youth and young adults living in high stress, difficult home lives, in support of Rick Butler and Pathway to Harmony and is now working together with him and Gift of Flight to create an on-going STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Aviation program for Chicago Public Schools. He is on the Board of Directors in Chicago Executive Pilots Association.
In his professional life, Michael is an executive aligning information strategy to business strategy, capabilities, capacity, and leading and motivating people and projects to successful, high value/high impact outcomes. He is a thought leader innovating and implementing integrated, global information architecture for advanced analytics, Big Data, business intelligence, e-Commerce, and cloud platforms across insurance, banking, financial, real estate, health, utilities, energy, and safety industries.
Michael’s personal life is a busy combination of activities. Michael is a black belt and instructor in aikido, a Japanese martial art; a pilot; sails his sloop, Urban Legend, and works in Angel Flight humanitarian and PilotsNPaws animal welfare activities.
Dustin Weaver
(Technology Officer)
Dustin’s love of aviation began when he started flying lessons in Knoxville, TN, during 2002. By 2003 he had acquired his Private Pilot certificate and was flying friends all over East Tennessee. In late 2003, a new job offer had Dustin moving to the Chicago area. Once settled, he began flying out of Schaumburg airport in a then-new Diamond DA-20. In 2008, Dustin met his now wife, Laura, and both joined the International Flying Club at DuPage Airport. During this time, Dustin met Gary who introduced him to flying Boy Scouts for aviation merits. When available, he always enjoyed participating in these events and giving the Scouts the gift of flight.
Professionally, Dustin has a background in cloud computing, database/application development, and application integration. Dustin works for the crowdsourcing company Topcoder. His application experience includes Google suite, Salesforce.com, Contentful, and several cloud based data management applications/tools.
In his personal life, Dustin is married to his wife Laura, and they have two daughters, Emma and Hannah, born 2015 and 2017. Outside of flying and technology, Dustin enjoys being a DIY mechanic and amateur electronics.