Board & Staff
Meet our new board members and staff!
The Wings of Hope Board of Directors elected two new members at its March 2026 meeting. MARIANNE BIANGARDI Marianne Biangardi is no stranger to the Wings of Hope family. Her daughter Claire, now 16, is a former MAT patient whom…Wings of Hope’s Newest Mechanic
Luke Polson, 24, joined Wings of Hope this past summer after graduating from the Aviation Maintenance Program at State Technical College of Missouri with his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certifications. Given the shortage of A&P mechanics, Luke could have found…Meet our new board members and staff!
The Wings of Hope Board of Directors recently elected three new members.Dr. Mina Mehanni is a heart doctor who specializes in cardiovascular medicine.“I first got involved with Wings of Hope through the SOAR into STEM program, where I had the…Meet Wings of Hope’s New Avionics Technician: Amanda Hill
Amanda Hill doesn’t fit the typical profile of an aviation mechanic: She's young — now 32, she graduated with her A&P/IA certification 13 years ago — and she's a lot more interested in the wires and electronics that keep a…New — and Familiar — Faces Around Wings of Hope
Wings of Hope is happy to announce some recent personnel changes among our staff and board members. In March, we welcomed Brittni Snidle as our new director of development and communications. Snidle replaced Holly Berthold who is now director of…Elsa Klarich – Crewed and Uncrewed Aviation Consultant
Elsa Klarich has been volunteering, flying or consulting for Wings of Hope for over 10 years. Many know her from her days bush flying for our partner, Flying Medical Service, in Tanzania. These days, she’s consulting for organizations, including Wings…Wings of Hope Promotes Amy Cole Buehler to President
On Aug. 8, 2023, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors announced Amy Cole Buehler as the organization’s new president.Buehler, who had been serving as interim president since December 2022, is the first woman to helm the organization which is…Wings of Hope Receives $2.5 Million Gift from Donald and Ruth Malvern Foundation
Malvern legacy will continue to fund hope and healing for years to come Photo caption (above): Don Malvern & Larry Lemke in 2003. In the summer of 2023, Wings of Hope received two gifts totaling $2,544,565, one from the Donald…The Piccirillis: A Wings of Hope Family Affair
When Wings of Hope’s longtime housekeeper retired this past March, Mike “Pic” Piccirilli, aircraft donation and sales representative for the organization, asked Director of Human Resources Angela Walleman if his daughter, Jenny, could take over that role. The answer was…Welcome New Board Members!
This past April, Wings of Hope welcomed four new members to our board of directors. Each brings a wealth of experience, business acumen and professional connections to strengthen our organization. Kate Schneider Vice President, Acquisition Integration and Technical Program Management,…Wings of Hope Board Welcomes Four New Members
At its March 24 quarterly meeting, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors welcomed four new members, bringing the board to a total of 21 members — and strengthening an already robust team with extensive business, military and community experience.…In the Spotlight – Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association Honors Former Board Member Butch Giessman
PHOTO: Justin Giessman & Dick Horowitz.Dick Horowitz, former chief pilot for Wings of Hope and vice president of the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association, presented the James G. Byrnes Award posthumously to A.C. “Butch” Giessman. Butch was a longtime…Wings of Hope Board Welcomes Four New Members, Says Goodbye to Two
At its March 25 quarterly meeting, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors approved four new members. Leaving the board after nine years of service each are Travis Brown and John Schmidt. Travis was instrumental in creating the much-needed board…MAT “Mom” Karen Andrews Off to new Adventure
Flight Operations Manager Karen Andrews has been scheduling flights and patient schedules for the MAT Program since she joined the Wings of Hope family in 2013. Karen is the liaison who coordinates medical appointments, flights, accommodations and travel between the…Newest Board Member is Second Generation to Serve Wings of Hope
When Justin Giessman joined our board of directors in June, he continued a proud family tradition of supporting Wings of Hope. Justin’s dad, A.C. “Butch” Giessman, who passed away in March, was a longtime Wings of Hope supporter and board…Welcome, Tim Long!
On April 6, Tim Long joined Wings of Hope as our new director of operations. Tim will oversee our hangar throughput, turn-and-taxi, building maintenance, landscaping and grounds, vehicle maintenance, safety and purchasing teams. Tim comes to us with more than…Three New Directors Join the Board
The Wings of Hope Board of Directors elected three new members this spring. Andy Kuchan retired from the Monsanto Company after 30 years in various finance and leadership roles. He is a member of the Town and Country Planning and…Wings of Hope Board Elects New Leadership
At its Sept. 26 meeting, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors elected new leadership. We are happy to announce that the following directors have taken on the following leadership positions: Don Kukla Chairman Fred Meyland-Smith Vice Chairman Patrick Wittenbrink…Wings of Hope VP Laura Helling Retiring in 2020
Although Wings of Hope Vice President Laura Helling has been telling us of her plans to retire in early 2020 for quite some time, Wings of Hope staff and volunteers had been hoping the day would never come. Since joining…New Leadership: 5 Questions with Amy Cole Buehler
Amy Cole Buehler joined Wings of Hope as our new director of development on Aug. 5, 2019, after 27 years working in nonprofit development helping raise millions of dollars for many St. Louis-area and statewide organizations. Amy is director of…New Staff Supports Growth & Strategic Plan
PHOTO: Brooke Bennett & Tiffany Nelson You may have noticed some new faces among the Wings of Hope staff – and a few who are familiar. Tiffany Nelson joined our team as the new full-time global programs manager in March.…Meet Our Newest Board Members
PHOTO: From left to right - Adam Kruger, Dr. Manish Kohli, and Dr. Kendra Holmes On June 26, our three newest board members spent the day at Wings of Hope – meeting with our team leads and learning more about…Welcome, Angela!
Angela Walleman has joined Wings of Hope as our new director of administration. Angela replaces Anne Volland who left Wings after almost five years of service to take a position at another St. Louis nonprofit. Angela comes to us with…
