NATA Industry Excellence Awards Continued from page 19 GA Service Technician Award: Douglas Levangie Doug Levangie, Vice President of Maintenance Operations & Advisory Services at Pentastar Aviation, is the recipient of the GA Service Technician Award. His 34-year career with Pentastar has included roles as A&P Technician, Lead Technician, Shift Supervisor, Director of Maintenance, and Director of Aviation Advisory Services. His current responsibilities include: aircraft operational and maintenance budget projections, aircraft technical appraisals, and aircraft refurbishment planning and management, as well as coordinating aircraft transactions and refurbishment projects between buyers, sellers, and repair stations. “I’m really quite flabbergasted to receive this honor, and now I’m wondering if there’s an ulterior motive,” Levangie joked. “NATA has been after me for a few years to join the Maintenance Committee!” Levangie says his love of mechanics began as a kid, working on bicycles, before he began shifting his gaze upward. “I grew up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan and air- planes used to fly over the house all the time,” he said. “I’d look up and think, ‘Wow, I want to figure out how to work on those planes.” He went into A&P training directly after high school, at the Detroit Institute of Aeronautics, before beginning his career. “I started way back in 1985, almost 34 years ago, as a maintenance mechanic on the floor, then moved my way up through pretty much every technician job there is,” Levangie said. “In 2001, I was named Director of Maintenance for the repair station, then moved over to customer support dealing with our managed customers, helping out with buying and selling airplanes for them. They had a change in management in the repair station Aviation Business Journal | Summer 2019 about three years ago and I took over. Now, I’m in charge of maintenance sales for the repair station, with three sales guys reporting to me. I’m also a certified aircraft appraiser and help manage special projects here.” Levangie has a diverse range of corporate jet experi- ence and is well-versed in Gulfstream, Cessna, Hawker, and Bombardier product lines. Brad Bruce, Executive Vice President Sales & Maintenance at Pentastar, wrote in his nomination mate- rials that Levangie is “a diligent and steadfast promoter of airworthiness and quality standards, business ethics, and superior customer service.” “In addition to his gifted troubleshooting abilities as an A&P mechanic, his disciplined and mission-oriented approach to whatever comes his way has provided inspi- ration and a benchmark for professionalism for many,” Bruce wrote. “He maintains an impeccable level of commitment to the organization, his team, and custom- ers alike. His can-do attitude is ever present, and can be counted on each and every time, regardless of the cir- cumstance or challenge. Doug maintains a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to all situations with which he is presented and garners great respect from his team and customers due to his consistency, fairness, compassion, and good humor.” The secret to Levangie’s success and longevity is that his passion for aviation has never waned. “I still enjoy what I do, that’s one thing,” he said. “I’m a hands-on guy and I’m working harder now than I ever have. I’ve been lucky to work with some very good people with the same kind of work ethic, and we have a lot of longevity here because of it. Personally, I’m very demanding. I set high expectations for myself and expect the rest of the workforce to follow that, and I feel fortu- nate that the culture here is like that. And when I think of reasons why I’m successful in my current position, part of it is that ‘I’ve been there and done that’ for just about everything on an airplane that can be done, so I’ve earned a certain level of respect.” Even still, he says the recognition has taken him by surprise: “I’m thrilled and humbled by it. My family just Continued on page 22 21
