Meet the
George J. Priester Team

Andy Priester serves as Chairman for George J. Priester Aviation and its family of companies. He is the third generation of Priesters to lead the business, the largest and oldest family-owned management and charter company in the world. The Priester family has a rich aviation history starting in 1945 including owning Palwaukee Airport – KPWK (now renamed Chicago Executive Airport), operating a flight school, operating multiple FBOs, providing 145 maintenance services, and operating an aircraft sales division.

In 2022, Andy led the strategic acquisition of Mayo Aviation, a customer-focused, family-led company with decades of history similar to Priester. In 2023, he expanded the company to include Hill Private Aviation, a historic aviation services company, based in the Southeast. George J. Priester currently focuses solely on aircraft management and global charter after the strategic sale of the other business units. In this role, Andy is dedicated to leading the organization’s growth and enhancing all George J. Priester Aviation brands as the preeminent choice in aircraft management, charter, and related aviation services. During Andy’s tenure at Priester, he has grown the fleet from seven aircraft to over 85 managed between all three brands from 20 bases globally today.

Andy currently sits on the board of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, as well as the Advisory Board for the O’Malley College of Business at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is past Chair of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and YPO Chicago – Windy City.

Andy is a proud University of Dayton Flyer and holds a Master’s degree from Concordia University. Andy is the proud father of Madison, who manages George J. Priester’s marketing efforts, and Quinn, who is a professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Andy participates philanthropically at his local food pantry, the Chicagoland Urban League, and Feed My Starving Children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends in the mountains, on the water, or exploring the outdoors.

Brent has served as George J. Priester President and CEO since 2024, having previously served the company as President of Mayo Aviation. He has been in the business of aviation since 1994 and flying before that. Throughout his career he has worked with a variety of aviation services, touching aircraft owners and management, charter operators and passengers, and sales, fleet operations and management. In all cases, his priority has been to serve the customer and provide the best possible aviation experience. He joined Mayo Aviation in 2019, where he led operations of the Rocky Mountain-located base. He has facilitated ways to make aviation better for clients and strategically eliminates obstacles for owners to get the most out of their aircraft. He is a strong supporter of the company’s work with Flight for Life Colorado, and prioritizes time spent with his family. He attended Denver’s Regis University and has held a private pilot’s license since 1990.

Ron Carlstrom brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success to the role. With over two decades of senior executive leadership, Carlstrom’s career spans a diverse range of industries, including technology, software as a service, and life insurance.

Before joining George J. Priester Aviation, Carlstrom held pivotal CFO roles in various sectors. His extensive experience includes significant tenures at technology firms, digital interactive agencies, and life insurance companies. Notably, Carlstrom played a crucial role at AccuQuote, a leading life insurance brokerage firm, where he led the company through a successful acquisition by Swiss Re Group, one of the world’s largest insurance providers. His efforts in integrating financial reporting and establishing a robust governance framework were key to the success of this transition.

Carlstrom holds an MBA in finance and a B.A. in history, with a minor in economics. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and three children, whether it’s playing hockey on a backyard rink or attending concerts and outdoor events.

Viviana joined the company’s Priester Aviation division in 2004 where she began her career as a trip coordinator in the Logistics department. Over the years, Kozin was instrumental in developing Logistics into a global 24/7/365 operation, and also served as Vice President of Flight Logistics. Prior to joining the company, Kozin worked for the Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) studying and benchmarking airport noise. Kozin is a graduate of Lewis University with a B.S. in Aviation Administration, International Business and holds an FAA-approved Aircraft Dispatcher License.

Rich has 30+ years of industry experience in aviation sales and aircraft management. Ropp opened the base location in his native St. Louis for Jet Linx Aviation. In addition to serving as the company’s Base President of St. Louis, he was responsible for leading its growth as Vice President of Business Development and Aircraft Management Sales. Ropp also served as National Sales Director at Jet Aviation, where he was the single point of contact for major clients and flight departments to the global platform of services. Over the past several years, he was instated as President for the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association (GSLBAA) and as a Board of Directors Member for Wings of Hope in Chesterfield, Missouri. He was a member of NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Committee for six years. He is an active member of Calvary Church and served as a small group leader, greeter, and Sunday school teacher in the children’s ministry. He always finds time for family, is a daily runner, loves to cook, prefers to be outdoors whenever possible, and absolutely loves to travel.

With nearly 20 years of payroll and human resources experience, Stephanie joined Mayo Aviation in 2017. She brought a mindset focused on making positive changes that improve workplace culture through continuous improvement of processes and employee resources. She has implemented systems and policies to enhance employees’ workplace experiences and has been effective in improving communication across departments and through the organization. Stephanie empowers all levels of George J. Priester Aviation professionals through employee engagement. She holds a degree in business management from Friends University and has earned Certified Professional credentials from the Society for Human Resource Management. Outside of work she is passionate about her family, helping others and appreciating live music.