Ponderosa Aero Club staff are dedicated to making our members flying safe, convenient, fun, and affordable. We are here to assist members whether it be helping with scheduling aircraft and/or instructors, billing questions, or just hanging out for a bit of hangar flying; the staff is here for you.
Jenna Whalen // General Manager
Jenna Whalen is the General Manager of Ponderosa Aero Club. Prior to being named General Manager in 2023, Jenna was Ponderosa’s Operations Manager since 2020. Jenna has been a member of the club since 2019. Jenna earned her Bachelor of Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Aeronautics and Aviation Management and International Relations.
Jenna grew up in Boise and enjoys hunting, flying, skiing, and world travel in her free time.
Finnegan Cretser-Radloff // Operations Coordinator
Finnegan Cretser works part time as the operations assistant at Ponderosa Aero Club. He has been a member of the club since late 2020 and earned his private pilot with the excellent instruction of Jennifer Steffen. Finn is Idaho born and raised, growing up on the palouse before moving to the treasure valley. He enjoys hunting, fishing and trapping and was first exposed to flight through watching yellow crop dusters flying over lone jack mountain. He splits his time between flying and attending classes at Boise State University. Finn is currently working on his commerical and CFI and his goal is to fly in the Idaho air national guard.
Read MoreMackenzie Holbrook // Operations Coordinator
Mackenzie started her journey in aviation as a flight attendant in early 2019. For the next five years she worked for three different airlines, traveling the world and asking every pilot questions about the switches and buttons in the flight deck. In late 2023 she decided it was time for her own pilot career to takeoff, so she moved home to Idaho from New York City to start flight training. She earned her ASEL ratings in the Treasure Valley in under 18 months and wants to keep learning and landing at as many airfields as she can. Mackenzie enjoys reading, doing puzzles, and reviewing sweet potato fries on a secret Instagram account. She is an ASEL CFI-I and is gearing up to start her multi-engine training.
Read MoreChris Awes // Lead Safety Officer
Our Volunteer Safety Officers play a critical role in maintaining a culture of safety at Ponderosa Aero Club. Chris is a dedicated member who helps oversee our Safety Management System (SMS) and ensure that safety remains a shared responsibility across the club.
What Chris does:
-Review and follow up on all submitted Safe2Share reports
-Monitor and promote effective use of the club’s SMS platform
-Provide safety-related recommendations to the General Manager
-Collaborate with instructors and members to proactively address potential risks
Ryan Rozanski // Safety Officer
Our Volunteer Safety Officers play a critical role in maintaining a culture of safety at Ponderosa Aero Club. Ryan is a dedicated member who helps oversee our Safety Management System (SMS) and ensure that safety remains a shared responsibility across the club.
What Ryan does:
-Review and follow up on all submitted Safe2Share reports
-Monitor and promote effective use of the club’s SMS platform
-Provide safety-related recommendations to the General Manager
-Collaborate with instructors and members to proactively address potential risks
Blue W. // Team Mascott
Meet Blue, our beloved team mascot and the heart of Ponderosa! Blue takes his role seriously—whether he’s supervising hangar activity with a wagging tail or providing moral support during flight preps. Known for his love of naps, enthusiastic tail wags, and unmatched talent for finding crumbs, Blue brings calm energy and a few good laughs wherever he goes. He’s always down for a pet, a treat, or a cozy spot in the sun. If you’re lucky, he might even let you share your lunch.
Fly high, nap often—that’s the Blue way.