Stratus
Business
Development, LLC.
A Passion for Aviation
Since 2014 Stratus Business Development has been helping our aviation clients achieve greater success. Our advisors have decades of aviation operations, flight safety, administrative, business development, and marketing experience. When you work with Stratus Business Development you will get access to the full measure of our experience and network of resources.
Depth of Knowledge
Our core strength is our network of advisors. They come from every sector of aviation and will bring their significant knowledge into your organization. Their aviation and business experience will help your team smoothly solve problems, capture new opportunities, and build a stronger organization.
True Partnership
When you engage with Stratus Business Development you will get hands-on assistance and guidance. We will be with you every step of the way to a successful outcome. Dedicated project management, in-depth research, and careful attention to detail are the strengths we bring to each project. Your success is our success.
Our Team
Rick Bartle - Senior Advisor & Founder
A native of northern New Hampshire, Rick grew up in an aviation family. Those early role models and a love of adventure lead to Aviation studies at Daniel Webster College and beyond. Over the last 30 years Rick has worked for aviation organizations in the public and private sector including FBO's, collegiate flight training, airports, and even aerial advertising. He has built several aviation operations from concept to fully operational and overseen various publicly funded airborne programs. In 2014 Rick launched Stratus Business Development to provide expertise and support to other aviation organizations. Rick is passionate about aviation education and supporting initiatives to introduce this exciting industry to young people. Contact Rick
TJ Dempsey - Senior Advisor
TJ brings over 20 years of commercial real estate industry experience working for companies in-house real estate departments and for third party services companies like JLL & CBRE specializing in facilities, property and project management for Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining the Stratus team, TJ served as Director of Business Development at Whelan Associates overseeing real estate operations in the company’s South division. TJ also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) advising companies across a broad range of strategic and operational real estate issues. TJ works with Stratus clients to develop their aviation real estate plan and acquire room to grow. Contact TJ
Paul Shank - Senior Advisor
A graduate of Penn State University, Paul is an accomplished aerospace engineer, flight test engineer, commercial pilot, and aviation entrepreneur. As a Test Director for Boeing, Paul has worked on everything from the early development of the M/CV-22, sustaining the C-17 and H-47, and Certification of the 747-8F, 777F, MH-139, and KC-46. He's lead flight test operations in the US and the UK. As a commercial pilot and CFI, Paul has flown all manner of single and multi-engine aircraft around the country. You might find him instructing a primary student out of his home airport in Southern California or flying R&D aircraft in the mountains of Utah. As a Senior Advisor for SBD, Paul supports our clients with his 30 years of technical and operational experience. Contact Paul
Mike Norian - Senior Advisor
Mike's journey has taken him from a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont to special operations pilot in both fixed-wing and helicopter operations. Mike has a comprehensive background is safety management and operational auditing including certification from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. With his unique blend of aviation operations experience and education, Mike advises non-traditional operators of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on best practice and operational safety. Contact Mike
Deanna King - Senior Advisor
Deanna is a highly accomplished aviation professional, educator, military veteran, and aviation safety advocate with more than four decades of leadership experience. Her background is a spectrum of experience including military operations, flight training, higher education, aviation management, and safety systems. Deanna has worked with organizations ranging from the United States Air Force, corporate flight departments, Jeppesen / Boeing Navigation Analytics and most recently successfully leading initiatives for University Safety Management System (SMS) program development, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Human Factors training. Beyond her work in aviation, she enjoys golf, music and hiking, bringing creativity, balance, and a fresh perspective to both professional and personal endeavors. Contact Deanna
Samuel Bartle - Research & Operations Associate
Samuel is a student at the University of Tampa where he is studying Business Informatics. Sam is involved in nearly every project at Stratus providing research, data analysis, and reporting that directly supports our team of advisors and our clients. Sam seamlessly blends his studies at UT with his work at Stratus while still finding time to pursue his passions of golf and just about any kind of fishing. Contact Samuel