SPEAKER: Charles Johnson

Former President of Cessna, Chief Operations Officer of Bye Aerospace

Charles B. Johnson has a long history of distinguished aerospace leadership, including recent service as President of ATG from 2004 to 2007 and President and COO of Cessna from 1997 to 2003.  During his twenty-plus year career at Cessna he held senior positions in flight test, aircraft completion and product support, and operations.  Mr. Johnson holds an Airline Transport Rating with over 14,000 flying hours.  He is type rated in a large number of business jets including most of the Cessna Citations.  He has 1,000 F-105 flight hours and flew combat missions in Southeast Asia.

He currently serves on the National Advisory Board for McPherson College, and is on the Boards of The Wings Over the Rockies and Shades of Blue.

SPEAKER: George Bye

President and CEO of Bye Aerospace

George E. Bye, 53, has two decades of experience as an aerospace entrepreneur, manager and executive.  In early 2007 he conceived and founded Bye Aerospace, the parent company of Bye Energy, Inc.  Mr. Bye recognized the market urgency and technology advances in alternative energy with aviation applications and formed Bye Energy, Inc.  As Bye Aerospace founder, CEO and Chairman he successfully raised funds, established critical strategic relationships, formed its Board of Directors and developed the critical executive and engineering staff.  Previously, Mr. Bye developed and led Aviation Technology Group and designed the Javelin Jet, including obtaining the patent (US D500,730 S) on January 11, 2005.  He holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating with over 4,000 flying hours in aircraft including the C-141B strategic transport, and was a USAF T-38 Master Instructor at a NATO flying training unit (“ENJJPT”).  Mr. Bye is a veteran of Desert Storm.  He holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington.

MODERATOR: Mike Cote

Editor of ColoradoBiz Magazine

Mike Cote is the Editor of ColoradoBiz Magazine. He has spent more than 20 years in the media industry as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Florida and Colorado, and now at ColoradoBiz magazine in the metro Denver area. He has also taught reporting and editing at the University of Colorado, where he earned his master's degree in journalism.

Before joining the team at ColoradoBiz, Mike served as both the City Editor and the Business Editor at the Boulder Daily Camera.

PANELIST: Bob Williams

Pilot, Inventor, and Entrepreneur

Bob Williams has started, owned and operated small businesses all his adult life in many different industries, from auto repair and parts to website marketing companies. In 1993 he started an off site voice mail company when there were no independent companies doing it. He grew it and sold it to a venture capitalist who took it public which still thrives today in Denver. He also invented, patented, and licensed a wheelchair adjustable handle and is now designing a solar/wind powered visual and radio weather transmitter for small airports. In his spare time he flew for the US Air Force and United Airline for 30 years.

PANELIST: Mike Moore

Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives and an Instrument Flight Instructor

Mike Moore is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives and an Instrument Flight Instructor with over 4000 hours in helicopters.

Mr Moore is an author, speaker, and content expert presenting topics on aviation, and job interview skills. He has been a panelist on the daVinci Institute’s Rebuilding New Orleans Boot Camp, the Master of Ceremonies at “A Night With The Visionaries” and a judge at the Colorado Inventors Showcase.

He specializes in edge of the envelope project management, particularly projects that are a challenge geographically and logistically.  He has a B.S. from Metropolitan State College of Denver in Aviation Technology and Airport Management.