To build the best aircraft,
we built the best management team.

Mark McDonald

President & Chief Executive Officer

Mark is an accomplished aerospace executive with a vast array of experience. He became Chief Executive Officer of Thrush Aircraft in 2019 and has led the company’s successful relaunch into the agricultural and firefighting markets. Prior to joining Thrush, Mark consulted for airlines, private equity groups, and financial firms. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer of EDAC Technologies which manufactures components for aircraft engine OEMs, as well as Chief Operating Officer for both the Civil Aerospace division of Rolls-Royce, and later for the Energy division of the company. Before joining Rolls-Royce, Mark served in a number of increasingly responsible roles with AAR Corporation and with GE’s Aircraft Engine division. Mark’s proven vision, leadership skills and ability to bring positive change to complex organizations has positioned Thrush well for the future. 

Clint Hubbard

Chief Financial Officer

A graduate of Wake Forest University,  Clint brings a wealth of executive and financial leadership experience to Thrush. He led Marglen Industries, a $100 million carpet manufacturer in a variety of increasingly large roles, including as the company’s president. Following Marglen’s consolidation with Beaulieu Group, Clint became Chief Administrative Officer of the new entity which grew to some $1B in revenue and over 6,000 employees. He also served as Relationship Manager to the company’s largest customer, The Home Depot. Later, Clint became a partner in Home Legend and, during his time there, the company grew from $50 million to over $150 million. As Chief Financial Officer of Thrush, Clint plays a vital role in oversight and assurance of the company’s stability and ability to grow across all markets.

John Graber

Board Member

John’s aerospace background includes leading companies from $75M to $1.3B in revenue. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Aviation Holdings, President of CHC Helicopter, and president of ABX Air.  Prior to running airlines and MRO organizations, John flew medevac helicopters and airplanes in the United States Army and, in addition, taught on Boeing equipment as an airline instructor pilot. His prior background also includes worldwide flight operations and teaching Human Factors to flight crew members and service as a medevac helicopter pilot in Iraq. John holds an MBA with honors from the University of Notre Dame.

Kevin Pierce

Director Of Services

Kevin grew up just 20 miles from the Thrush factory in Albany, Georgia. He identifies well with many of our customers as he has planted and harvested corn, peanuts, cotton, soybeans and today owns a small pecan orchard. He started his aviation career as a builder for Maule Aircraft prior to joining Thrush in 2008. At Thrush, Kevin began his work on the pre-final line, then control surfaces, rigging and installation – and eventually started performing the aircraft weight and balances, engine run-ups, prop balances and final assembly.  In 2016, Kevin became a full-time member of the Customer Assurance and Support team and has risen to become Director of Services, worldwide. In this role, Kevin oversees our on-site FAA Repair Station, Spares Support, Training, Technical Support and the Warranty Department. In addition, his work has taken him to some 35 countries supporting and training customers for Thrush.  

Mike Rutledge

Director of Sales for North America

Mike is well-known in the agricultural aviation community and, as a current Ag pilot, brings significant insight to Thrush and its sales organization, as well as to the factory’s aircraft development teams. Prior to joining Thrush, Mike’s career included some 30 years in the military where he served twelve years as a Navy SEAL before transitioning to the Army as an aviator where, in addition to multiple tours and special operation actions, he also served as an instructor pilot, developmental test pilot and aviation safety officer. He concluded his military aviation career as commander of the Executive Flight Detachment at the United States Military Academy at West Point. In addition to his work at Thrush, Mike operates Rutledge Airborne Applications based in Shipshewana, Indiana. He is also a carded relief fire pilot. His highly relevant career experience brings Thrush customers the highest levels of attention and in-the-field understanding, as well as helping the company fully develop the potential of the aircraft we build. 

Terry Humphrey

Manager of Flight Operations

Terry has over 35 years and 12,000 flight hours of experience in agricultural aviation. He served with the United States State Department’s Anti-Drug Program in Latin America for some 10 years, and has been actively involved with virtually every model of Thrush Aircraft since the 1970s, in flying, marketing and product development roles. He is a Certified Flight Instructor and is authorized to do pilot transition training for all Thrush models. Terry joined Thrush in 2011.

Levan Tabidze

Vice President of Engineering

Great ag planes start with great engineering and Levan Tabidze is, by any measure, in that category. Levan oversees our engineering department here in Albany and is responsible for certification as well as new product design, development and production support. He brings more that 30 years of experience in aircraft engineering, design, and certification programs to bear on behalf of every Thrush we build, and his experience in product support greatly enhances our capabilities there as well. Levan is a graduate of Tbilisi Technical University in the Country of Georgia and he is also an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER). Simply put, Levan’s skill and expertise are two more key ingredients of what makes every Thrush, a Thrush.

Diane Davis

Director of Human Resources

Diane joined Thrush Aircraft in 2012 bringing to the company some 30 years of experience in Human Resources. Her varied duties here at the factory include include: Employee relations, developing and implementing company policies, performance and compensation management, and oversight of our training programs. In sum, Diane ensures the trains run on time here at Thrush, and that our staff is trained and ready to be as responsive as possible in almost any situation.