Crew Resource Management was initially founded in 2007 to provide Crew Resource Management (CRM) training services to the business aviation community. By that time, CRM had been well established in commercial aviation for nearly thirty years and the commercial segment was realizing substantial benefits from this program. In 2007, Business Aviation was in the nascent stages of adopting a CRM culture; we are proud to say that we were one of the leaders to guide CRM into this industry segment.
Crew Resource Management has evolved and our company has evolved with it over the years. We began with providing live CRM initial and recurrent training. Although this is still an extremely important and relevant training method (in a non-pandemic world), the majority of our Business Aviation training is conducted either online or via webinar.
As it turns out, the concepts and principals learned in Crew Resource Management and Threat and Error Management (TEM) are fairly common amongst any High Reliability Organizations. Many CRM and TEM principals learned in aviation can be universally applied to Healthcare, Energy, Emergency Services, Chemical Safety as well as numerous other segments within the transportation industry (Space, Rail, Maintenance). Crew Resource Management provides consulting and training to all of these industries.
We have provided training, assessment, consulting and speaking services for dozens of clients throughout the world. Here are a few:
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We will coach you and help you achieve your goals.
We can help you every step of the way. What are you waiting for?
Take the first step today.
President
Patrick Mendenhall began flying at age 14. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering at the University of Washington, then worked as a flight test engineer at the Boeing Company before joining the U.S. Navy. Designated a Naval Aviator in 1982, Patrick spent eight years on active duty and retired after 14 additional years in the Naval Reserves.
In addition to leadership and management roles, Patrick’s naval service included a tour in Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Five (VX-5) in China Lake, California. Duties included operational flight test, as well as tactics development in a variety of aircraft. He was directly involved with crew-centered design and human factors integration in the early days of what would eventually be known as Crew Resource Management (CRM). This planted the seeds of a lifelong interest in the subject.
After leaving active duty in 1989, Patrick was hired by Northwest Airlines (which later merged with Delta Air Lines). Most of his airline experience has been on international, “long haul” routes with the vast majority of that time being on the B-747 and the A-330 aircraft. He is type-rated in the Boeing 737, 747-400, 757 and 767 and the Airbus A330 and has logged more than 19,000 hours of flight time. Patrick recently retired as a senior captain from Delta Airlines after 30 years of service.
Patrick is a recognized subject matter expert (SME) in CRM, human factors and risk management. He has conducted training and provided educational content to national and international audiences in various high-reliability industries and organizations, including aviation, healthcare, transportation, energy and defense, as well as in academic settings. He is certified as a CRM instructor by the International Air Transport Association as well as being certified as an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) TeamSTEPPS master trainer. Patrick is the founder and principal of Critical Reliability Consulting (CRC) and provides training content and counsel to a variety of developers and distributors. In 2013, he co-authored and published “Beyond the Checklist: What Else Healthcare Can Learn from Aviation Teamwork and Safety” (Cornell University Press), providing deep insight into the “Aviation Safety Model,” why it has been so successful, and how it can – and should – be adapted to improve safety in other high reliability organizations, particularly healthcare.
Patrick and his wife have three grown children and live in the Seattle area with their dog, Fosbury.
Partner
Scott Linn was a flight test engineer with the Boeing Company for 32 years. He has also worked as a propulsion engineer with United Airlines and most recently was the Flight Safety Officer with AeroTEC, Inc., a flight test and certification company based in Seattle. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in statistics from Oregon State University and in aeronautical engineering from the University of Washington. Scott has a Master of Science degree in psychology and human factors from the University of Idaho, and in 2000 was qualified as a Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP) by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE).
Scott is an instrument rated pilot and an FAA-certified ground instructor. He is a member of the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society and a Life Member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and Mensa. He lives with his family on an Island north of Seattle.
Consultant
Dr. Mayumi Willgerodt is Associate Professor and Vice-Chair for Education in the department of Family and Child Nursing at the University of Washington and affiliate faculty in the Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education Research and Practice (CHSIE). Dr. Willgerodt’s research and scholarly foci are centered around school health and interprofessional (IP) education and collaborative practice (CP) as a means to impact health outcomes in youth, particularly with vulnerable and minority populations. She has developed, facilitated, and led IP curricula and training activities for students and faculty and provides consultation nationally on integrating IP curricula into both didactic and clinical settings. Dr, Willgerodt also engages in multi-method practice-based school nursing research, including the first published nationally representative school nursing workforce study.
Dr. Willgerodt is faculty on the MCH-funded Leadership Education in Adolescent Health Training Grant at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She is also a Master Team STEPPS trainer and has expertise in communication, group facilitation and focused groups. Dr. Willgerodt is a member of the 2013-25 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar cohort.
Prior to her current position, Dr. Willgerodt was on faculty at Rush University in Chicago and most recently the Director of Graduate Studies at UW Bothell where she oversaw the growth of graduate programming across the campus. She is on the editorial board of Journal of School Nursing and was the founding associate editor for the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice from 2014-2016. She also serves on the Research Advisory Board for National Association of School Nurses.
Dr. Willgerodt is a consultant, presenter and content provider for Critical Reliability Consulting.
Consultant
Scott graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and has spent the last 45 years in the aviation sector. As a Naval Aviator, he accumulated over 500 carrier landings serving as a Department Head, Commanding Officer, Special Operations Command Emergency Action Officer, and Naval Forces Central Command where he retired as a Navy Captain. During his naval career, he w Scott graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and has spent the last 45 years in the aviation sector. As a Naval Aviator, he accumulated over 500 carrier landings serving as a Department Head, Commanding Officer, Special Operations Command Emergency Action Officer, and Naval Forces Central Command where he retired as a Navy Captain. During his naval career, he was a member of the Blue Angels for 3 years serving as #4, the Slot Pilot, and Operations Officer in his final year.
He spent 30 years with Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines where he was a 757/767ER, 767-400, and 747-400 Captain, Line Check Pilot, Aircrew Program Designee (APD), and Senior Standards Captain. In 2014 he retired from Delta to take a position at Atlas Air as Senior Director Flight Procedures, Training, and Standards. He was responsible for nearly 300 employees, instructors, SIM Check and Line Check Pilots, and for all Training and Standards at Atlas. He served as a 747-400/8 Captain flying worldwide in the Atlas network. Additionally, he was the Flight Operations Lead for Pilot Recruiting and Hiring and played an active role in the hiring and training of nearly 1,900 pilots over a 5 year period which saw the Atlas and Southern pilot group nearly double in size.
During his tenure, he brought both a new state of the art Learning Management System (CPaT) to the training program with offline access via the company iPad for Initial and Quarterly Distant Learning, oversaw the implementation of the Electronic Flight Bag, and introduction of the Comply365 Document and Communication Manager. During his 5 + years he represented Flight Operations in 4 IOSA and DOD audits with zero findings along with multiple successful customer audits. He oversaw a total reorganization and standardization of the Atlas/Southern Training Department incorporating a more AQP like environment with Recurrent RLOFTs in lieu of Recurrent Flight Training. He was responsible for developing a comprehensive data collection process incorporating invaluable trend analysis which resulted in major changes to the curriculum footprints adapting to the changing experience and backgrounds of new hire crew members. He was instrumental in incorporating the tenets of AQP, CRM/TEM, and SMS within the Atlas Training program and pilot group with the ultimate goal of Desired Outcome resulting in safe, effective Human Performance.
He brings over 30 years of experience in developing and presenting CRM and TEM as an integral part of aviation training. He has personally observed the successful evolution and incorporation of the CRM/TEM model within commercial aviation, from its infancy as a new and not overly welcomed curriculum, to the cornerstone of safe and successful flight departments.
Scott is a CRM presenter and content contributor.
Subject Matter Expert
Suzanne Gordon is an award winning journalist and author who writes about healthcare delivery and health care systems. Her 15 books include, Nursing Against the Odds: How Healthcare Cost-Cutting, Medical Hubris, and Media Stereotypes Undermine Nurses and Patient Care and Safety in Numbers: Nurse Staffing Ratios and the Future of Healthcare. In the spring of 2012, Cornell University Press published her book, co-edited with Ross Koppel, entitled First Do Less Harm: Confronting Inconvenient Problems in Patient Safety.
Her latest book is Beyond the Checklist: What Else Healthcare Can Learn from Aviation Safety and Teamwork. All her books on healthcare have been published by the Culture and Politics of Healthcare Work Series at Cornell University Press, which she co-edits. She has been a radio commentator for CBS Radio and National Public Radio’s Marketplace. Her articles have appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Toronto Globe and Mail, and many others.
In the course of doing her work on teamwork in healthcare, she developed the concept of Team Intelligence. She is co-author of the play about team relationships in healthcare entitled Bedside Manners. The play has been performed at numerous venues included the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, and is being used in Interprofessional Education programs in the US and Canada. The play and accompanying workbook, will be published by Cornell University Ms. Gordon Ms. Gordon has lectured all over the world on healthcare issues and has appeared frequently on radio and television. She is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Ms. Gordon is at work on a new book on how to create and sustain Team Intelligence in Healthcare and is an editorial board member of the Journal of Interprofessional Care.
Learn more at Suzanne’s website!
Consultant
Proper sanitation, food handling and safety are a critical component to many flight operations. Dr. Clint Stevenson is our primary Subject Matter Expert for our Food Safety Program and has, along with CRC, developed an online course for Food Safety in Business Aviation Operations.
Dr. Stevenson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. His aspirations for food science originate from his upbringing on a small livestock farm in Idaho. He studied food science at the University of Idaho, Purdue University, and North Carolina State University and has worked internships at Nestle, Kraft, General Mills, and Heinz and full time as a shift production/quality supervisor at a Schreiber Foods cheese plant. Now Clint is making food quality assurance and food safety curriculum available to folks in industry through distance education. He directs a team that innovates and evaluates e-learning solutions for training the food industry on food safety and quality assurance.
Facilitator
Please welcome our most recent member of the Critical Reliability Consulting (CRC) team, Jean Denis Marcellin. From the time that Jean had his first flight in a Cessna 172 at age 12, he has dedicated himself to development as an aviation professional – and to helping others to do the same. He is now using his knowledge, talents and experience to help teach and promote safety in Business Aviation operations.
Jean is a graduate of Quebec Center for Aeronautical Training (Centre Québécois de Formation Aéronautique – or CQFA) where he completed the Professional Pilot/Multiengine degree course. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is type-rated in the Bombardier Global Express. He has logged more than 6,000 total flight hours during his 16-year aviation career. In addition to the Global Express, Jean has flown the Piper Navajo, Pilatus PC-12, Lear 45 and Challenger 560, among others. He has closely supported numerous aviation events, such as the International Air Rally, and has developed a deep interest in aviation safety, crew resource management (CRM) and human factors. As a corporate pilot in medevac operations in northern Canada, Jean whetted his interest in these disciplines, so much so that he was selected by his company to complete advanced leadership and communication training in Toronto during his time at Ornge, one of the biggest MedEvac operations in Canada. Jean has also completed specific human factors training from Embry-Riddle. Based in Toronto, he is now Assistant Chief Pilot for a major business aircraft management company where he also flies the Global Express. Long haul flying has led him to consideration of and solutions for many of the physical and mental challenges and demands inherent in this type of work.
Captain Marcellin is the author of two books, a companion set of two volumes titled “The Pilot Factor” and “The Pilot Factored” (available on Amazon). Applying established principles and real world experience, the books explore in detail topics such as CRM and Threat & Error Management, both key areas with meaningful relevance to aviation safety. The goal is to be a resource to enlighten and educate the aviation community on practical ways everyone involved can contribute to safer and more efficient flight operations.
Jean is a Technical Advisor to our online training partner, TrainingPort.net. He is a content provider to CRC on the subjects of CRM and Human Factors as well as being an active CRM training facilitator.
Jean currently resides in Southern Ontario with his wife and three children.
Training Partner
Our company has worked alongside TrainingPort.net as a subject matter expert and content provider for over 13 years. TrainingPort has been business aviation’s preferred online training provider since 2006. Working alongside industry-leading experts, they offer fully customizable scenario-based training for your entire flight department—all compliant with FAA, Transport Canada, and EASA regulations. TrainingPort.net is also your complete training solution for IS-BAO and IS-BAH registration.
TrainingPort provides over 90 unique topics for all personnel in fixed and rotary wing operations. Topics include Crew Resource Management (CRM), Performance Airspace, and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). Individual lessons within each topic are 15 minutes in length.
Train anywhere in the world, on any device you choose. With an automated currency assurance system and programs calibrated to your operation’s needs, TrainingPort.net offers your flight department a simple and adaptive path to regulatory compliance.
TrainingPort.net’s mission is to help business aviation professionals excel through innovation, high quality content, and excellent service.
Consultant
As is so common in aviation, Christopher Wilson caught the flying bug early. A ride in a Cessna at the age of 6 set him on a firm trajectory. Chris completed initial pilot training at university whilst attending the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2007. Subsequently, he was selected as an airline cadet and completed further training, including jet-transition and multi-crew familiarization. He graduated as Dux of his class from the Cathay Pacific Airways Cadet Pilot program.
Chris then joined Cathay Pacific in 2010 as a Second officer on the Airbus A340-300. He spent the next 12 years rising through the ranks to Relief Commander and has accumulated over 5,500 hours on Airbus A330, A340 and lastly A350 variants. During this time, Chris was also part of the Human Factors & CRM Facilitation Team at Cathay Pacific. He has experience in the development and facilitation of CRM instruction to a wide array of multicultural flight and cabin crews.
Chris holds a Master’s degree in Aviation Management from the University of New South Wales and Airline Transport Pilot license in 3 countries. He is currently a First Officer with Atlas Air on the Boeing 747 and resides in the San Diego area with his wife and two dogs.
