Leadership

L to R: Tim Hughes (Director of Operations), Dwight Brown (Director of Personnel/HR), Brian Pruett (Int’l Rotor-Wing Chief Pilot), Daren Spence (Int’l Fixed-Wing Chief Pilot), Ron James (Director of Safety), Phil Koop (Executive Director), Jeff Schaa (Director of Finance), Jim Stewart (Int’l Director of Maintenance).

PHIL KOOP, Executive Director: Phil and his wife Ellen served with Ethnos360 Aviation in the Philippines for ten years. His roles included avionics/radio and computer maintenance, as well as various management positions in Ethnos360. In 1992 Phil was asked to move to Ethnos360 Aviation headquarters in Arizona to manage the avionics and IT departments. In 1998 Phil joined the leadership team as General Secretary; in 2011 he was appointed Executive Director. During most of his time in Arizona, Phil has also served on the board of directors for a group of county health clinics and his local church. Phil and Ellen have three grown sons and five grandchildren.  

TIM HUGHES, Director of Operations: Tim served for almost 22 years in Papua New Guinea as an aircraft mechanic and as a leader both in NTM PNG and Ethnos360 Aviation. In 2010 Tim and Kay came to Ethnos360 Aviation headquarters to fill the position of Director of Operations worldwide. Tim graduated from Bob Jones University and took his aviation training at Dakota Aero Tech in Fargo, ND. Tim worked in aircraft maintenance, including three years assisting Calvary Bible College in Kansas City to set up an aviation maintenance school. Tim’s background adds to the depth of his ability to understand operations of flight programs in the four foreign countries where Ethnos360 Aviation serves. Tim and his wife Kay have two adult children, both raised in PNG. They have eight grandchildren.  

DWIGHT BROWN, Director of Personnel: Dwight, along with his wife, Diana, an MK from Brazil, has served 31 years with Ethnos360 Aviation. Dwight was a pilot/mechanic for Ethnos360 Aviation in Paraguay, an on-loan pilot with MAF in Mozambique, and most recently a pilot/mechanic with Ethnos360 Aviation in Bolivia. He shouldered much of the leadership responsibilities in the flight programs of those countries. In between field assignments, he also served 2 years in McNeal as Treasurer and Business Administrator. His early training was at Western Nebraska Technical College. Dwight’s experiences in multiple countries as well as his passionate involvement in local church ministry contributes a rich background for his work in the Personnel Department. Dwight and Diana have a son and a married daughter who were raised on the mission field.  

JEFF SCHAA, Director of Finance: Jeff assumed his role as director of finance in 2005 after 14 years of flying with Ethnos360 Aviation in Liberia and Senegal, West Africa. During those years, he also chaired the Finance and Asset Committee for NTM’s work there. Jeff earned his pilot’s and mechanic’s certificates from the aviation program of Grand Rapids School of the Bible & Music. After achieving ratings up to CF II, Jeff worked as a private instructor. When not at his desk, Jeff still instructs Ethnos360 Aviation trainees in the intricacies of cross country and instrument flying. Jeff and his wife, Jackie, both avid bicyclists, have three married sons, all of whom spent a good part of their childhood years in Senegal, and six grandchildren.  

DAREN SPENCE, International Fixed Wing Chief Pilot: Daren began his role as chief pilot for Ethnos360 Aviation in 2014 after 7 ½ years of service with Ethnos360Aviation in Asia-Pacific. He had wanted “to be a pilot and fly missionaries [to] the places they need to go” ever since he was 9. After training as a pilot and mechanic with Moody Aviation, he worked at Moody for two years as an aircraft mechanic instructor. Daren and his wife, Cindy, have two sons and a married daughter, all of whom spent most of their growing up years in Asia Pacific. Daren also serves in the community as a local school board member.  

RON JAMES,  Director of Safety: Ron, along with his wife, Tami, and 3 children, Bethany, Naomi, and Cameron, moved to McNeal in July of 2015 after serving almost 8 years in Papua New Guinea as Safety and Quality, among other administrative roles. Ron and Tami consider it a privilege to be able to continue to serve their Savior and Commissioner, the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter where they live. 

JIM STEWART, International Director of Maintenance: Jim and Kris spent about 13 years in Senegal, West Africa as pilot/mechanic. They moved back to the U.S. in 2011 to help settle their three children into life in Oregon but they never lost their excitement for reaching those in the hardest to reach places in the world with the Gospel. After several years in Oregon, in 2018 they returned to Ethnos360 Aviation in McNeal and have been serving in multiple capacities since then.  

BRIAN PRUETT, International Rotor Wing Chief Pilot: Brian and Bailey, along with their 3 children, served in the Philippines for almost 12 years as Pilot/Mechanic and Program Manager before returning to the U.S. on home assignment right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Being unable to return to the Philippines at the same exact time McNeal needed a helicopter instructor, they moved to McNeal to fulfill that role in 2020. Brian has loved being a part of what God is doing around the world and training up new pilots to reach the ends of the earth.