Eve Tomberlin

Owner

Eve has been with the company from its beginning in 1971. During that time, she has served the company in multiple roles ranging from Accounting, Human Resources, and now as Chief Executive Officer. She earned a Bachelor of Home Economics from Georgia College in Milledgeville and a Master of Home Economics with a major in Child Development from UGA. She has also earned a Master of Divinity from Emory University. From its beginning in 1971, Eve has always been a consistent and reliable presence in the Avgroup family.

Sid Strickland

CEO

Sid has worked in a business consulting capacity with Avgroup for several years. He has over forty years of experience in leadership, business growth and development, coaching, mentoring, and training.  Prior to founding the consulting firm Strickland Associates in Orlando, FL, Sid was President of the Home Depot Supply Trade Division here in Atlanta, where he and his team delivered outstanding annual operating performances.

Sid obtained a BS in English from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Through the years, he has participated in a variety of training courses in distribution management, operations, and sales, amongst others.

When Sid isn’t in the office or with clients, there is a good chance he’s fly fishing on a stream somewhere in North Carolina. In 2021, Sid and his wife Sandra celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with friends and family.

Ray Hall

President

Ray began serving as VP of Supply Chain for Avgroup in July 2020 and was selected as the new President in April 2021. Ray brings over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry to his new role as President. In this role, he is setting the company’s strategy, overseeing the daily operations and financial performance.  Before joining Avgroup, Ray served as Customer Support Manager at Safran Aerosystems. His experience also includes serving as a Product Manager at Wencor Group and General Manager of Contracts & Purchasing at ExpressJet Airlines. Ray holds a BS in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College, a C.P.M. from the Institute of Supply Chain Management, and most recently, an EMBA from Georgia State University.

John Lloyd

Vice President of Sales

John began serving as Director of Sales at Avgroup in November 2020 and was promoted to VP of Sales in May 2021. In this role, he oversees the financial and operational performance for sales and repair teams, identifying and building new opportunities for growth and managing relationships with key customers and OEM partners.  Prior to joining Avgroup, John held several high-level positions in Sales Management, Contract Management and Business Development for companies that manufacture, repair and distribute jet engines, aircraft, parts and components. With his market experience and expertise in cross functional leadership and relationship building he has successfully developed and implemented strategies that have increased market penetration, product development, market expansion and diversification for companies and clients in the commercial, regional and business aviation aftermarkets such as Launch TWS, Ametek MRO, Professional Aviation Associates, VAS Aero Services, HEICO, and Teledyne.  John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 

Pete Gaal

Vice President of Finance

Pete has been an integral part of Avgroup’s accounting department since 1996 and is currently serving as VP of Finance. In his current role, Pete is responsible for accounting, payroll, collections, financial statement reporting, and the annual audit. Staying current through CPE continuing education classes, our VP Finance has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1993.  He is an active participant in NACM, having served as Vice Chairman of the association. Pete has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Bob Jones University as well as an Accounting-equivalent degree from Mercer University. Before joining Avgroup, Pete worked in public accounting - served as a Staff Accountant and Auditor for Wright, Darnell & Rector, PC.

Bill Jeffrey

Manager of Quality & Continuous Improvement

Bill Jeffrey is Avgroup’s Manager of Quality & Continuous Improvement. He is a proven program, project, and quality manager. His background includes 20+ years in aviation and aerospace. Bill is known for his positive attitude, leadership and a disciplined approach to problem-solving. Prior to joining Avgroup, Bill held other quality positions to include Quality, Safety, Health and Security Manager at Kuehne & Nagel and Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Manager at Avio-Diepen. Bill graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Military History and served in the United States Air Force.

Jeff Snyder

Vice President of Business Development

Jeff brings over 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry to his role as Sr VP of Business Development at Avgroup. His expertise is in MRO, Lean Manufacturing, and Aftermarket Sales.  Jeff is a proven leader in turnaround and start-up programs for domestic and international aviation companies worldwide.  He has held executive positions at Dassault Falcon Jet, Raytheon Aerospace, BE Aerospace, and MD Helicopters as well as Board of Director Positions for General Aviation Manufacturers Association and FAA Technical Services Committee. In his previous position, he served as SVP of Bus. Development & Marketing for Red Aviation in Georgetown, TX. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Penn State University and completed the Executive Management Program at the University of Michigan.

Paige Jobe

Director of Marketing & Talent

Paige was promoted to Director of Marketing and Talent in October 2021. In this role, she is responsible for Avgroup’s Human Resources, Recruiting and Marketing endeavors. She also collaborates with the management and sales teams on new campaigns and initiatives. She worked for Avgroup back in the 90s in the administrative and accounting departments. Paige earned a degree in Religious Education with a minor in Psychology from Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. Prior to re-joining Avgroup, she worked for 10 years at Nationwide Insurance in the claims department and establishing and managing two agency offices.

Tony Oliver

Director of Operations

Tony Oliver joined Avgroup in September of 2018. In his role as Quality Manager, he oversees the daily Quality Management System and Export Compliance Regulations. Prior to joining Avgroup, Tony worked as Quality Manager– Domestic/International for Parts and Repair Technical Services (P.A.R.T.S. Inc) from 2007 to 2018.  Tony holds a BS in Technology Management and Applied Design Engineering with a Minor in Business Management and is a Certified Internal Auditor. Tony has achieved his Six Sigma Black Belt, is Hazmat Certified (49CFR & IATA), and is also Export Compliant Certified with the U.S. Census Bureau.