SBA PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATES

Steve Baldwin has long been captivated by aviation and the challenges of modern airport management and airport management consulting. A deep sense of pride and ownership in the services he has provided to airports throughout his career is what motivated him to establish his aviation consulting firm. As a seasoned airport professional with over 30 years of executive management experience, Steve can keenly understand our clients’ needs and marshal our resources on their behalf. 

Before his consulting work, Steve was responsible for day-to-day operations at two New York state-owned and -operated airports, each with governor-appointed commissions. He received his bachelor's degree at Florida Institute of Technology’s School of Aeronautics and earned his master's in public administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the State University of New York in Albany. Steve brings his professional aviation experience and dedication to each assignment. 

Steve can be reached at sbaldwin@baldwinllc.com. 

Lisa Belt is an accomplished executive recruiter and human resources professional. Lisa oversees the firm's Executive Recruitment and HR Services division. In her previous capacity, she served as the Director of HR for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, MI, where she oversaw all matters pertaining to the transfer of employees from Kent County to a new airport authority.

Lisa's professional career comprises over 27 years of strategic HR management, executive and senior leadership recruitment, organizational development, labor and employee relations/negotiations, and succession planning. She assists clients in implementing strategies that drive efficiency and effectiveness while aligning organizational structures to meet the client's strategic objectives, especially regarding leadership and management recruitment and retention. Lisa advocates for diverse and inclusive workplace environments where employees at all levels are valued. 

Lisa holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northwood University in Michigan and a Senior Professional Human Resources Certification through SHRM. 

Lisa can be reached at lbelt@baldwinllc.com.

Stephen “Steve” Busch has more than 30 years of experience as a financial executive in the aviation industry and serves as our senior team member for financial analysis and special projects for clients.

Steve recently retired from an illustrious 38-year career at the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which runs the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and its system of six reliever airports. Serving as the Chief Financial Officer for the last 11 years, Steve oversaw two divisions, Finance and Revenue Development and Human Resources and Labor Relations. He also served as treasurer of the Commission. Steve is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and is an active member of the ACI Economics and CFO Committees. 

Steve can be reached at  sbusch@baldwinllc.com 

Spencer Gillette has been with the firm since 2015 after graduating with a degree in aviation management and operations from Western Michigan University. Before SBA, Spencer had five years of aviation experience spanning from special FBOs to working for the College of Aviation as an undergraduate. Spencer is also a pilot and has completed his private pilot license with instrument rating. 

In his time at the firm, Spencer has worked on a wide range of client accounts and projects including governance transfers, FAA land releases, organizational assessments, comparable benchmarking analyses, and strategic initiatives, among other projects. 

Spencer can be reached at sgillette@baldwinllc.com.

Alex Hopson has more than 23 years of international aviation experience. Within the private sector, he previously worked for national and international industry leaders, including: Clear Channel Airports as the Director of Contracts and Legal Affairs; as a project manager for the Institut für Operations Research and Management GmbH; and as an analyst for Continental and Atlas Airlines. 

Within the public sector, Alex served as the Concessions Manager for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. During his career, Alex designed business plans, conducted distribution audits, researched consumer trends, created positioning statements, analyzed competitive data sets, recommended strategic ways to boost brand equity, and evaluated laws, finances, and policies of various governance models. 

Alex primarily handles regulatory and financial matters of our clients and holds a J.D. from Cleveland State University. As an undergraduate, he interned at FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Alex received his bachelor's degree in aviation management from Delaware State University and is a licensed FAA Dispatcher. 

Alex can be reached at ahopson@baldwinllc.com.

Grant Van Dorn is in charge of conducting project-related research and creating content for client deliverables and presentations at SBA. He also supports project managers in their duties and accompanies them to client meetings.

Grant earned a degree in aviation management and operations from Western Michigan University in 2020. He worked at Avfuel Corporation where he developed skills in ad-hoc cargo/charter operators, military contracts and FBO relations. Additionally, he created RFPs for commercial operators and helped branded FBOs secure and complete military into-plane contracts.

Grant can be reached at gvandorn@baldwinllc.com.

Rion Haley is a seasoned content professional with more than 30 years of business experience researching, writing, and editing articles, presentations, and marketing collateral. At SBA, she is responsible for project-related research, and the development of content material for client deliverables and presentations. Rion is also accountable for document QA/QC, as well as media and website development on behalf of the firm.    

Rion's background spans a variety of industries including, media, insurance, transportation (rail and air), hospitality and non-profits. She began her professional career in journalism, gathering information for the Associated Press, and then moved into documentary production with The Discovery Channel. She eventually began working on magazines and has written for nearly a dozen national publications.    

Rion spent years as the managing editor for "Aviation Maintenance" and "Rotor & Wing" magazines where she was responsible for the development of aviation subject matter, quality control, and website expansion. Rion holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication with a minor in journalism from York College of Pennsylvania.   

Rion can be reached at rhaley@baldwinllc.com.