Before founding Up North Aero, Chad held leadership positions with Compass Airlines Technical Operations in both the maintenance and quality divisions, where he focused on strategic planning, team leadership, and change management. Previously, Chad was an active member in the Minnesota Air National Guard (USAF) for 20 years in an aviation maintenance capacity until his retirement in late 2017. He holds an MBA from Concordia University St Paul and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation Maintenance Management from St Cloud State University. Chad is a certified AMT with a current Airframe and Powerplant rating.