POLYXENI ZOUMPOULAKIS: LEADING WITH CONFIDENCE IN AVIATION

Progress in aviation has always been powered by those willing to challenge limits and expand what’s possible. This Black History Month, we’re recognizing four pioneers whose courage, skill, and perseverance helped break boundaries in the industry.

Throughout aviation history, individuals have stepped forward not only to achieve personal milestones, but to open doors for others, including these four remarkable figures whose impact remains.

William J. Powell

An engineer, entrepreneur, and outspoken advocate for inclusion, William J. Powell worked tirelessly to create opportunities for black Americans in aviation at a time when access was heavily restricted.

This led to him founding the Bessie Coleman Aero Club in 1929, named in tribute to the pioneering pilot who had died in an airplane accident in 1926. It provided flight training and encouragement to aspiring black pilots and mechanics.

Powell also authored Black Wings, a book dedicated to promoting aviation within the black community and challenging systemic exclusion. Through education, advocacy, and action, he helped inspire a generation to see aviation not as an impossibility, but as a future absolutely within reach.

Mildred Hemmons Carter

One of the first women to earn a pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the first Black female pilot in Alabama, Mildred Hemmons Carter’s determination carried her forward despite barriers that limited both women and people of colour in aviation.

Aviation also shaped her personal story. At Tuskegee, she met Herbert Carter, who would go on to serve as a Tuskegee Airman. While training, the two would fly separate aircraft and signal to one another in the sky, a shared passion that marked the beginning of a lifelong partnership.

Married in 1942 at the Tuskegee Army Airfield chapel, the Carters built a life grounded in love, service, and flight, becoming known as the Tuskegee Airmen Organization’s “First Family.” Mildred’s legacy lives on not only in her achievements, but in the inspiration she continues to provide.

Marlon Green

Marlon Green’s legacy is defined by his perseverance. A highly qualified pilot and former U.S. Air Force officer, Green was repeatedly denied employment by commercial airlines despite his credentials. Refusing to accept discriminatory hiring practices, he decided to challenge the system.

His landmark case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963, resulting in a decision that helped dismantle racial barriers in commercial aviation hiring. Green would go on to become a captain at Continental Airlines, but his broader impact extended far beyond his own career.

His courage created meaningful change, helping pave the way for greater inclusion across the airline industry.

Charles B. Hall

One of the early members of the Tuskegee Airmen, Charles B. Hall was a trailblazer in military aviation. During World War II, he became the first African American pilot to achieve an air combat victory, marking a historic milestone at a pivotal moment in the global conflict.

Hall’s success demonstrated both the skill and readiness of black aviators at a time when prejudice questioned their capabilities. His achievements not only strengthened the reputation of the Tuskegee Airmen, but also contributed to expanding opportunity within the U.S. military for generations that followed.

These are just some of the incredible individuals who challenged the barriers they faced, and who helped shape aviation into the industry it is today.
 

Just four months after Matthew Lopez began working at MHIRJ, he received life-altering news in the form of a medical diagnosis. Lopez, a Non-Destructive Technician (NDT), had been hired at MHIRJ in June 2024. As a retired U.S. military veteran, Lopez was looking forward to continuing his civilian career at MHIRJ when he learned the news in October 2024. Right away, Lopez contacted his supervisor to inform him and inquire as to any next steps he would need to take.

Empathy over policy

"I was expecting not to have a job. My supervisor and HR reassured me: 'Hey, just take care of what you need. You'll have a job when you get back,'" said Lopez.

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees are typically eligible for job protection after a 12-month employment period. Lopez, still in his probationary period of employment, knew his time at MHIRJ might be cut short. However, instead of receiving news that his employment would end, Lopez was met with something not often seen in larger companies: understanding. The HR team and Lopez’s supervisor prioritized his health and well-being, with the potential to come back to work when his health improved.

“I was very surprised that they were going to be okay with me being on medical for possibly longer than I’ve been actually at the job,” said Lopez.

Time to heal without pressure

Beyond formal support, the HR team and Lopez’s supervisor would regularly check in on him—not to ask for a timeline of when he would return, but simply to see how he was doing.

“They would call and check on me once every couple of weeks to see how I m doing and just to see how everything’s going.”

For Lopez, the space to focus on health and family made all the difference. The diagnosis has brought fear and uncertainty—not just about his health, but also his livelihood and the people who depended on him.

“When everything went down, you know, I was scared over the medical diagnosis, not knowing
what’s going to happen in my work life and worry about my family. The most helpful thing at the time was just being able to focus on my home life and not worry about the work life,” said Lopez.

Gratitude and a full return

Lopez’s story of unexpected bad news is far from the norm. Every day people go through hardships that don’t align with the “12-month” timeline typically required before a job is considered protected. His experience is a reminder that behind every job title is a person with a life outside of work—one that doesn’t pause for professional timelines or policy milestones. It reminds us the value of empathy in the workplace and the importance of creating space for employees to prioritize their health when it matters most.

Now fully back in his role as a Non-Destructive Technician, Lopez chose to share his story as a way to express gratitude—for the people who gave him the space to focus on what mattered most during a time that made all the difference.

As the first woman admitted to Aviation High School in New York City, Lori Dimarco knows a thing or two about being the only one in the room. Now Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Mesa Airlines, Dimarco has carved out a decades-long career in aviation maintenance.

Starting with cleaning aircraft, to working in maintenance at JFK, and rising to a leadership role, Dimarco reflects on her journey, the importance of representation, and her passion for paying it forward.

“I was the first woman admitted to Aviation High School. In my freshman year, I was the only girl in the school with 2,700 guys.”

From mentoring students at her alma mater to cheering them on at the MRO Americas Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), she’s not just supporting the next generation, she’s showing them what’s possible. “They're competing against adults and they're high school students. So, I love to watch that. That they're enjoying themselves and learning as they go,” Lori said.

 

The competition tests the skills and knowledge of aviation maintenance technicians and students. Around 90 teams compete in 27 hands-on maintenance events across six categories: commercial aviation, general aviation. military, repair and manufacturing, schools, and space.

Each team consists of five members tackling challenges that test real-world maintenance skills. Events include tasks like fuel nozzle replacements, avionics troubleshooting, and composite repairs. The competition is designed to simulate the high-pressure environment of aviation maintenance, emphasizing safety, precision, and teamwork.

The dedicated category for schools not only tests students’ skills with challenges similar to those faced by industry professionals, but also inspires them to pursue careers in aviation—just as Lori Dimarco did, paving the way for future generations to break barriers and keep climbing.

When reflecting on her career now, she added: “It's just about loving what you do. And I love what I do,”