Join PNBAA for an educational webinar session on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Thursday, January 12th from 10:30am - 12:00pm.
This webinar is moderated by PNBAA Board Member and SAF advocate, Alan Burnett. Hear presentations and commentary from leading voices on this topic: Stewart D'Leon - NBAA, Keith Sawyer - Avfuel, Carol Sim - Washington State University, Robin Toth - Washington State Department of Commerce. Read below for full panel bios and more information.
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Watch the Replay Here
Meet the Panel
Stewart D'Leon, NBAA Director
Environmental & Technical Operations
Aviation enthusiast from a young age, Stewart began his career in 2001 with the United States Air Force. As an avionics technician, he supported the HH-60 Pavehawk and KC-135 Tanker aircraft missions throughout the world. After just over 4 years of service, Staff Sergeant D’Leon bid farewell to the USAF and entered business aviation. In 2005, he began work with the Gulfstream Aerospace special mission aircraft. During his 14 years with Gulfstream, he held several positions as technician, lead, and supervisor positions giving him the opportunity to expand his skills and knowledge while working various platforms in the Gulfstream family. Before moving on, his last position with Gulfstream was as a field service representative supporting the Department of the Air Force special mission aircraft at Joint Base Andrews. In this position, he served as a subject matter expert (SME) for GIII (C-20), GV(C-37A), and G550(C-37B) aircraft, ensuring that the leaders of our nation were able to successfully conduct business throughout the world.
In 2019, Stewart joined the National Business Aviation Association staff as director of technical operations. In this role, he serves as the focal point for aircraft maintenance and technical topics for members. Additionally, he is the staff liaison for NBAA’s maintenance and technical committees, helping them address concerns in workforce development, regulatory, safety, and aircraft connectivity, as it relates to the aircraft maintenance community.
Keith Sawyer, Manager of Alternative Fuels
Avfuel Corporation
Keith Sawyer, manager of alternative fuels for Avfuel Corporation, has worked in the energy business since 1977, including 10 years in the aviation industry. After a 40-year career with Chevron, Sawyer joined Avfuel—a leading independent global supplier of aviation fuel and services with 650+ branded FBOs and 3,000+ fueling locations worldwide—in 2016 as its regional business development/supply chain manager where he was responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with fueling locations throughout the Western U.S., Canada and Alaska. To further capitalize on his expertise in the fuel market, Sawyer became Avfuel’s manager of alternative fuels in 2017, leading all aspects of evaluating the sustainable aviation fuel market and its suppliers while representing Avfuel within the environmental and fuel supply chain groups associated with GAMA, NBAA, NATA and IBAC.
During Sawyer’s tenure at Chevron, he oversaw petroleum and natural gas product supply chain management, cargo operations, general aviation business, branded programs, aviation investments, and marketing in various markets, operating out of Perth, Western Australia; Houston, Texas; San Ramon, California; Almaty, Kazakhstan; San Francisco, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Carol Sim, Assistant Director
Washington State University Office of National Laboratory Partnerships
Ms. Carol Sim is an Assistant Director in the Washington State University Office of Clean Technology and supports the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuel and the Environment (commonly known as ASCENT). ASCENT is an aviation-based research organization that provides science-based solutions for many of the industry's environmental challenges. Carol facilitates interactions between the ASCENT Directors and the industry Advisory Committee, identifies opportunities and promotes collaboration between ASCENT researchers and industry stakeholders, manages the Center’s communications and assists in its administration.
Carol also facilitates the Washington Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Work Group- a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, airports, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, fuel producers, feedstock suppliers, environmental groups, government agencies and elected officials. The work group was mandated by the legislature to facilitate communication and coordination among aviation biofuels stakeholders and to provide policy recommendations for legislation that will facilitate the technology development, production, distribution, and commercialization of aviation biofuels in Washington.
Prior to joining WSU, Carol was the Director of Environmental Affairs for Alaska Airlines.
Robin Toth, Director of Economic Development for the Aerospace Sector, Department of Commerce
Prior to joining the Department of Commerce in 2018 as the Director of Economic Development for the Aerospace Sector, Robin was the Vice President, Business Development, for Greater Spokane Inc., Spokane County’s Associate Development Organization. During her thirteen plus years with GSI, Robin worked with more than 100 companies that selected the Spokane region for their corporate relocation or expansion projects. These projects created an economic impact of more than $1 billion to the area, and the companies created almost 10,000 jobs. She also served the City of Spokane as a project manager, working on the Spokane University District formation and an award-winning EPA brownfields cleanup of a former railroad site. Robin’s experience also included positions as the marketing and communications director for information technology companies like Ciena, Alcatel and Itron.
Alan Burnett, SAF 101 Moderator
CenterPoint Law Aviation and PNBAA Board Member
Alan is the Managing Partner of CenterPoint Aviation Law in Seattle, a firm whose focus is helping clients buy and sell business aircraft while navigating the complex interplay of the Federal Aviation Regulations, federal and state tax laws, risk management and other legal issues. Before co-founding CenterPoint in 2008, Alan practiced exclusively in the area of transactional aviation law, developing his reputation as an accomplished negotiator, trusted advisor and industry leader. One of Alan’s talents is coordinating and acting as the point-person on the purchase and sale of private, fractional, and corporate aircraft, including advising clients on the corresponding tax, regulatory, financing, insurance and risk management, import/export, SEC, executive comp, charter and other relevant legal issues.
Alan serves on the NBAA Tax Committee where he works to educate, and advocate for, the aviation community on transactional aviation topics. Alan also serves on the board of directors as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association, and he is past-president and member of the Aviation Section of the King County Bar Association. Alan earned a BBA from Texas Christian University and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University.
