Dr. Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, President of West Houston Airport, is a pilot, business owner, mom, wife and passionate spokesperson about sharing the importance of the aviation and aerospace industry and workforce development.
As the first person in her family to graduate from college, she understands what a difference in her life that challenge meant. Her dad, Woody Lesikar, taught her the value of hard work, a passion for learning, and never giving up. By the time she was 20, she had earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas, her private pilot’s license, was a lay minister in her church and was working at the Texas Legislature. Fast forward 30 years and Dr. deZevallos strives to show others how any education and opportunity in life whether it’s in a trade, degree program or a passion, can make a tremendous difference.
Dr. deZevallos currently serves Texas Southern University on their Aviation Advisory Board working alongside their Professional Pilot and Aviation Management degree programs. Locally, she is involved in numerous charitable efforts such as the San Jacinto Girl Scouts of America where she is a lifetime member, former troop leader and volunteer. She is currently involved with a national team of women who are working to design the first Girl Scout Aviation Badge! She is a member and contributor to the Downtown Rotary Club of Houston, the women organization of pilots – the 99’s, and is a spokesperson at schools across the state about aviation workforce development. Her passion is presenting to youth and policy makers about the aviation industry and aerospace workforce that is needed around the world – less than 8% of all licensed pilots are women and minorities and she is trying to do her best to increase that number – one student at a time.
She eventually earned her EMBA from Texas A&M University and her Doctorate in Aviation and Space Science from Oklahoma State University where she worked as an adjunct professor. Shelly previously worked for Cessna Aircraft Company as a top salesman which included sales and demonstrating aircraft across Texas and the Southwest. At the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association she advocated and testified at legislatures alongside policy decision makers and supporting general aviation.
Shelly is part of the family that operates West Houston Airport, one of the top 20 privately owned-public use general aviation FAA Reliever airports across the country that her father developed decades ago. They also currently operate the oldest and continuous running flight school in the Houston Area which has trained thousands and thousands of pilots flying at airlines and companies all around the globe.
Dr. deZevallos herself is an active pilot with a commercial certificate, Single, Multi Engine Land and glider ratings with over 5,000 hours of flight in various makes and models.
Nationally, Shelly is on the Board of Directors for the National Business Aviation Association, the world’s leading business aviation trade association. She also volunteers and conducts research with the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board. Statewide, Dr. deZevallos currently serves Texas on the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Advisory Committee.
In the fall of 2019, Dr. deZevallos was appointed by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to the United States Department of Transportation Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC) where she is part of a national committee addressing safety and certification issues in the aviation industry.
Shelly is a native Houstonian and resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Chris, and their twin girls, Katharine and Sarah.
She is truly honored and humbled to be a part of the Top 30 Women program standing alongside these amazing women of Houston.
Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, Ed.D.
President
West Houston Airport
18000 Groeshcke Road
Houston, Texas 77094
(281) 492-2130
shelly@westhoustonairport.com
www.westhoustonairport.com
