The Black Aviation Professionals Network

BAPN In-Flight Crew

Meet the passion that fuels Stargaze

Tonya

Chief Executive Officer

Tonya was born in Toronto, Ontario to natives of Trinidad & Tobago. She worked in both Canada and the United States in a variety of careers; Finance, Fitness, Postal Service, and Automotive until she found herself in Aviation & Aerospace within the IT space. Working in the industry allowed Tonya to have a new found appreciation for air transportation but quickly learned that diversity in Aviation & Aerospace was non-existent compared to her previous professional experiences. Without its challenges, the Black Aviation Professionals Network (BAPN) was formed, a non-profit organization to help her fellow colleagues and the next generation of leaders and aviators in the sector. BAPN will promote Aviation, showcase it’s more than pilots and flight attendants, appeal to the Black community showing the variety of careers available and supply the resources to thrive. There are Aviation Professionals and professionals in Aviation. Together, we are BAPN!

Opeoluwa ‘Ops’

Pilot Development

OpeOluwa fell in love with aviation on his very first flight as a toddler. Since then, he lived with the single-minded goal of becoming an Airline pilot. He enrolled in the integrated commercial pilot course (ICPC) at the Moncton Flight College in 2015. 18 months, numerous overnight study sessions and 200 hours later, he was faced with the dilemma of how to move his career forward. His love of teaching won out and he enrolled in the instructor program, after which he taught full time for two years before launching his airline career at a regional carrier in 2019. OpeOluwa is currently a first officer on one of the two biggest airlines in Canada, but still finds time to instruct and mentor pilots when his schedule permits. It’s a juggling act, however he finds joy and fulfillment in bringing people into the family that is aviation. Wholly appreciative of the peculiarities that enabled him build an airline career in just 4 years, he decided to leverage on his experiences; past and ongoing, to create The Vectored Approach. An initiative driven by the vision of lowering the barriers to aviation and standardizing safety and professionalism in the cockpit. A natural extension of his vision; his position at the Black Aviation Professional Network allows him give back to the community. He stands among icons of the black community, positioned to inspire and empower the next generation of pilots within the network. Email Ops

Stacey-Cymone

Student Programs & Development

Growing up in a Caribbean family of airline professionals with a deep love for travel, it is no surprise that Stacey found herself in aviation. With many years in Early Childhood Education and over fifteen years in Quality Assurance with certificates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in both IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programs. Stacey holds the position of Sr. Manager, Aviation Security, Quality & Risk Management. To encourage the next generation Stacey has the following lessons learned she hopes to impart; Never stop learning – learn from every experience and person you meet. Knowledge is never lost. Network – put yourself in situations where you can connect with people in the industry, people with experience and ideas, people who can offer opportunities. Find a mentor. Bet on yourself – don’t be afraid to take chances or try new things. It may feel scary but your greatest growth will happen outside of your comfort zone. Stacey-Cymone Aqui

Keon

AME Development

Born in Guyana. Migrated to Toronto in 2006 at age 16. As a kid his dad introduced him to the Microsoft Flight Simulator Game and he became great at it. Being new to Canada, flight school wasn’t a feasible financial option. Being a Huge Formula 1 fan, his next option was to become a Sport Auto mechanic in F1 but at the time they only recruited from Oxford University. He completed the Aviation Technician program at Centennial College with hopes that his new skills will create a future job opportunity in Formula One. Keon currently performs maintenance duties on a fleet of aircrafts as a Licensed Aircraft Technician and endorsed on Boeing 787, Airbus 330, and Dash 8 Q400. Email Keon

Anita

Public Relations & Military SME

Anita is an Aerospace Engineer (AERE) Officer currently employed by the Canadian Armed Forces. Born in Cameroon, she immigrated to Canada at a young age. Because she enjoys traveling, it’s not surprising to friends and family that she takes pride in working closely with aircrafts. Anita is a licensed Professional Engineer with an undergraduate degree in Electromechanical Engineering, and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Moncton. Proud to serve all Canadians, she considers Canada’s diversity a strength and a way to showcase our values, objectives, and goals on the world stage. Hence why she is pursuing a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from the University of British Columbia. Upon completing her education, Anita worked in the manufacturing industry as an Electronic Project Lead Engineer and a Project Manager before joining the military. During that time, she also taught in various technical colleges within the National Capital Region which prompted her to tutor and work closely with underprivileged youth and refugees in her free time. She strongly believes that through education, and mentorship all is possible for Canada’s youth and that’s why she is extremely proud to be part of BAPN contributing to creating a diverse aviation community. Email Anita

André

Digital Initiatives

Born in Trinidad, André’s family left the tropical island and flew to Canada just after his first birthday. Growing up, André was always intrigued by the things he didn’t know and tried to master the things he knew. As a young man, he always stood out from the pack trying new things and letting his creativity flow. His mindset has always been to help build those around him to succeed as best as they wanted to. That’s why he joined BAPN. He believes visual representation matters and that there was/is a notable gap for people of colour online. “The Black community is underrepresented and undervalued within the aviation industry. In 2020, I really took note of how few Black people I saw being posted on social media from major airline companies in Canada. My aim is to use the BAPN platform to bridge that gap, uplift our community and showcase our talents to spark conversation around the contributions the Black community adds to aviation in all sectors and at all levels.”