Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society

Marjorie Evans
Director

Marjorie Evans has worked for 43 years with and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., a world-wide provider of services to corporate and general aviation. She also serves on the boards of The ESCAPE Family Resource Center, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Hobby Center Foundation and The Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast District Exchange Clubs.

Marjorie is a charter member and holds office in the Hobby Airport Area Exchange Club and is president of the Marjorie E. Evans Foundation. Marjorie has formerly served as President of the Texas Gulf Coast District Exchange Clubs and on the Board of Directors of The Masquerade Theatre, Pearland/Hobby Chamber of Commerce, the Scholarship Program for Houston Youth and the University of St. Thomas. Marjorie is a Life Member of the Museum.

George Haines
Volunteer Coordinator and Director

Originally a native of Johnstown, PA, George has had a long-time interest in transportation technologies and history. Most of his working career of some 35 years has been spent with an oilfield service company operating worldwide in the exploration sector, in the areas of Training, Quality/Operations Integrity, Safety Management and Emergency Response, among others. George's interest in aviation stems from the many times he traveled to and from remote locations in a wide assortment of aircraft. His most recent position in fact benefited from this experience; he was project manager for the development of a set of standard working procedures based in part on aviation-style checklists.

George studied Journalism at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and Technical Writing at the American University of Paris. He has been a volunteer at the Museum since January 2017, but had been attending periodic Wings and Wheels events during the previous 2-3 years and wanted to give something back to the museum community.

Michael Loft
Vice Chairman and Director

Michael Loft is a native of Great Britain, recently retired as Marketing and Sales Director for Air France where he worked for the past 38 years developing new air routes, and expanding commerce, tourism and trade in over 20 countries. He led the team that launched Air France as a major player in the oil & gas sector, and established Air France's Petroleum Club.

He is a former president of the Houston Airline Managers Association, the Houston SKAL Club, and the Houston Air Cargo Association. He was personally awarded "Honorary Texan" by President George W. Bush. A graduate of North Wales College, he is a proud American citizen...and Texan. He and his wife Kelly, a celebrated chef, co-own Plan Like a Chef™ which promotes the sales of 26 original event planning books.

Blair McFarlain
Director

Blair McFarlain has been a volunteer at the Museum for many years and joined the Museum in the Spring of 2007 following Barrington Irving's record-setting solo flight around the world.

Blair serves as our webmaster, social media coordinator gift shop manager, and training coordinator. He is prominent among our raffle plane pilots, and serves on our Wings & Wheels committee. His work during 2012 in securing and improving the effectiveness of our website has proved to be a game changer in the way the Museum raises operating funds.

His hobbies include aviation and photography and he has combined those hobbies by creating a website called HoustonSpotters.net for aviation photography. Blair has worked as a Global IT System Administrator for an oilfield services company called Stratum Reservoir in Houston, Texas since 2005.

Bernard Morris
Director

Bernard Morris is a Director. He is a product of the New York public school system, having attended Springfield Gardens H.S. in Jamaica, NY, and John Jay Criminal College of New York.

He began his commercial aviation career with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in the 1970s, and continued with Pan Am, TWA, Air Atlanta and Eastern Airlines before joining Air France in 1994, where he remained until taking early retirement in 2012. He has been a volunteer with the Museum since 2006, and a Director since 2009. He is a private pilot.

Karen Nicolaou
President and Director

Karen Nicolaou is a specialized veteran with a dedicated career in the finance industry for almost 35 years. In her role as Chief Financial Officer of Complete MD Solutions, she is responsible for the management of the finance and accounting functions of 40 physician businesses, making up 17 separate entities operating in 8 Greater Houston locations. Prior to her work at Complete MD Solutions, Karen has held a variety of prominent financial roles.

She is Principal of Atropos, Inc., where for the past 13 years she worked with a multitude of prominent businesses providing financial and advisory services. Proficient in many languages, Karen is a graduate of the University of Texas, a gourmet cook and a classically trained pianist. She is also a member of several professional organizations including IWIRC, AIPCA, TSCPA, and NACVA. Karen started flying at nine-years-old with her father - a World War II Glider pilot - and was flying solo before she was eligible for a driver’s license.

Marie Wilkinson
Secretary and Director

Marie Wilkinson is the Secretary of the corporation. She worked for Air France for 46 years beginning at Idlewild Airport in NYC in 1961 as a reservations agent. She transferred to LAX as reservations supervisor and then to Houston as a customer promotion agent in 1978. She was promoted to sales rep in 1980 and finally to Account Executive covering accounts in DFW and Houston. She attended the Institute of Certified Travel Agents in Wellesley, MA, earning her CTC in 1980; she went on to coordinate study groups in Houston.

She graduated in 1999, Phi Theta Kappa, with an AAS degree in Geological Technology from North Harris County College. Her board service has included ten years on the board of the Desk and Derrick Club, where she was president of the Houston chapter in 2007 and 2011, the financial oversight team and the audit committee of Atascocita Lutheran Church, and the board of Harris County MUD 132 for four terms - 18 years from 1990 to 2008, where her positions have included director, vice president and president.

Claudette Pfennig-High

Claudette Pfennig High served as vice president of the Southeast Conference American Lutheran Church, president of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Synod, Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast, and was on the board of directors for Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc.

She attended the University of Texas, worked for Trans-Texas Airways, and worked for a number of banks. She is active in her community, and is the widow of Captain A.J. High, one of the founding members of our museum.

Juan Ortiz