Jason Grafton’s passion for aviation stems from his relationships with his dad and step-dad, who are both mechanically inclined, which provided him with ample opportunities to witness, learn and grow his interest in working with various types of equipment. “Not knowing exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated from high school, I reflected on my step-dad’s experience of attending the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics when he was younger,” Grafton reflects. “This sparked my interest and I decided to take a look at the school. After careful consideration, I can say that it was the best decision I could have made. I am thankful for the knowledge it provided me to enjoy my great career thus far.”
During his time with ExpressJet, Grafton points to three great leaders who had their own unique style and approach to leadership. These three talented, hardworking individuals acted as mentors and helped Grafton to develop his own leadership skills. “Embraer has always had a great focus of career development, along with strong leadership that helps support the growth of its employees,” he says. “I have found that there are a lot of great people in aviation who are willing and excited to help develop young people in the industry. This has been an outstanding journey so far and I hope that I can take what I have learned and pass valuable insights as a mentor to the future leaders of the industry.”
When Grafton graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, he took a job as a fresh A&P with ExpressJet Airlines. There, he had an early opportunity to take a leadership role as a supervisor. His time with ExpressJet took Grafton coast to coast, starting in Dayton, Ohio and ending up in Louisiana as a manager of heavy maintenance. He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee as a Project Manager with Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services. “My career path has progressed within Embraer and I am now currently the vice president of operations,” he notes. “My responsibilities include all hangar and component repair operations within the facility. We currently provide more than 300 heavy maintenance visits and more than 10,000 component repairs annually in our Nashville facility. Our team also performs AOG repairs and sends field teams worldwide to support Embraer commercial aircraft.”
Grafton, who has been part of several teams that received “Kaizen of the Year” awards within Embraer, became an A&P at Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics and received his bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from Eastern New Mexico University. Grafton plans to finish his MBA at Trevecca Nazarene University this fall.
Giving back has been an important goal of Graftons. He is currently working with the company’s recruiting department to create strong relationships with several of the local A&P schools. “There is an imminent shortage of technicians in our industry that is a serious concern,” he explains. “It is very important to me that we work together in order to help create a network of talented people to enter the industry with experience to build upon and a strong foundation. I have always been a strong proponent in investing in education and continuing to progress as a leader. I would eventually like to lead or own my own aviation enterprise.”
