Whenever I am asked to tell my story, I always smile as I tell the story of how a guy, who startedwith nothing, was lucky enough to find a job in aviation and, in turn, discover a passion for anindustry, which continues to grow with time.Years ago, having worked at a myriad of jobs such as dish washing, hotel clerk, collections,pizza delivery, fiber optic cabling, and a very brief attempt as a modeling scout, I eventuallyfound myself out of work. I even tried buying and selling cars from auctions, with little success.

Iwas indebt andfeeling lost. Having always been fascinated by aviation, I appliedfor a job at alocal airport. A ground handling company was hiring passenger service agents, and although Iwasn’t even sure at the time what that was, I knew I wanted it. From that day forward, my lifehas changed in ways that I had never dreamed of.

I took to the industry like a fish to water. Within months, I went from being the “new guy,” toworking 60 and 70-hour weeks, to shift manager. I would eat, sleep, and breathe the airlineindustry. Though my bills were high and I frequently had to choose between paying the rent andbuying food, I managed to remain focused and impress several airline managers. One managergave me a chance to leave the ground handling business and try working with him in airlineoperations for a very well known charter airline. Less than a year later, he moved on to anotherstation, and that airline promoted me to his position.

Working within the charter world gave me the experience and freedom to coordinate all types ofcharter operations, all around the globe.

After a few years,I was managing charter operationsworldwide for that airline.After several years, and many changes in the airline industry, I made the decision to leave myjob and become an independent contractor.

Success came quickly and in July of 2007, Elite Operations was born. Today, Elite Operations,Inc. is comprised of over 40 highly-skilled professional men and women. Our Team includesmany former long-standing airline managers and directors, as well as anenergetic and worldlygroup who collectively hold more than 100 years of global scheduled and charter operationsexperience between them. With team members throughout the country, and capable of travelinganywhere, Elite Operations is uniquely qualified towork within our clients’ budgets, as well asincreasing efficiency by giving you the ability to maintain your current staffing levels where youneed them most and giving your customers an exceptional experience.

In today’s fast paced, ever-changing business environment, Elite Operations also works closelywithIdo Reem, CEO of Reem Aviation Security Consultants LLC, formerly with EL AL IsraelAirlines Security Department. As a trusted advisor, Reem assists EliteOperations in remainingwithin regulatory compliance on all TSA matters.