Board Members

Cletodell Titus, raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY, by a military mom, faced the challenges of his environment with resilience. His mother instilled a sense of structure in him, guiding him to walk a straight path. Despite growing up in a tough neighborhood, Cletodell surrounded himself with friends who also benefited from strong parental guidance. He played on his high school basketball team and later competed in Division 1 basketball at Long Island University. He achieved his Associates Degree in Computer Science from SUNY Farmingdale and further pursued his education, earning a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Psychology from Long Island University.

At 23, after finishing college and basketball, Cletodell entered the workforce as a Police officer at the 81st pct. He is now a  20-year retired veteran of the NYC Police Department. He began his career at age 24, he was assigned to the School Unit for 11 years of his career, where he enforced discipline, mentored, and supported the youth of the Bedford Stuyvesant community. The end of his career he took on an administrative position ,culminating his career in precinct management.

In July 2018, he became the Camp Director for the 81st Precinct Community Council Summer Camp, coordinating over 100 kids and more than 20 SYEP counselors, which was a fantastic experience.

As a child, Cletodell always dreamed of flying, but there were no camps offering aviation education in his area. As an adult, he pursued this dream by earning his Airmans Certificate (Private Pilot License) and recently obtained his Federal Aviation Administration Certified Flight Instrument Instructor License (CFII). Certified Multi- Engine Instructor.

• Flying since 2015 
• Commercial Privileges (Airplane Single/ Multi-Engine Land)
• FAA Certified Flight Instrument Instructor (CFII)
• FAA PART 107 & 61  Certified Drone Instructor
• FAA Certified Multi-Engine Instructor
• Over 1500 hrs. of flight time 
• Over 400 hrs. of cross country experience
• Over 1000 hrs of Instruction given
• Complex Aircraft Endorsement
• High Performance Aircraft Endorsement

Recognizing the urgent need for youth aviation programs in underserved communities, he founded 

The Young Airmans Association —a remarkable initiative that provides underprivileged youth in New York City with opportunities to explore the wonders of aviation.

Milton Davis Sr., born and raised in East New York, Brooklyn, as the eldest of three siblings, faced many obstacles as a young teen. He kept busy by participating in the Boy Scouts, earning the rank of Life Scout. With strong values and morals instilled by his mother and family members, he remained on a positive path. Milton always had a desire to help people, particularly within his community, and has been a dedicated advocate for exposing and educating underserved youth. He is a retired 20-year veteran of the New York City Police Department. During his two decades as a Police Officer, he served in various units, with his last assignment as a Youth Officer in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. 

In 2012, Milton founded Cub Scout Pack 1400 and in 2016, he established Boy Scout Troop 1400. Additionally, he served as the BSA Breukelen District Activities Chair in 2015. In that same year, he received several awards, including the Spark Plug Award, the National Top 50 Cubmasters Recognition of Excellence Award from Boy Scouts of America, the Man of Distinction Award, a City Council Citation from 500 Men Making a Difference, and the Cubmaster Leadership Award of Merit. In 2017, he received the Scout Master Leadership Award of Merit from the BSA and a Nassau County Legislature Citation from The Foundation For A Drug Free World of America. Milton was honored as a Drug Free Hero Awardee in 2018 by The Foundation For A Drug Free World. 

Milton Davis along side Cletodell Titus is committed to The Young Airmans Association and its mission to provide aviation education opportunities for New York City’s underserved youth, allowing them to experience the wonders of aviation.

 Alan Forgenie is a Captain for United Airlines and is an active Board member of  The Young Airmans Association Inc. As a child growing up in Trinidad he was introduced to aviation by a neighbor who was a pilot for Pan Am Airlines.  Alan and his family immigrated to the United States and he graduated from Truman High School in the Bronx NY. He then attended Hawthorne College where he earned a Bachelors degree in Aviation with an Associates Degree in Airport Management. In pursuit of his aviation career, Alan became an FAA Certified Flight Instructor for the next few years. He gained flight hours and experience needed to achieve his ATP License ( Airline Transport Pilot). Alan started his commercial airline career as a pilot at the age of 28 in May 1994.

•  Shoreline Aviation where he has Part 135 experience flying  a Cessna Conquest 1 and a Piper Chieftain.  
• March of 1995 he was hired as a pilot for Piedmont Airlines flying a DeHavilland Dash 8
• January 1998 moved on to Continental Airlines as a Second Officer on the Boeing 727. 
• He holds type ratings in the Boeing 737, 757, and 767 
•  Flying since 1981 as an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
• Over 24,000 flight hours

Capt. Alan Forgenie has a passion to mentor those interested in careers with the airline industry. He contacted Milton Davis and expressed his dedication and willingness to mentor and help cultivate future young Pilots. He's dedicated to helping guide and inspire youth pilots along their path to an aviation career. 

Woody Woodyard is a dynamic strategic communicator with decades of experience across corporate, non-profit, defense and public sectors. A retired senior military officer and corporate executive, he is known and highly respected for his unique ability to identify and develop talent, maximize potential and build high-performing teams.  

A trusted C-suite advisor from the Pentagon to corporate boardrooms, Woody led Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, and Pratt & Whitney corporate and business communications through daunting business challenges, high-stakes reputational crises and launched campaigns that transformed culture, drove workforce initiatives and accelerated business growth. He served as the Chief of Staff, Strategic Communications, Multinational Forces-Iraq, Public Affairs Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff, Director, Air Force Legislative Affairs Programs and held command and global Public Affairs leadership roles at 11 Air Force bases. 

Woody has decades of leadership development, executive coaching and mentoring experience with students, veterans, working professionals and senior corporate executives. 

As founder of FountainAvenue Strategies, Woody aligned his passion for leadership and talent development with a single-minded purpose…empower clients for success. Whether it’s preparing college students to enter the workforce, guiding military members through civilian transitions, or positioning career professionals for advancement, Woody instills confidence, courage and creates a growth mindset for clients to achieve, succeed and thrive in their careers. 

He is a graduate of Syracuse University, University of Maryland College Park, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the University of Virginia Executive Business Program.

Woody is dedicated to the mission of The Young Airmans Association and will help develop stronger opportunities with corporations, educational institutions, and community leaders. His leadership will position The Young Airmans Association in strategic fundraising, partnership cultivation, and grant development.

Qahira Smalls sees the vision of  The Young Airmans Association Inc, she is committed to ensuring that The Young Airmans Association maintains a strong financial foundation to expand its impact in the community. Outside of her  work with the organization, Qahira is a  homemaker mom of 3 . 

Sophia Rennie serves as the Secretary of The Young Airmans Association , where she ensures accurate record-keeping, strong governance practices, and seamless communication within the organization. In this role, Sophia along with the Board Chair helps  manage board documentation, and supporting compliance with nonprofit regulations.

Thomas Tassopoulos has been with The Young Airmans Association since 2019. Also known as Tommy he is well known at Republic Airport as one of the best Airframe and Power-plant Mechanic Specialist. Tommy has over 30 years of expertise. He is dedicated to ensure safety, and the proper maintenance is held at its highest FAA standards and regulations to our aircraft(s).

Harry Charalambous is currently assigned to the American Airlines Compliance organization as a Transport Workers Union (TWU) Compliance and Safety Management System (SMS) Specialist. My duties include representing the TWU as a member of the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Event Review Committee (ERC) voting member, as well as a liaison to the FAA and the NTSB for the TWU. I am also a trained member of the AA NTSB Go-Team for the TWU.

My years as an A&P mechanic have resulted in a tremendous amount of relevant maintenance and fleet specific experience, training and qualifications. I have also accomplished the following additional training, certification and skills:
• “2-Day Just Culture for Leaders” training through Outcome Engenuity
• “2-Day Event Investigation and Causal Mapping” training through Outcome Engenuity
• “Cognitive Interviewing Skills” training provided to the NTSB
• “Maintenance Error Decision Aid (MEDA)” training through Boeing
• “Maintenance Human Factors” training through Boeing
• “Investigative Techniques” training through AA
• “Maintenance Line Observations Safety Assessment (LOSA)” training through Boeing
• “American Airlines Safety Management Systems” (3 courses) through AA
• “Aviation Risk Management Solutions (ARMS) Risk Methodology” training through AA
• “NTSB Go-Team” training through AA
• “American Airline’s Voluntary Programs” training through AA Legal department

AMT for 341 Years

He is dedicated in ensuring that The Young Airmans Association and its Aircraft(s) are within FAA Compliance and Safety regulations.