Mary Lou Gallagher, Founder, Owner, Flight Enthusiast
Over the past 23 years, Beyond & Above has been fortunate to have over 5000 students (Pilots and aspiring Flight Attendants) come through our doors, graduate, and with our help, achieve fantastic success launching into their new career as a Corporate Flight Attendant.
In addition to my work with Beyond & Above, I am honored to have served on the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) which works with the FAA in Washington D.C. creating and implementing positive change in our industry. This previous appointment to the ARC, along with Beyond & Above, has given me another opportunity to make a difference in corporate aviation. I have also served on the NBAA Flight Attendant Committee, which has also provided me the opportunity to contribute ideas to professionally raise the bar for Corporate Flight Attendants. Recently, I have become a member of the IS-BAO. The IS-BAO sets, ensures, and promotes global harmonization of aviation safety standards. The IS-BAO keeps its members informed of the changes to national and international standards. Beyond & Above uses this information to keep our training current and at the highest standards of excellence.
Meet The Team
McHenry Priestley
Head of Training
McHenry Priestley is the owner of McHenry Priestley Aviation, LLC and Colibri-Haiti, S.A. and operates under Part 135 as an FAA Air Carrier. The companies provide both aircraft operations and aircraft maintenance. His customers include American, Copa, jetBlue, and Spirit Airlines, The United Nations, various governments in the Caribbean and Latin America, and numerous NGO’s and relief organizations.
McHenry holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot with Airplane Multiengine Land (AMEL) and Helicopter, Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII) in rotorcraft-helicopter, Mechanic: Airframe & Powerplant with Inspection Authorization. He is also type-rated in several aircraft.
Due to the recent increase in forest fire season intensity, he also flies firefighting helicopters in Canada.
He served in the United States Navy with numerous sea deployments in the SH-2F and SH-3H helicopters, operating from frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. During his time with the Navy, he also served as the Atlantic Fleet Search and Rescue (SAR) Standardization Instructor for the SH-2F Fleet.
McHenry has been a life-long SCUBA Diver and instructing for 30-years. He teaches both recreational and technical SCUBA Diving, First Aid, CPR, and Oxygen Provider courses.
He volunteers his time as a SCUBA Diving Instructor with the Florida International University’s Student Dive Club and as a FAA FAASTeam Safety Representative.
Wolfgang Jabornik
Online Emergency Training Coordinator and Support
A few years of working in Hotel Management, after graduation from a College for Hotel Management and Tourism and traveling the world, Lufthansa, German Airlines caught my attention and this love lasted for over 30 years. I started as a flight attendant on B737 and B707 and was promoted to Purser for short-range Flights and a few years later to Purser for long-range flights on DC 10, B747 and A340.
After applying for a position as a Flight Attendant Trainer, still with the ability to work as a Purser, my career continued to Project Manager for Computer Based Training. The close connection between Lufthansa as a launching customer for Airbus A340 gave me to opportunity to work for Airbus Industries in Toulouse. In this consulting job I was able to help Cathy Pacific and Emirate Airlines with their cabin crew training for A340.
I retired in 1999 from Lufthansa, but still continue working for Lufthansa Flight Training as a Consultant and Emergency Trainer for B737, A320 Family and A340.
In 2013, I was very lucky to meet Mary Lou and since December I am blessed with working with her. We generated the Beyond and Above Online Recurrent Training Course and are looking forward to do a few more Online Training Programs for corporate flight attendants.
John B. Farrington
Corporate Development
John is the Principal in JBF Associates which specializes in providing advice and counsel relative to developing business plans and strategies . His background is a unique combination of a career with a Fortune 200 Corporation and concurrently serving as the Mayor of his community for 12 years. He served three years with the US Marine Corps during which he achieved the rank of Sergeant. After graduating from Fordham University with a BS degree in Business Management John joined the IBM Corporation. He was employed by IBM for 38 years primarily in Human Resources Management positions… His experience includes both time in operating units as well as Corporate Headquarters. He was involved in almost all aspects of the Human Resources field and had responsibility for both domestic as well international operations. As Mayor of Pleasantville, NY he dealt with local government issues and interacted with Town, County, State and National elected officials. He was also chosen by his peers to head a number of Westchester County, NY organizations of a political nature. John has been sharing his business acumen and consulting with the management of Beyond and Above since 2008.
Nelson Brandt
Emergency Instructor
Nelson Brandt served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a helicopter pilot for 20 years, retiring in 2017. During his Coast Guard service, Nelson attained the vaulted status of Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Air Training Command for year 1998. A skilled aviator, he received numerous operational awards for saving dozens of lives, including several during Hurricane Katrina response efforts in 2005. Following his Coast Guard career, Nelson flew for an on demand Part 135 charter company, transporting people to and from the Bahamas and throughout Florida in a six seat twin engine propeller driven airplane. After several months of charter flying, Nelson went on to get trained and qualified to fly the MD-80, a 150-seat twin engine jet airliner. He operated these aircraft as a first officer for a Part 121 supplemental air carrier on international and domestic flights. While working at the supplemental air carrier, Nelson was given the opportunity to teach ground school to pilots and flight attendants. This included Crew Resource Management (CRM) as well as other vital subjects. A certified Flight Instructor since 1995, Nelson enjoys teaching and learning. He holds a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and an associate degree in Professional Piloting Technology from Miami Dade College. Nelson is a certified Airline Transport Pilot with over 8,500 flying hours and is type rated in the DC-9 airplane and S-70 helicopter. He is also an avid glider pilot and has earned the prestigious diamond badge from Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) (World Gliding Federation) for flights of distance, goal, and duration.
Luda Decarlo
Inflight Instructor
The core of my 15 years experience in the aviation and service industry were built on my strong work ethic and values; which I carry with me each day on the job.
I started my aviation career as a commercial flight attendant and made the transition into business and private charter aviation as a freelance corporate flight attendant, which has been one of the most rewarding moves of my life. I love my work and I have a deep understanding of the immense importance of creating lasting client relations and creating an unforgettable flying experience. I am bilingual, speaking English and Russian fluently.
I currently fly for G550 , GIV and Challenger 650.604 corporate and private owners as the Chief Flight Attendant domestic and internationally.
I am laser focused on passenger safety and needs and am also an Instructor as I also co-teach and teach classes on inflight safety, and excellence in culinary etiquette and design, regarding how to creatively be a standout premier flight attendant and setting yourself up to shine. I have a gift of creating the most luxurious cabin designs and creative cuisine experiences in this industry, and I love sharing my gifts with my students and most importantly our clients.
Humberto Vidal
Corporate Photographer
Humberto Vidal’s body of work combines fashion, fitness, and fine art photography. His images embody the elegance of the human form and its beauty.
The photographs Vidal produces put the soul of the human body as the focus. More specifically, his images highlight the curves, lines, and soul of the human body. Throughout his career, Vidal has collaborated primarily with corporate CEO’s, celebrities, models, and athletes. He credits his biggest inspiration as the German-Australian photographer Helmut Newton and his approach to fashion. As part of his creative process, Vidal absorbs what he sees and transforms it into his style. Pieces of the visual information he consumes then are translated to his photographic work.
Vidal’s photographic work has appeared in various group exhibitions. He notably participated in the American Society of Media Photography exhibition in 2016 and was part of the Erotika exhibition at the Art & Design Gallery in the Miami Design District in 2018. Furthermore, in 2010, he was selected as one of the 100 best emerging photographers by Photographer’s Forum Magazine.
Apart from nude photography, Vidal also creates architectural and design photography.
Norma Jean Keefer
Director Marketing & Communications
As a new comer to the esteemed professionals of Beyond and Above, Norma Jean will be bringing her over 30 years of extensive Marketing, Branding, and Online Advertising experience coupled with her 8 years as a commercial flight attendant in transforming the outreach, recruitment and overall branding to keep Beyond and Above as the go to choice for becoming a Corporate Flight Attendant or for Recurrent Training for FA's and Pilots.
Norma Jean has owned her own Digital Marketing Agency for over 12 years and has worked for ad agencies, publishing companies and has represented many large and small businesses with their online marketing and lead generation with highly successful marketing campaigns. Known for her multi tasking, she also has been a commercial flight attendant for a major airline while managing an adult soccer league.
Norma Jean is born and raised in S Florida, a second generation Floridian, and moved back to Fort Lauderdale about 6 years ago after raising her family in the Baltimore area. She has two adult children, both 33, boy and girl twins.
Stay Tuned as she and Mary Lou chart out a bold and new adventure for Beyond and Above Corporate Flight Attendant Training!