Jerry Christian
President / Owner / Aircraft Sales
Jerry began his career in aviation as a lineman while still in high school. His employer, Dixie Air, was a Cessna Distributor and FBO in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Building flight time ferrying new aircraft from the Cessna factory, he developed a goal of a career in general aviation. After completing three years of engineering at the University of Alabama, he realized that his goals could be better attained with a marketing major and turned four years of college into six. The Cessna Aircraft Company started a program to teach anyone in a dealership who was a pilot to sell their aircraft, even a lineman… Jerry took advantage of this opportunity to get involved in the industry. After selling his first aircraft just weeks after completing the factory training, he went from making $2 an hour to $500 in an afternoon by selling an early model 182. After selling twenty-two aircraft in his second year, Jerry began working with a number of the Memphis dealers and realized the greater opportunities that a larger market represented. He joined one of them and completed his entry into the real aircraft sales world. After seven years with one of the godfathers of the business, Jerry started his own sales organization. He has been a Piper and Cessna Dealer for a number of years. Changing emphasis to the brokerage of jets and turboprops in recent years, his company has also continued to sell many single and multi-engine piston powered aircraft. Jerry has enjoyed a long-time relationship with many repeat customers dating back to the 70’s. Without those loyal customers, he feels that his company would not have survived the ups and downs of the industry, especially in the most recent times.
Rhiannon Daugs
Aircraft Sales / Insurance Agent
Rhiannon has worked for Jerry Christian Aircraft Sales since 2003 while she finished her degrees. She began working full-time with the company in 2016 and specializes in aircraft sales. She is also a licensed property and casualty insurance agent and assists with the Coley-Christian Aviation Insurance business. Rhiannon has her PPL and is working to obtain her instrument/multi-engine ratings. She has grown up in aviation; her father was an aircraft mechanic in the Marine Corps, her mother was a flight attendant, one brother is in the avgas industry, the other brother is a TNANG crew chief, and her husband is a FedEx 757 captain and C17 instructor pilot at the TNANG. She is currently working on her MBA to further her education in the business world. Outside of work, Rhiannon lives at the soccer field and her CrossFit gym. She and her husband love to travel around the world.
John Berra
Aircraft Sales / Insurance Agent
John has literally grown up in the aviation industry and learned to fly when he was only eighteen years old. He is an ATP rated pilot with over 5,000 hours, flew for a commuter airline for many years, and has extensive experience as a corporate pilot. He also served as an underwriter for a major aviation carrier for twenty-five years. Though concentrating on insurance and flying during most of his career, he is now devoting the majority of his time to aircraft sales since joining our company. John has a great following of friends and customers from his many years in the industry. John is also an avid soccer player and coach.
Tracey Ferguson
Insurance Agent
Tracey started her aviation career as a customer service representative at the Memphis International Airport in 1995. Four years later, she joined Coley Aviation, Inc. where she assisted Jim Coley with aircraft sales and aviation insurance. In 2001, Jim teamed up with his longtime friend and associate, Jerry Christian to form Coley-Christian Aviation Insurance. Tracey continued to assist Jim with aircraft sales but also took on other responsibilities working with Jerry and continuing her work with the insurance business. Tracey relocated to Nashville, Tennessee and is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. She holds a non-resident license in twelve other states.
George Semmes
Aircraft Sales
George has been involved in aircraft sales since 1979 and has extensive experience in marketing new Piper and Cessna aircraft as well as all types of pre-owned aircraft, both domestically and internationally. He is a CFI and holds a commercial pilot certificate with SE, ME, and IFR ratings. He was active in the Civil Air Patrol Mississippi Wing located at Olive Branch, Mississippi as a Mission Pilot and Cadet Orientation Pilot. Though his primary emphasis has been in piston-powered sales, he is becoming more involved in the turbine market. He especially enjoys working with small community airport operators to market all types of aircraft.