Board of Trustees

Chris Swathwood
Interim Chairman, Legislative Affairs Committee Chair

Chris grew up flying in Colorado with his father at  Jefferson County Airport which inspired him to start his own flight training in the early 2000’s while obtaining a degree in aviation technology from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Starting his career with Aircell (GOGO), Chris transitioned to an aircraft sales roll with both an aircraft brokerage and manufacture before starting Altivation Aircraft, an aviation consulting and aircraft brokerage firm in 2018. Chris’s passion to promote and further aviation started in College as he served as Vice-President for Alpha Eta Rho, a professional aviation fraternity where he worked to help highlight the benefits of aviation within the state. Upon joining CABA in 2011, Chris has continued to focus on advancing aviation throughout the state as he spearheaded CABA’s important legislative actions, and continues to be a voice for aviation both on the state and national stage.   



Matt Fishback

Vice Chairman, Education/Scholarship Committee Chair

With over 2 decades of experience, Matt began his flying in 1996 at Jefferson County Airport. Graduated from Metro State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Aviation Technology with a Corporate Emphasis. Matt's professional career began at Centennial Airport with International Jet Aviation for 9 years as a Lead Captain for Airlife Denver and Line Captain for charter. Recently he was a Lead Captain for Rural Partners in Medicine in Steamboat Springs for Mayo Aviation as well as a Captain at Precision Aircraft Management at Centennial. He currently is excited to be a Global 7500 Captain for a local private company based at Centennial. He has a true passion for aviation and sharing it with others, when not flying in the business aviation sector you can find him on the line teaching the future generation of aviators. He is enthusiastic about the future of General/Business Aviation in Colorado and looks forward to serving this community on the board.


Brad Elliott
Treasurer, Past Chairman

Brad (“B-RAD”) is the Account Executive for AssuredPartners where he helps aviation clients solve their insurance needs. His aviation career started 2001 as a Line Technician at Showalter Flying Service. Brad opened Desert Jet Center (FBO in TRM) from the ground up at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport as the General Manager. In 2018, he opened a $10 million-dollar FBO facility in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was the President & General Manager for Summit Aviation. In 2019 he led Air Methods Corporation as the Fuel Buying & Logistics Manager where he managed fuel purchasing for over 460 aircraft across 300 locations. He earned a Bachelor of Science - Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Central Florida. Brad has his private pilot license and aspires to continue his ratings. He volunteers as a Flying Ambassador to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation where he promotes flying general aviation throughout the islands. Brad has served on the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee and was honored in 2018 as a member of the NBAA 40 Professionals Under 40 Years Old.


Mike Straka
Secretary, Airlift Chair

Mike has had a passion for aviation and aircraft from a young age, photographing air shows at his hometown airport Reading Regional Carl A. Spaatz Field (RDG), in Reading, PA. A graduate of Penn State and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, he held several academic research appointments in biochemistry. In 2005 Mike decided to follow his lifelong passion and became a private pilot. He went on to earn Advanced Ground Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor certificates, and continues working on advanced ratings. Mike has taught ground school courses at flight schools and crosswind landing techniques in the Redbird Xwind trainer. In his day job he provides technical support, writing, and photography for Aviation Property Network, and his photography has appeared in several aviation publications. A CABA board member since 2011 and chairman in 2014-16, he served as Executive Director from 2019 to 2022. Mike is a strong supporter and advocate for the General and Business aviation industry. 


Eric Wilkins
Board Member

Eric knew he wanted to be a pilot since he could talk. Thanks to his parents' shared career in Air Traffic Control, he grew up at the Centennial Airport and has been in love with flying since. Eric has worked in nearly every imaginable field in aviation, spending time as a helicopter mechanic in the Army Reserves, line service technician with TAC Air, charter sales with ONEflight, approach coding at Jeppesen, and a flying career that includes time in the Blackhawk, Embraer 145, C-12 (King Air 200), and an overseas deployment flying the Army's UC-35. Eric now owns Antaero Aviation, a Denver-based consulting company which specializes in corporate aviation management and pilot services, as well as continuing to serve as an Aviation Safety Officer and Pilot in Command for the Army Reserve in the C-12V and UC-35A. 


      Alexandra Guras
     Board Member, Events Chair

       Bio coming.


      Benjamin Nash
     Board Member, Membership & Communications

Aviation has been a cornerstone of Benjamin’s life from an early age. With his father a pilot, he grew up surrounded by airplanes. Throughout his academic years, he gained hands-on experience working at his local FBO as a Line Service and Aircraft Fuel Technician. Benjamin is now an experienced business aviation sales professional currently applying his expertise as a Private Aviation Advisor for Jet Linx Aviation, a leading FAR Part 91 and 135 operator. In this role, he drives new business development for Jet Card memberships across the Western and Midwest U.S. markets. Benjamin works closely with C-suite executives, corporate clients, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals to deliver tailored private travel solutions. He is committed to simplifying the private aviation experience through a consultative and personalized approach.  Benjamin’s Bachelor’s degree provides a strong foundation in marketing, communications, and financial literacy. Outside of work, he is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys skiing, hiking, and camping. Passionate about aviation beyond his career, he is pursuing his private pilot’s certificate.



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