Audie joined the Museum in 2023 after serving as the Community Relations Manager for the San Jose Earthquakes MLS soccer team. Audie manages donor relations, along with fundraising events, initiatives, and campaigns. She earned a BA in Sociology from Saint Mary’s College.

Nelson actively engages and interprets with general visitors throughout various exhibit and interpretive spaces, particularly involving the museum’s Invention Lab and Drone Plex on weekends. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University and is an ambitious educator with over 15 years of experience working in a museum setting, including roles as instructor and interpreter at Wells Fargo History Museum and Friends of the Cable Car Museum in San Francisco.

Linh is an experienced educator and curriculum developer with particular expertise in early childhood education. She joined the Museum in 2011, working with the Aviation Camp program as an instructor and camp director while teaching Preschool and Kindergarten. She joined the museum full-time in 2016 to lead the Education Department. Linh possesses a B.A in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and she has obtained a clear multiple-subject teaching credential.

Katie oversees the Museum’s public programs and special visitor activities incorporating science, engineering, and technology. After volunteering with Aviation Camp as a teenager, Katie officially joined the Museum team in 2018, working with the Aviation Camp program as an instructor and camp director.

Katherine has developed and implemented marketing strategies for diverse organizations, including KQED, Nichirei Foods America and Brae Corporation. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, PA and has an MBA from San Francisco State.

Tanya Gist joined the Hiller Aviation Museum staff in 2016. As the Director of Education & Volunteers, Tanya is responsible for recruiting, scheduling, and training the Museum’s Education Department team and approximately 200 volunteers across all departments. She has over ten years of experience working in the education management industry. She has an Associate of Science in Business Administration and Economics and psychology from Cañada College and is pursuing her B.A. in business administration.

Esperanza Halili manages the day-to-day aspects of the museum’s finance operations. She has provided accounting and payroll services for numerous Bay Area firms and received a BS Degree in Business Administration – Finance from San Francisco State University.

Jenna joined the Museum in 2021 and oversees the care and preservation of the museum’s collection and its records. She began her career in historic preservation as an archaeologist in the Athenian Agora, and after college became the Manager of the International Women’s Air & Space Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Jenna worked in online engagement and digital design for NASA Headquarters, the FAA, and Women in Aviation, International, while occasionally volunteering in the Aeronautics Department of the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. She holds a BA in Classics from New York University, and completed her MA from Johns Hopkins University in Museum Studies. She started flying when she was 22 in a Piper J-3 Cub

Heather first joined the Hiller Aviation Museum as a high school volunteer and later worked as a staff member in the Education to help support the Aviation Camp program. Heather graduated from San Jose State University in 2022 and now helps publicize the museum’s diverse educational programming as well as assists with events at the Museum.

Willie Turner joined the Hiller Aviation Museum in October 1995. He manages the overall marketing department and creates the promotional events supporting the organization’s overall mission. He plans and manages all aspects of daytime and evening private events from large scale to small meetings and functions. He also coordinates vendors, onsite resources, and event logistics for private events held at the Museum. He has successfully developed, the Museum’s premier events including Vertical Challenge, Biggest Little Air Show, Day of Drones, Noon Years, and the lecture series. A graduate of California State University, Chico, he also holds a Private Pilot Certificate.

Jon joined the museum in 2007 and was originally responsible for the development and implementation of Aviation Camp, school field trip programs, and other Museum-related experiences for children and the general public. He is now the museum’s President & CEO. Jon was captivated by aviation and science at a young age. He logged his first hour of dual instruction at age 13 and received his first telescope that same year. Jon holds a BS in Astronomy, a Masters in Business Administration, and a Private Pilot Certificate.