About Us
More Than Brokers
Meet the Team
Brian Proctor
- President and CEO
- Headquarters
Brian Proctor is the founder, President, and CEO of Aquila Aviation Ventures. He founded Mente Group, LLC in 2009.
Brian has been serving private aviation clients for over 19 years. Having been involved in over $8 billion in aircraft transactions and over $7 billion in aviation business planning, Brian’s experience is sought by corporations and individuals, worldwide.
After serving for six years in the US Army as an infantry Ranger and intelligence officer, Brian left the military to pursue a career in the private sector. After working at Transamerica Corporation, Mr. Proctor served as consultant, COO and President of the world’s second largest consultancy and broker/dealer.
Brian serves on boards for: International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), Jet Aviation Advisory Board, and formerly, the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. He also previously served as President of IADA. He holds a BA degree in International Studies in Politics and Diplomacy from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Michael Rodgers
- Chief Financial Officer
- Headquarters
Michael Rodgers is the Chief Financial Officer for Aquila Aviation Ventures.
In this position, he oversees all accounting, HR and corporate finance functions of Aquila and its portfolio companies. Prior to his current role, Michael spent more than 20 years in corporate finance, joining Aquila from JP Morgan where he focused on the Industrials sector. Throughout his career, he has specialized in debt underwriting, merger & acquisition advisory, and strategic consulting.
Michael received his MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, and BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University.
Vince Restivo
- Vice President, Operational Consulting
- Headquarters
Vince has 37 years experience in business aviation starting with Gulfstream Aerospace in 1984. Over the next 25 years, he contributed successfully in various roles of increasing responsibility with Gulfstream, from Initial Phase Manufacturing to Flight Test to Completion Integration and Test Engineering, Vince gained vast experience and knowledge in avionics and cabin systems design, integration, connectivity, test and certification.
With the logarithmic advances in business aviation technology, Vince moved to Completion Sales, where the need for a strong technology background coupled with the ability to connect with customers was essential. Helping customers navigate the vast array of integrated high-tech systems as well as voice and data communications options became a refined skill that aligned with his passion to help people. With the importance of the aircraft interior becoming a priority in the purchase decision process, his combined avionics, technology and interior knowledge allows him to seamlessly communicate with customers from
While Director of Completion Sales, his passion for excellence in the customer experience and a discriminating eye for detail and quality led him to implement further enhancements in process, product offerings and systems capabilities. Vince actively participated in the development of Gulfstream interiors, cabin systems and completion process from the G-IV to the G650.
Leveraging his ability to quickly perceive customer needs and bridge the technology and interior systems gap, Vince was appointed Regional Vice President – Aircraft Sales for Gulfstream based in Singapore.
Recognized for his knowledge and experience in business aircraft interiors, technology, connectivity, design, process and customer experience, Vince was appointed Vice President – Completions for Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. Following the successful transition of the Hawker Completion Center in Little Rock, Vince founded Addo Virtus Advisors, an advisory firm specializing in completion management, business process and metrics focused on providing both operational and transactional value throughout the aircraft acquisition and ownership life-cycle.
Vince holds AS Degrees in Electronics Technology and Avionics. He has served as a panelist for the Arkansas Governor’s Aerospace Summit, been interviewed for various trade publications, appeared on “Wealth in the Sky” TV program focused on business aviation and has written white papers aimed at making technology understandable at the user level.
Vince and his wife Cynthia have three adult children and four grandchildren.
Steve Main
- Vice President, Transactions
- Planning & Transactions
Steve Main is Vice President of Transactions at MENTE Group, LLC.
An entrepreneur at heart, Steve’s drive is fueled by his life-long passion for aviation. His diverse background includes roles as CEO/business owner, President of a large charter company, Vice-President of Sales, and Director of Aviation for a fortune-500 company. In his previous roles, Steve has exceeded sales & revenue goals and has a history of leading teams to surpass performance objectives. Steve started flying at age 14 with his father, and has accumulated total flight time of 6,000 hours, with 3,100 hours as PIC as an Airline Transport Pilot. His previous flight experience includes mid-cabin and large-cabin Gulfstream and large-cabin Bombardier products. He was chief pilot for a Gulfstream operator, captain and line pilot for Atlantic Southeast Airlines and a flight instructor for FlightSafety International.
Steve has a degree from the University of Georgia and is also an accomplished guitarist & avid motorsports enthusiast.
Stephanie Parry
- Vice President, Human Resources
- Headquarters
Stephanie Parry is the Vice President of Human Resources for Aquila Aviation Ventures.
Over the course of her 15+ year career, Stephanie has had experience in all HR functions including benefits administration, employee relations, and recruiting / onboarding, taking on increased levels of responsibility with each role.
Stephanie received her BA in Communication from Texas A&M University and her MS in Operations/HR Management from the University of Arkansas. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and maintains two HR certifications – SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
Jeff Dorrough
- Vice President, Asset Management
- Appraisal & Forecasting
Jeff Dorrough is the Vice President, Asset Management with Mente Group, LLC.
He is the lead appraiser and consultant for internal clients, as well as, external assignments. Jeff is a Senior ASA appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers in the field of Machinery and Technical Specialties with fifteen years of experience with business aircraft. Jeff is also a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a major in Finance from the Cox School of Business.
Mr. Dorrough was previously the Asset Manager and lead appraiser for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales from 2002 thru 2015 where he was directly responsible for managing the asset portfolio and valuation process. He was responsible for performing all aircraft valuations including, Comparable Analysis, Trade Value Calculations, Residual Value Projections, and Damage Assessments, while providing quarterly market commentary. Mr. Dorrough was instrumental in the writing and negotiation of trade policy for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales, and assisted in the creation of damage assessment criteria which has been adopted by ASA for their education curriculum, as well as, several private industries.
Mr. Dorrough conducts speaking engagements and is very active in many business aircraft societies such as: NARA, NBAA, NAFA and his local chapter of ASA located in Dallas Texas.
Mariana Santos
- Vice President, Strategic Consulting
- Planning & Transactions
Mariana Santos is the Vice President of Strategic Consulting at Mente Group, LLC.
Mariana brings 15 years of solid experience with aircraft OEMs, both in business and commercial aviation. Over the course of 8 years at Embraer Executive Jets, Mariana held multiple positions. Initially, as Product Strategist, she would build and recommend aircraft short- and long-term roadmaps. Later, she served as Sr. Sales Engineer in North America, developing aircraft technical and economic analysis in support to Sales. More recently, she co-created and managed their analytics-based fleet evaluation program tailored to Corporate Flight Departments. Between 2004-2010, she served as a Flight Operations Engineer at Embraer Commercial division where she would liaise with customer airlines’ Flight Operations and Operations Engineering teams, providing day-to-day technical support to a growing fleet of regional jets. Prior to Mente, she briefly ventured into the commercial supersonic world with Boom, the Denver-based start-up.
Mariana is a Brazilian native and has been in the US for the past 8 years. She earned her MBA degree in 2014 from Hult International Business School at San Francisco and her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Infrastructure Engineering in 2003 from ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica), Brazil’s most prestigious engineering institution.
Jim Lewis
- Senior Managing Director
- West
Jim Lewis is the Senior Managing Director of the West Coast at Mente Group, LLC.
Jim is a 45-year aviation industry leader with 24 years in operations & 21 years in aircraft sales/marketing/business development. His experience ranges from early days as a freight/charter pilot and regional airline captain, to chief pilot/flight department manager, to Beech Aircraft/Galaxy Aerospace sales demonstration pilot, sales manager, director and vice president. Jim’s sales and marketing tenure includes successful careers at marquis OEMs with more than $2.5 billion in aircraft transactions. He spent 16 years serving as the U.S. West Coast Director for Galaxy/Gulfstream and 2 ½ years at Embraer – responsible in each position for business development and new/active accounts, leveraging his strengths in aerospace technical aspects, aircraft operations, brand building and developed an extensive list of long term customer relationships.
Jim is a member and active with NBAA, CBAA, the Columbia Aviation Association, the Cascade Aero Club, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association, the Oregon Pilots Association, and is a frequent industry presenter-speaker. An active aircraft owner with an Airline Transport Pilot license, 8 type ratings, and over 10,000 hours of flight time, Jim volunteers his time and airplane for Veteran’s Airlift Command and Challenge Air missions.
Jim holds a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Science (Management Specialization) from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Science from Florida Southern. Jim serves twelve western states, western Canada and the Pacific region for Mente Group from his base in Portland Oregon, and enjoys flying, cooking, travel and golf.
Jay Bushouse
- Managing Director
- Midwest
Jay is the Managing Director for the Midwest at MENTE Group.
As a 20-year veteran in the industry, Jay has sales and operational experience for the aircraft manufacturer as well as the private sector. Most recently he spent 12 years selling new and preowned Cessna Citations and Beechcraft King Airs for the aircraft manufacturer. Jay received many accolades over his tenure that he attributes to the strength in customer relationships. As a Flight Instructor and Airline Transport rated professional pilot with over 4,500 hours flight experience, Jay has held multiple roles in his career including, Sales & Aircraft Demonstration, 135 charter captain, part 91 transportation captain, Banner Tow Pilot, fractional aircraft sales and management. He holds a Jet type rating in the Cessna Citation 525 series of aircraft. Prior to his Business Aviation focus, Jay was the Sales & Marketing, revenue management and planning director for a portfolio of commercial real-estate and hotel properties in the Chicagoland area.
Jay earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Aviation from the University of North Dakota. Outside of his passion for aviation, Jay is an avid Runner, Cyclist, and Ice Hockey player/Youth Hockey Coach. He calls Kansas City home where he resides with his wife and daughters.
Kyle "K.B." Bonda
- Managing Director
- Northeast
Kyle is the Managing Director for the Northeast at MENTE Group.
Kyle is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a degree in Political Science. While serving in the United States NAVY, Kyle found and developed his passion for all things aviation.
After a successful consulting career in the high-end luxury automotive industry, Kyle began his general aviation career in 2017 with Avjet Global as a Sales Specialist prior to moving into the role of sales director with NexGen Flight Solutions in 2021.
Kyle’s knowledge and experience in the industry includes aircraft sales and acquisitions, market intelligence, aircraft marketing, operations, charter and management. Furthermore, Kyle has held leadership positions within brand marketing divisions and international non-profit organizations.
Now that he is with Mente Group, Kyle looks forward to expanding his knowledge, network and ultimately, best serving his clients.
Craig Cox
- Director of Asset Management
- Appraisal & Forecasting
Craig W. Cox is the Director of Asset Management at Mente Group, LLC.
Craig is a Senior ASA appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers in the field of Machinery and Technical Specialties with thirteen years of experience with business aircraft.
Craig’s involvement with aviation stems back to where at the age of 17 he started taking flying lessons. During his flight instruction time, he worked at the Aurora Airport as line personnel.
As his interest evolved in aviation, Craig attended Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois, Airframe and Powerplant program. He also attended Waubonsee Community College for Business Development.
He began work at Aurora Avionics rigging and wiring Avionics for various aircraft until the industry started taking a down turn.
Craig went on to manufacturing management for ITW/Simco, a Fortune 500 company where he developed and refined his skills in sales and marketing. He was responsible for developing and maintaining a representative/ dealer base throughout the Midwest and Western United States. He worked closely with engineering in designing Ultra-Violet and Electrostatic equipment.
Mr. Cox was previously the COO and senior appraiser for SAI Valuations, LLC from 2005 thru 2018 where he was directly responsible for managing the valuation process. He was responsible for performing all aircraft valuations including, Comparable Analysis, Residual Value Projections, and Damage Assessments.
Mr. Cox has appraised more than 4500 aircraft and/or aviation related assets with a total appraised value of over 20 billion dollars.
Mr. Cox conducts speaking engagements and is very active in many business aircraft societies such as, NBAA, NAFA and his local chapter of ASA located in Chicago, Illinois.
Tracy Yeager
- Contract Manager
- Headquarters
Tracy Yeager is the Executive Assistant at Aquila Aviation Ventures.
She attended Midwestern State University, Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas. She grew up in Texas and is blessed with an awesome family, including two sons. Tracy has extensive administrative experience and is thrilled to be in the Aviation Industry and working with such an amazing team!
Peter Finseth
- Director of Business Analytics
- Appraisal & Forecasting
Peter Finseth is the Director of Business Analytics at Mente Group, LLC.
Prior to joining Mente, Peter worked in the Financial Services industry for 20 years with a focus in the mortgage industry for the last 15 years. Most recently, he worked at Fannie Mae as a Senior Business Analyst supporting the REO Valuations business. Peter has a broad background including Financial Planning & Analysis, Financial Modeling, Business Intelligence tools, and programming experience.
Peter earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While working full time, he later earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. Peter is an active member of the North Texas soccer community. He started his own soccer club back in 2008 and actively coaches teams ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old.
Marissa Goodale
- Office Manager/HR Specialist
- Headquarters
Marissa Goodale is the Office Manager/HR Specialist for Aquila Aviation Ventures.
As the Office Manager, she oversees and supports the general organizational functions and activities at the headquarters office.
As an HR Specialist, Marissa is focused on all aspects of talent acquisition and human resource processes within the organization, including full-cycle recruiting and onboarding of new employees. She brings several years of experience managing recruitment teams and creating recruitment strategies, which she works closely with the VP of Human Resources on perfecting.
Marissa earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California Riverside. A California native, now Texas transplant, she spends her spare time with her husband and two dogs, Sammy and Bowman, cheering for the San Francisco 49ers.
Ryan Kahle
- Market Analyst
- Planning & Transactions
Ryan Kahle is a Market Analyst at MENTE Group, LLC.
Ryan is a recent graduate of Auburn University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Management, as well as a Minor in Business. While in school, Ryan also earned his private pilot certificate and instrument rating through Auburn’s Part 141 program in ASEL aircraft.
As a Market Analyst, Ryan will support the transactions team through the gathering and analyzation of market data. Ryan will also support the marketing and business development segments though report creation, presentations, and marketing specifications.
Ryan has a passion for aviation and is excited to start his career with Mente Group at the Frisco office!
Seth Carpenter
- Market Analyst
- Planning & Transactions
Seth, is the newest market analyst at MENTE Group.
Seth is a recent graduate of Auburn University, earning a B.S. in Aviation Management, and he brings a passion and strong education to his new role. With experience in flight operations as an intern at Delta Airlines and entrepreneurial and leadership roles through his academic excellence, Seth is a perfect fit for his role at MENTE Group.
Seth will support the transactions team and be active in numerous aviation markets, with research and transaction assistance. Seth is based in our Frisco office and we are excited to have him on our team!
Drew Messer
- Marketing Manager
- Headquarters
Drew manages MENTE Groups’ marketing and advertising, joining the team in early 2024. He graduated from SMU with a double major in Journalism and Sports Management, with a specialization in marketing. He began working in digital content and advertising in the ministry space and later transitioned to marketing for a large regional bank.
Before his role at Mente, he was an editor for multiple published books, a digital content coordinator for a large organization, and a marketing & advertising manager for a regional bank with $500M in assets.
Drew implements cutting-edge marketing and digital content best practices for our clients and organization and has Adobe accreditation on multiple platforms, such as InDesign and PremierePro. He is passionate about activating brands with data-driven work in digital channels and using data tools to optimize SEO, advertising, and marketing strategies, with accreditation in Google Search Console, Ads, and Analytics.
Drew brings his passion for marketing and advertising from the banking industry to aviation, and we are excited to have him on staff!
The Company We Keep
TESTIMONIALS
Mente Group is an industry leading company that provides an aircraft valuation program that is essential for flight departments to know and understand the fair market value of their aircraft. This program allows for customization of depreciation curves, aircraft detail and comparisons, valuation of the optional equipment installed, and updating the current flight times to have the most complete fair market value of your aircraft on a monthly basis. Mente Group also has a licensed Aircraft Appraiser on staff to provide annual aircraft appraisals for property tax valuations. We have saved significant sums of money on property taxes every year. Finally, Mente Group provides outstanding brokerage services and analysis of the flight department needs in terms of aircraft and personnel required based on company’s travel requirements.
-Manager of Aircraft Maintenance – Fortune 500 company
It was not just the very professional way that Mente Group handled the disposition of our current aircraft and the acquisition of the new aircraft that sets them apart. They provided us with an extraordinarily detailed analysis that helped clarify our decision. They also provided completion insight that I don’t believe anyone else in the industry has resident in their firm. Finally, they helped our treasury department mitigate a tax issue on our existing airplane with the assistance of their asset advisory team. I simply don’t know of any other firm that has the breadth of knowledge that Mente Group has.
-Vice President of Flight Operations
It has been great working with Mente Group. As always, they expertly handled the relationship piece and kept us in the loop so we could keep our principal informed and calm. I assumed from the beginning that Mente would be a good fit, primarily because I personally know most of the team quite well. That confidence was validated every step of the way.
-Retired Aviation Industry Executive
I would highly recommend Mente group in both the sales and acquisition of an aircraft. They took the time to clearly understand my needs, provide competitive information, assist in the negotiation process, and complete both a sales and acquisition process. Their follow up and communication was exceptional throughout the process and second to none. There is only one place I would turn for help in my next acquisition.
-CEO
I meant it when I said what a pleasure it was to work with professionals for a change. It was refreshing to deal with calm, rational people who worked towards mutually beneficial solutions.
-Vice President – Aviation Lender
I wanted to thank you for the terrific job Mente did helping us acquire our new G450. This being our first aircraft we had no clue where to start or how to avoid the pitfalls in the marketplace. Mente took us by the hand and led us through the process with tremendous patience. For us, Mente’s most valuable asset is your ability to read and react to market conditions quickly to provide strategic guidance. We got much more airplane than we dreamed possible by listening to your counsel.
Thanks again for a great experience!
– Director of Marketing and Public Relations