Get to know the team at AOPA Aviation Finance

Joe is Senior Advisor and Board member of AOPA Finance Company, LLC. Joe serves as Treasurer of Massachusetts Air and Space Museum. He is currently President of an aviation finance consulting company, Air Credit Alliance, Inc., and sits on or advises the boards of several aviation companies. He has been directly involved in the aviation finance and leasing industry for over 45 years. He has set up several aviation finance groups for such entities as First NH Banks, GMAC, Merrill Lynch, Sovereign Bank, and others. He has also owned and managed several aircraft acquisition and marketing companies. He served as a trustee of Daniel Webster College and was chair of its finance committee. He has written many articles on aircraft finance and presented at a number of national and international aviation finance symposiums. He is an officer in CAP and a private pilot. He served in the U.S. Navy reserves in the early 1960s. Joe holds a B.S. in finance from Northeastern University and M.S. degree from Lesley University.

Wayne Starling is the Executive Director of IADA – International Aircraft Dealers Association. Under Wayne’s leadership, IADA has more than doubled its membership base and expanded the services provided to IADA members. Wayne has provided consulting services to many companies based on his vast expertise in Sales, Sales Management, and Marketing. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to AOPA Finance. Previously he was a Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager for PNC Aviation Finance. He has been in the banking and finance industry for over 25 years, specializing in aviation for over 20 years. Before PNC, his aviation career began with Aviation Finance Group, where he was part of a very successful startup company. He later stayed on to manage the aviation finance division after it was acquired by PNC Bank. Wayne has extensive experience in sales, sales management, sales training, marketing, and strategic business development. Along with his success with Fortune 200 companies, he also has vast experience as an entrepreneur. His video sales training program -- “Success Cycle of Selling” -- has been a training program used by many companies. His program has been used by several of the nation’s largest banks and financial institutions to train their outside and inside sales organizations. Wayne has served as a board member of the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) and the National Aviation Finance Association (NAFA), as well as serving on the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Leadership Council. Wayne was honored in 2018 by the National Aviation Finance Association and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership, contribution, and service to the association, its members, and the aviation industry.

Emily came to AOPA after working in the advertising industry for over 10 years. Her work experience has primarily been in operations and marketing. Her role at AAF is to improve operations and create efficiencies allowing all AOPA member’s a positive experience when using our services. Emily is an aviation enthusiast who received her private pilot’s license in December 2014.

Brian’s background includes eight years of financial experience. In his last role as a Financial Consultant, Brian gained strong experience by building relationships with clients. Brian's role at AOPA Aviation Finance is to determine members' unique financing needs and educate members on the loan process, walking them through from start to approval. Brian is a private pilot and was born and raised in Utah.

Caroline has seven years of experience as a settlement and closing processor and has independently coordinated settlements and prepared final title policies and title commitments. Caroline's role at AOPA Aviation Finance is to determine members' unique financing needs and educate members on the loan process, walking them through from start to approval. Caroline assists members throughout the entire loan process through closing by clarifying issues and researching and exploring answers and alternative solutions.

Karen Malachowski has joined AOPA Finance as the Southern Region Account Executive. In this role, Karen will serve as the lead point of contact to ensure the timely and successful closing of assigned aircraft loans. Karen’s background includes over 25 years of loan mortgage experience. This experience includes loan originations, servicing, customer service, and loss mitigation.

Andrew Beard has joined AOPA Finance as the Western Region Account Executive. He will serve as the lead point of contact for members in that region to ensure the timely and successful closing of aircraft loans. Andrew’s background includes experience in aviation insurance underwriting and customer service. He received his bachelor’s degree from Iona College. His hobbies include renting and flying airplanes, flying model remote-controlled airplanes, traveling to museums and historical sites, and attending airshows.

Cheryl Crowe joined AOPA Aviation Finance as a Loan Processor and is now an aviation analyst. Cheryl is responsible for reviewing aircraft loan applications and documents and helping match members to the most competitive lender. Prior to joining AOPA, Cheryl worked at Wells Fargo for twelve years in a variety of roles, most recently as a Loan Verification Analyst III.

Heidi Lehman has joined AOPA as an Aviation Finance loan processor. Heidi will be assisting the regional Account Executives process loans including collecting and reviewing applications and supporting documents. She understands lender requirements for approval and helps collect and track applications to ensure all loan packages are accurate and complete. Heidi has over twenty years of experience in the finance industry. In her most recent role, she was a senior loan consultant. She is a licensed Maryland Notary Public and Life and Health Insurance Producer.

Scott Ruane has joined AOPA as an Aviation Finance loan processor. Scott will be responsible for assisting members during the loan application and approval process which will include reviewing the application, collecting documentation, and verifying personal, as well as business, financial statements. Scott has over five years of banking experience and previously worked as an information specialist for Wells Fargo. He received his bachelor’s in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University.