Equipment Isn’t Enough, Your Mission Demands Real Expertise

Alex Giuffrida is a founding partner of CNC Technologies with responsibility for the company’s strategic direction, management and worldwide sales efforts across government, law enforcement and military channels.

Since launching CNC in 2016, Alex has established the company as one of the preeminent players in the aviation technology space and a trusted partner to dozens of the world’s most sophisticated public safety agencies including the Texas Department of Public Safety, LAPD and Swedish National Police. Key business highlights during his tenure include leading the company to eight straight years of high double-digit growth and significantly expanding the company’s service offerings, including the launch of CNC Aviation, a sales and leasing division for new and used aircraft and CNC.live a cloud based software/hardware offering to capture and manage all video/data from any airborne asset including drones.

Alex has played a central role in advancing the capabilities of the aerial surveillance and downlink market for nearly two decades. In 2004, he led the introduction of the industry’s first comprehensive real-time, HD aerial surveillance solution for government and commercial customers.

Prior to CNC Technologies, Alex served simultaneously as executive vice president of Helinet Aviation, Helinet Technologies and CEO of Shotover Camera Systems (a designer and manufacturer of high-performance camera systems and UAVs for the broadcast, motion picture, surveillance and industrial survey markets). At Helinet, Alex played an instrumental role in developing the company’s aerial surveillance and microwave downlink offerings.

The earlier part of Alex’s career was spent in finance as a Vice President for Prudential-Bache and First Vice President for Morgan Stanley.

Ron Magocsi is a founding partner of CNC Technologies and leads all aspects of the company’s technical operations, including the design and implementation of comprehensive intelligence solutions for law enforcement, government and military clients.

Ron has extensive experience creating robust surveillance and counter-intelligence systems for international, U.S. national, and local law enforcement authorities with particular expertise in airborne video and microwave downlink technology. This has included deploying solutions for numerous Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) projects funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Before co-founding CNC Technologies, Ron was chief technology officer for Helinet Technologies. He joined Helinet in August of 2004 as director of engineering and played a major role in the development of cutting edge transmission solutions for both the broadcast and law enforcement communities. Key accomplishments include designing New York City’s most advanced HD news helicopter and providing live, HD coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to joining Helinet, Ron worked at Fox Television Stations, Inc. (WNYW/WWOR) in NYC for 14 years. He began as a field engineer and photographer, providing live microwave and satellite transmissions in and around the New York Tri-State area. He then moved into engineering management where he became responsible for all news-engineering operations of the station, including the re-building of the transmission infrastructure lost during 9/11. While still at Fox, Ron was first introduced to aerial Electronic News Gathering (ENG) by negotiating and managing the SkyFox helicopter lease provided by Helinet Aviation.

Ron possesses years of experience managing and executing complex technical programs and developing advanced airborne surveillance and communications solutions.

Eric was a Police Officer for 30 years with the Ontario (Ca) Police Department. He served in numerous assignments throughout his career, including; Patrol, Investigations, K-9 (Patrol, Narcotics & SWAT) and finally Air Support. During his time in the Air Support Unit, Eric went from Tactical Flight Officer to Pilot, and was eventually promoted Sergeant and served as the Unit Commander for the last 6 years of his Law Enforcement career.

During his Assignment as Air Support Unit Commander Eric was responsible for developing and managing the Inland Regional Downlink Program, the largest geographical multi-agency interoperable downlink system in the United States.

Eric’s interest in Technology and Aviation made for a natural transition to the CNC team. Eric takes the commitment to put the right tools in the hands of our Law Enforcement, first responders and military very seriously. He understands that everyday this group of heroes are being asked to “do more with less.” Eric and the rest of the CNC Technologies team are dedicated to supporting our customers, giving them the ability to protect and serve, without compromise.

James serves as vice president, operations for CNC Technologies handling client contracts, logistics and mission deliverables.

Previously, James was director of operations for Helinet Technologies where he managed and serviced all ongoing law enforcement contracts. Earlier he served as Director of Operations at Helinet where he was directly responsible for managing aircraft contracts for more than 25 news outlets that contracted with Helinet for their electronic news gathering (ENG) operations. In this role, he managed all logistical aspects of each contract including aircraft maintenance services, air crews, fueling, hangar space, offices and delivery of all mission equipment.

James has also served as senior operations manager for Integrated Microwave Technologies LLC where he managed sales and technology issues for customers including the Houston Police department and a number of airborne broadcast and ENG operators.

Mr. Hyman received a degree in Communications with a concentration in Television Production from the University of Delaware. He has spent over 15 years in the video and microwave downlink technology field.

Babette brings a unique combination of aerial camera systems sales experience, account management background and financial industry acumen to her role as operations manager for CNC Technologies.

Prior to joining the CNC team, Babette served as vice president, sales, for Shotover Camera Systems and played a major role in increasing market share for the company in the international marketplace. She moved to Shotover from camera systems company, Cineflex, where she established sales records as the international channel manager for U.S broadcast and film sales for Cineflex. Earlier she worked at Bank of America as a senior personal banker.

Edward Harris brings over 40 years of Engineering, RF, Broadcast Television and Video expertise to his new role as the Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations for CNC Technologies, LLC. 

Edward joins CNC Technologies after retiring from his previous role as Director of Broadcast Engineering and Operations for the Fox Television Stations Media Conglomerate (WNYW-DT and WWOR-DT), in the Northeast.

A Summa Cum Laude Graduate from Polytechnic University, currently NYU, Edward earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Among his numerous accomplishments during his tenure at Fox Television Stations, Edward was an innovative Engineer that continually upgraded the WNYW-TV and WWOR-TV facilities, ENG / Microwave receiver sites, Transmitters, Remote Facilities, Control Rooms and Studios.

Edward was also responsible for converting the News operations from Linear editing to Non-Linear and transitioned the Central Equipment Rooms from an Analog signal facility to a full Digital / IP facility.

Edward provided insight, wisdom and forethought during the FCC mandated DTV spectrum repack to transition the WWOR-DT transmitter facility to its newly assigned channel and be recognized as one of the First US TV station to do so.

Most notably one of Ed’s past accomplishments includes the rebuilding of two NYC’s Transmitter Facilities at the Empire State Building (WNYW and WWOR) in 9 Days, working tirelessly with his colleagues 24/7, after the devasting terrorist attack that the USA suffered on September 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center and all of the NYC Broadcasters Transmission Facilities.

Ed Van Winkle served for 20 years with the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) in Gainesville, Florida, and retired as a Captain in 2008.

While at GPD, Ed performed a wide variety of operational assignments, including aviation, patrol, detectives, narcotics and SWAT. During his career, Ed served as the department’s Narcotics Unit Commander and SWAT Commander. He was also Unit Commander of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office/Gainesville Police Department Joint Aviation Unit.

Ed has extensive experience in Special Operations and the application of aviation assets to support specific agency goals and objectives.

After retiring from GPD, Ed was the Law Enforcement Sales Manager at Airbus Helicopters. Inc. (formerly American Eurocopter, LLC) for nine years. In this role, Ed worked closely with city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies to determine which aircraft would best meet their mission requirements. During his time at AHI, the company delivered over 140 law enforcement aircraft valued at $500 million.

Ed Van Winkle is an active commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor (CFII), as well as a fixed-wing pilot. Ed's in-depth flight experience and technical knowledge, combined with his strong customer focus, have distinguished him as a leader in the law enforcement aviation community.

Jack Snyder serves as Director of Finance for CNC where he leads company financial operations inclusive of investment, budgeting, contracts and M&A. He brings more than two decades of aviation finance and deal-making experience to the role, with background serving as an independent advisor on a broad range of transactions and as general counsel at helicopter services company Helinet Aviation.

Prior to CNC, Jack was in private practice where he advised companies or clients in managing their financial and legal affairs. This included financial analysis of acquisitions and divestitures, negotiating domestic and international business agreements and providing guidance on corporate formation and structures.

As general counsel at Helinet, Jack played a key role in guiding financial affairs across the company’s multiple business lines including helicopter services, film production, UAVs, manufacturing and technology development. He also managed the company’s intellectual property portfolio and oversaw all aspects of Helinet’s legal operations including contract negotiation, litigation and M&A.

Jack holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law and an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business. He received his B.A. in political science from UC Santa Barbara.

Mark brings nearly 30 years of experience to his role as Director of Training at CNC Technologies.

Prior to joining CNC, Mark served 27 years with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), retiring with the rank of lieutenant.

During his time with the MSP, he served in a variety of roles with the last 15 years of his career focused on airborne law enforcement operations and training. This included serving as a tactical flight officer (TFO), a helicopter line pilot, maintenance test pilot and certified flight instructor. As the executive officer of the agency’s Air Wing, Mark was responsible for all aspects of Air Wing operations, overseeing more than 1,500 airborne missions every year and creating a standardized training program for pilots and TFOs.

Mark is an instrument rated, commercial rotorcraft pilot and has experience flying and training pilots and TFOs in the EC135, AS350BA, AS355N helicopters. He also holds a Maritime Captain’s license and an FAA private pilot’s license for fixed wing aircraft.

Larry O’Brien serves as Program Manager at CNC Technologies where he oversees the planning and implementation of large-scale aviation and wireless communications solutions for the company’s law enforcement and government agency clients.

O’Brien joined CNC following a 21-year career with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) serving most recently as the agency’s Chief Flight Officer at headquarters in Sacramento. During his eight years in the role, he oversaw all aspects of the agency’s tactical flight officer operations including training, performance reviews and equipment acquisition. He also participated in the delivery of numerous new aircraft for the Department.

Earlier, he spent six years as a flight officer / paramedic for the CHP where he had the experience of performing multiple rescues and general law enforcement missions. O’Brien also holds a fixed wing private pilot license.

At CNC, O’Brien brings his experience implementing major aviation technology, communications and personnel initiatives to ensure all projects are delivered on-time, within scope and within budget.

Brian Petersen has over 20 years of experience in aviation and law enforcement. Currently, he serves as the Quality Assurance Manager for CNC, where he travels to completion centers to test Mission Suite components and complete delivery check-offs with end users. Brian also meets with customers to review completed projects and ensure high quality standards. His role involves ongoing quality assurance trips, developing customer satisfaction programs, and coordinating with sales and training teams.

Brian’s career includes roles as an EMS pilot with Air Evac Lifeteam, and as the Lieutenant Aviation Support Division Commander for the Nebraska State Patrol, where he managed a multi-million dollar fleet and conducted critical missions. He also served as an Investigator and Trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol, focusing on criminal investigations and law enforcement. Additionally, Brian was President of the Nebraska STAN/SLEBC Union and is a retired Major from the Nebraska Army National Guard, where he earned the Meritorious Service Medal. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Aviation Studies with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska - Omaha.

Shannon Mack brings more than 35 years of experience to his role as director, law enforcement sales at CNC where he works with local, national and international agencies to help them build high-performing aviation technology and wireless communication solutions.

Shannon joined CNC following a career with the Anne Arundel County Police Department where he served across a broad variety of roles, including as a SWAT team officer and trainer, tactical flight officer (TFO) and pilot. In 2007 he was named Commander of Anne Arundel’s Aviation Unit, operating within the department’s Special Operations Division. During his 14-year tenure in the position he supervised over countless missions while significantly upgrading the unit’s capabilities through new aircraft, enhanced communications systems and improved crew and hangar facilities.

A commercially rated rotorcraft pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours, Shannon brings a hands-on understanding of the needs of both in-air and on-the-ground forces from his experiences as a commander, pilot and SWAT team operator. This expertise helps him guide clients in developing effective solutions best matched to their specific mission requirements.

Sean serves as engineering manager at CNC Technologies where he plays a key role in the design and implementation of large scale microwave downlink and communications solutions. He brings nearly two decades of experience to the position with a broad background deploying advanced microwave and video transmission systems for law enforcement and broadcast clients.

Prior to joining CNC, Sean served as business development manager, law enforcement and public safety at Integrated Microwave Technologies. Key assignments included converting broadcasters from analog ENG systems to digital during the Sprint/Nextel BAS Spectrum Reallocation and providing covert and overt wireless video solutions to the U.S. Department of Justice. He also worked closely with law enforcement agencies to expand their downlink receive capabilities, bringing live HD video and data transmission to portable devices, maritime units and mobile command centers.

Sean received the Blooming Grove Service Award in 2016 from the Pennsylvania State Police and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the groundbreaking, live HD broadcast of the WRAL Parade of Sail tall ships exhibition.

Brandon Mueller serves as a technical sales specialist at CNC where he assists law enforcement and government clients in designing large-scale aviation technology and wireless communications systems.

Brandon joined CNC from Helinet Aviation Solutions where he was director of technology and broadcast operations. In this role he was responsible for developing, managing and maintaining mission suite and downlink systems for agencies including the LAPD, Long Beach PD, and Phoenix PD. In addition to his law enforcement work, Brandon oversaw Helinet’s electronic news gathering (ENG) operations for KABC-TV, KCBS-TV, KCAL-TV and KTTV (FOX 11 LA),

Prior to Helinet, Brandon worked as a mechanical engineer at a test equipment manufacturer Psiber Data Systems, helping develop and refine the company’s line of electronic test equipment for the networking industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

Dave Williams brings more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry to his role leading aircraft logistics at CNC. In this capacity, he provides clients with hands-on management of all logistical aspects encountered with aircraft ownership and operations.

Previous to CNC, Williams concentrated primarily on assisting civilian and law enforcement clients with aircraft sales, acquisitions and ongoing management of their aircraft fleets, including oversight of significant scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance projects.

Williams has worked closely with a broad range of clients and partners over the course of his career including Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Bombardier, Cessna Aircraft, Dassault Falcon, the DEA, DynCorp, Embraer, Executive Jet Management, the FBI Special Flight Operations, General Dynamics Aviation Services, Gulfstream Aerospace, Hawker-Beechcraft, Lufthansa Technik, NetJets, NOAA, Raytheon, RUAG, Sikorsky, the US Army, US Customs & Border Protection, and dozens of Fortune 500 corporate companies.

At CNC, Williams provides clients with unparalleled commitment and know-how across all aspects of aircraft management coupled with the ability to respond to and manage any issues whenever and wherever they may arise.

Chris Moberg serves as a field engineer for CNC, providing technical service and support for CNC’s customer base throughout the northeast United States including New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Chris joined CNC from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) where he served as an aircraft maintenance technician supporting the agency’s Air Wing. In this role, he helped ensure the agency’s fleet of six aircraft, flying more than 1,500 missions each year, were operating at optimum efficiency and safety. He also led inspections of MSP aircraft after installation of new mission equipment by outside vendors.

Previous to MSP, Chris was the lead aircraft maintenance technician for Boston MedFlight, a leading nonprofit, which provides free emergency and critical care medical transport for those in need. At MedFlight, he oversaw all aspects of the organization’s aviation maintenance operations and led inspections of new aircraft after completion.

Chris has extensive experience servicing and maintaining a broad range of aircraft and powerplants with Airbus factory training for the H145 helicopter and expertise across Cirrus, Cessna, King Air, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney and Safran product lines. In addition to the H145, he has a lengthy background working on the Airbus EC145, EC135 and AS350 helicopters. Chris is similarly versed in servicing aircraft mission equipment from manufacturers such as FLIR, Aero Computers, Troll, Churchill Navigation and others.

Chris graduated from the National Aviation Academy and holds an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification. He is also a certified Airplane, Single Engine, Land (ASEL) private pilot and is currently working on a rotorcraft rating.

José Montanez is a highly respected leader in aviation technology, with more than 30 years of experience installing and operating cutting-edge aerial and broadcast equipment worldwide. Over the course of his career, he has specialized in advanced camera systems and real-time video transmission, supporting complex operations across both public safety and media sectors. Jose is a also a certificated A&P and Rotorcraft Pilot.

José has worked alongside law enforcement operators around the globe and played a pivotal role on the only aerial team to deliver dramatic live coverage in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His technical expertise and performance under pressure have made him a trusted partner in high-stakes environments.

He also served as lead technician for the nation’s largest operator of broadcast news helicopters, helping pioneer the integration of HD, HDR, and moving-map technologies into television news operations.

As Managing Partner and Director of Photography at Gotham Filmworks, José contributed to numerous motion picture productions throughout the New York area, expanding his impact into cinematic storytelling.

Recognized and respected throughout the industry, José brings an unmatched level of real-world, field-tested experience — combining technical expertise with practical operational skills that set him apart as one of the leading professionals in aviation technology.

Mason Scarbrough brings nearly a decade of airborne sensor operations experience and more

than 1,400 flight hours across a broad range of advanced sensor suites and mission systems. He

began his career as an Intelligence Analyst in the U.S. Army, where he supported fixed-wing

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions throughout the Middle East and

Africa.

During his military tenure, Mason served as a Standardization Instructor, rewriting and refining

training standards for multiple King Air 350 ISR platforms. His work contributed directly to

improved mission readiness, aircrew proficiency, and operational effectiveness.

Following his military service, Mason transitioned to the private sector as a Lead Sensor/FMV

Instructor and Standardization Instructor. In these roles, he developed new training curricula, led

instructional programs, and deployed as a contractor to support real-world ISR operations.