Leadership Team

Brad Holt

President & COO

After joining ExpressJet Airlines in late 2007, Brad quickly earned the trust of our people with his true open-door policy, honest and candid communications and get-it-done leadership style. He recognizes the value of the dedication, knowledge and talent of employees, and he makes providing the support needed to be successful a top priority.

Under his leadership direction, employees came together to reposition the airline as a top-tier competitor in the regional airline industry, paving the way for new opportunities, such as the addition of CRJ900 aircraft in 2009, the addition of new mainline partners in 2010 and 2013, and a merger in 2010 to create the world’s largest regional airline.

Brad started his career in the airline industry in 1983 as a line pilot for SkyWest Airlines and also held positions as an instructor pilot, FAA-designated check airman, FAA-designated pilot examiner, chief instructor pilot, director of Training and director of Flight Standards. In 1991, he became SkyWest’s vice president of Flight Operations, where he had responsibility and oversight of flight operations, in-flight operations, safety programs, the operations control center, training and scheduling, operations budgeting and cost control.

Brad holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with more than 15,000 hours of flight experience and has earned FAA type ratings in all aircraft operated by the SkyWest, Inc. companies. He is also certified in helicopters.

Brad is married with four children and three grandchildren.

Ken Ashworth

Vice President – Maintenance

Ken is a get-your-hands-dirty kind of leader. His first seven years in the business were spent turning wrenches on the front line, and if you ask him about where he started, he’ll tell you he’s still got some of that mechanic at his core.

As the vice president of Maintenance, Ken leads the strategic planning for ExpressJet’s Maintenance division, which encompasses aircraft maintenance at 19 ExpressJet maintenance facilities, as well as engineering, quality control, production control, technical training and materiel.

Ken began his career in the airline industry in 1980 as a mechanic at SkyWest Airlines, working his way up to positions as a Maintenance controller and Maintenance inspector before becoming the director of Maintenance in 1996. In that role, he was directly involved in strategic and tactical planning efforts that elevated SkyWest Airlines’ overall reliability to be among the best in the industry.

Ken is a devoted husband, proud father of four and a doting grandfather of four.

Cathy Harris

Vice President – People Resources

In her 17 years in the industry, there are two important things Cathy has come to know well: the complex business of airline operations and the hard-working employees who make them successful. As the head of People Resources, Cathy is in charge of developing and leading the programs that provide the support our more than 9,000 employees deserve.

Cathy’s background is diverse and has given her exposure to many facets of airline operations. She started her aviation career in 1994 as a reservation agent for Continental Airlines, and then moved to the airport as a front-line operations agent. From there, she was promoted to roles as training manager, manager and senior manager of Inflight Training & Regulatory Compliance, and director of Training & Regulatory Compliance. In 2003, she became the senior director of Training & Standards at ExpressJet Airlines before becoming the senior director of Strategic Development and Operational Planning, and, most recently, the senior director of Human Resources.

Outside of work, Cathy spends time with her three daughters.

Brandee Reynolds

Vice President – Inflight Services

About 17 years ago, Brandee might have been your flight attendant on one of ExpressJet Airlines’ flights, providing the same superior customer service she stands behind today as the vice president of Inflight Services.

In her role, Brandee is responsible for all operations, training and contract oversight for the Inflight division. When she accepted the position in August 2008, one of her top priorities was to refresh Inflight’s focus on the highest customer service standards, by way of more hands-on, interactive training. Since then, Customer Satisfaction scores, measured in Delta Air Lines’ quarterly Customer Satisfaction survey, have seen steady improvement, and scores for United Airlines’ United Promoter customer survey have also been very strong.

After her two and a half years as a flight attendant, Brandee held roles as flight attendant supervisor, manager of Inflight Operations, director of Inflight Operations and director of Labor Contract Administration.

Brandee resides in Newnan, Ga., with her husband and two children.

Charlie Tutt

Vice President – Flight Operations

Charlie might technically be ExpressJet Airlines’ most experienced employee. He did, after all, start building his resume 44 years ago, before ExpressJet Airlines even existed.

Today, Charlie lends his vast expertise to the Flight Operations division, where he directs the daily operations of more than 1,600 pilots and all Flight Operations functions, including training, standards, operations and regulatory compliance.

Before joining ExpressJet in 2005, Charlie served 33 years at Delta Air Lines, filling roles as a line pilot, flight instructor, chief instructor pilot, chief pilot, system manager of Domestic Operations and director of Flight Operations. He also served seven years active duty in the Marine Corps and 20 years as a reserve. During that time, he served in numerous billets, including Aviation Safety Officer.

Charlie holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He resides in Atlanta, Ga., with his wife. He is a father of two and grandfather of seven.

Terry Vais

Vice President – Customer Care

After living most of his adult life in major U.S. metropolises, few people would guess that Terry grew up in rural southwestern Iowa, where he spent the better part of his youth getting his hands dirty tending to family livestock and cultivating a sound work ethic. Combined with his talent, that work ethic has helped him get where he is today as ExpressJet Airlines’ vice president of Customer Care.

In this role, Terry is responsible for the safe and compliant operation of all ExpressJet contracted stations. He also oversees the Customer Relations, Partner Relations, Market Development, Airport Customer Service Training & Standards, and Properties and Facilities departments.

After serving four years active duty in the Marine Corps, Terry started his career with SkyWest Airlines in 1990 as a ramp agent at Los Angeles International Airport. Over the next five years he quickly moved up in rank to ramp supervisor, ramp manager and finally station manager. After 13 more years and a few title changes as the head of the LAX station, he left his hub director post in 2008 when he joined ExpressJet Airlines.

Terry resides in Newnan, Ga., with his wife.

Kevin Wade

Vice President – Finance and Controller

When it comes to managing money, Kevin is wise beyond his years. That’s probably because his financial savviness can be traced back to his adolescence, when he used his money skills to strategically allocate his allowance funds to fishing and camping supplies that he knew would maximize his productivity on family trips.

As vice president of Finance and Controller, Kevin is responsible for the management of ExpressJet Airlines’ finances.

Prior to joining ExpressJet Airlines in 2005 as the director of Finance, Kevin worked in various roles in the Finance division at SkyWest Airlines.

Kevin attended Southern Utah University, where he earned his M.B.A. and a bachelor’s degree in accounting. When he’s not crunching numbers, he spends time with his wife and three kids.