Meet Our Team

William L. Gunnells

Chairman & CEO

Bill is the Chairman of the Board of Southern Sky Aviation and this is not his first appearance in the Birmingham Business scene. He started the prescription drug card company, Rx Benefits in the mid nineties and built it to be one of the premier employers in the Birmingham area. Rx Benefits became a leading national company for prescriptions benefit management in the small employer space under his leadership. After selling that company, he turned his attention to the aviation industry in Birmingham, Alabama.

Southern Sky Aviation is a company that Bill established to fill a void in the Birmingham Aviation Industry and looks forward to offering great service and continued growth.

Donald A. Howell

President & Chief Financial Officer

Donald joined Southern Sky Aviation in February 2018 as Chief Financial Officer and assumed the dual role of President and Chief Financial Officer in November 2018. He is responsible for overseeing daily operations across all service segments of the business and has overall financial responsibility for the company. He also works with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Gunnels on setting strategic direction of the company and identifying target acquisitions.

Donald graduated from Auburn University in 1990 with a degree in Accounting. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant with 27 years of public accounting experience in the Aviation, Distribution, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail and Distribution Industries. He also specialized in advising clients on Mergers and Acquisitions. Donald’s public accounting experience included 12 years at Arthur Andersen, 2 years at KPMG and 13 years as a partner in a local firm.

After 27 years in public accounting, Donald served as Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer of a consumer product start-up manufacturing company. Donald was instrumental in launching this company from its inception and through the first three years of growth. He managed the international supply chain reducing costs by 33%. In addition, he also managed the intellectual property owned by the company. The company sold its assets to an investor group in February 2018.

Mike Arrington

VP Quality

Mike is our Director of Maintenance on our 135 Certificate as well as our Vice President of Quality on our 145 Certificate. He reports directly to our 135 Certificate Accountable Manager, Bo Andrews.
He has over 35 years’ experience in Aviation Maintenance and 20 of those years have been in a management role. Much of this time was spent with General Aviation companies such as Beechcraft, Constant Aviation and Beech Aerospace. He brings invaluable experience to our shop, not only from a quality standpoint but in a training capacity as well.

Technical Training:

• Beech jet 400/400A Maintenance Initial
• Cessna Citation 500 Series Maintenance Initial
• Lear Jet 30 Series Maintenance Initial
• Beechcraft King Air SIRM Training
• Pratt & Whitney PT6 Line Maintenance

Current License:

• FAA Airframe and Powerplant License
• FAA Inspector Authorization

Magan Batchelor

Corporate Controller

Magan Batchelor joined Southern Sky Aviation in November of 2017 as a Senior Accountant. She is responsible for assisting in the day to day operations and financial reporting of our maintenance, and corporate divisions.

Prior to joining Southern Sky Aviation, Magan served as a Senior Accountant at RxBenefits, Inc. where she worked with the accounting team during periods of large growth and a subsequent acquisition. Prior to her time with RxBenefits, Magan spent over seven years in various bookkeeping and accounting positions with increased responsibility in the manufacturing and childcare industries.

Magan earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Jacksonville State University. She qualifies as CPA eligible and is currently preparing to sit for the CPA exam.

Darryl Brewer

President FBO Division

Darryl Brewer, Southern Sky Aviation’s Vice President of Business Development, has been proud to call BHM home since 1978, working in various positions for nine FBO’s since that time. Darryl has been the General Manager of several of BHM’s FBO’s, to include Mercury Air Center, JetSouth and most recently Atlantic Aviation since 1999.

As VP of Business Development, Darryl is utilizing his personal relationships with Aviation Professionals throughout the country to expand the footprint of SSA nationwide and beyond. Everyday he works to ensure that, whether purchasing a new aircraft, maintaining your investment or chartering a flight, our customers know that their schedules and expectations come first.

Barry “Bear” Lambert II

Executive Vice President

Barry serves as the Executive Vice President for Southern Sky Aviation. His responsibilities range from guidance for our clients to the overall success and leadership of the aircraft charter, maintenance, management, and sales divisions of Southern Sky Aviation.

Barry has more than a decade’s worth of experience in aviation in various roles. He started as an aircraft researcher and has been in business development, sales and acquisitions, owner services, finance, and operations – suffice it to say, he knows the aviation industry. Barry has managed finance, business development, aircraft sales, and operations teams. Barry personally developed an owner reporting package for aircraft owners using charter services. His experiences allow him to see aircraft ownership and management through a unique, holistic perspective for aircraft owners and potential owners.

Barry was awarded Top 40 under 40 in 2022 by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Barry currently sits on the Air Charter committee for the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and is a Board Member of the Alabama Business Aviation Association (ALBAA).

Ralph Crosby

VP of Business Development

Ralph Crosby serves as Vice President of Business Development at Southern Sky Aviation, where he is responsible for driving strategic growth across aircraft sales, charter services, and maintenance solutions. With more than 20 years of experience spanning fractional ownership, jet and helicopter sales, and charter operations, he brings a well-rounded perspective to aviation business development.

Ralph focuses on expanding Southern Sky Aviation’s customer base throughout the Southeastern United States. His extensive industry network and deep operational knowledge make him a valuable asset in cultivating client relationships and advancing the company’s market presence.

Jeff Cotton

VP Aviation

Jeff Cotton is the vice president of aviation for Southern Sky Aviation. Jeff is responsible for all Southern Sky Aviation aircraft and pilots, hiring and training of all pilots, assigning flight crews, and ensuring that aircraft maintenance is completed. In addition to his many duties, Jeff’s experience is necessary in keeping the company’s FAA 135 Certificate operational and compliant.

Breckyn Ramsey

Aircraft Operations Manager

Breckyn Ramsey is the Aircraft Operations Manager at Southern Sky Aviation, where he oversees both charter services and aircraft management operations to ensure seamless execution and top-tier client service. With a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management and a minor in Business from Auburn University, Breckyn brings a strong academic foundation and a deep passion for aviation to his leadership role.

His expertise spans flight coordination, aircraft oversight, and client experience—making him a vital part of Southern Sky Aviation’s success. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Breckyn is committed to advancing operational excellence in private aviation.

Tim Thomas

VP FBO Operations

Tim Thomas joined the Southern Sky Aviation team in 2021 as Vice President of FBO Operations. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations and business development on the local levels with each of the SSA FBO Locations. Tim graduated with his associate degree in aviation management in 2023 from Florida Institute of Technology while continuing to pursue completion of his bachelor’s degree in aviation management. Tim has worked in the Fixed Based Operation industry since 1997. His career has carried him to multiple airports across the United States serving multiple different FBO brands, and positions. The experience and knowledge Tim has gained over 26 years will aid in safety and growth with customer service, as well with day-to-day operations for Southern Sky Aviation FBO locations.

Scott Capehart

General Manager – ECP

Scott Capehart serves as General Manager of Southern Sky Aviation’s Panama City FBO at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (KECP). Since joining Southern Sky Aviation in 2024, Scott has led the successful finalization and opening of the Panama City location, establishing strong operational standards and a service‑driven culture for general aviation customers along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Jeremiah Watts

Interior Service Team Manager

Jeremiah came to Southern Sky Aviation in March of 2018. Watts Interiors has been a the leader in Aviation Interiors at BHM since 1976 and now they bring those significant talents to Southern Sky Aviation. As a result of Jeremiah joining SSA, we have been able to create a “one-stop shop” for all maintenance and interior needs for our customers.

Jeremiah and Mike have built a reputation as the experts in all things interior in the Southeast and are helping SSA continue to offer World Class service in all areas of maintaining your aircraft.