MEET Our Leadership
Leah Whitfield, C.M., ACE
Leah serves as the President of APG and is a Senior Project Manager and Senior Aviation Planner. Her planning and project management experience includes master plans, system planning, regional transportation plans, business planning, airport siting studies, land use studies, PFC applications, DBE programs, minimum standards, snow removal equipment acquisition, airfield design, gate analysis, and security projects.
Leah is known for breaking down technical information and effectively communicating to a broad range of stakeholders. Leah leads public outreach in nearly every planning study she manages. Leah’s experience at a variety of airports as a consultant and as airport staff gives a broad understanding of the impact of growth and the importance of proper planning for that growth, as well as communicating the benefits of the airport to stakeholders.
Seth Young, Ph.D., A.A.E., CFI
Seth serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations and Principal Project Manager at APG, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in industry and academia to the practice. Seth’s work focuses on airport planning, operations optimization, obstruction evaluation and mitigation, capacity modeling, data analytics, engineering, design of facilities for new aircraft entrants, and project management.
Seth has published numerous journal articles in the aviation field and is a co-author of the leading texts on airport planning and design. Seth is an accredited airport executive (AAE) with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), a certified flight instructor, and holds an instrument-rated commercial airplane and seaplane pilot’s certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Haseeb Mirza, C.M., ENV SP
Haseeb Mirza is an Aviation Planning Manager and minority owner of Aviation Planning Group, with over nine years of experience leading projects for small, medium, and large-hub airport clients. His expertise spans master planning, airport layout planning, gating analysis, apron layout studies, and environmental assessments. He has played a key role in terminal expansion projects, leveraging tools like AviPLAN Airside Pro to develop gating layout plans and optimize airside and landside configurations. His proficiency in CAD and deep understanding of airport design standards allow him to manage teams efficiently, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, technically sound solutions for clients.
Haseeb is a Certified Member (C.M.) of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) through the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, and holds a certification in Project Management from Northwestern University. He earned a Master of Public Administration in Aviation Administration in 2015 and a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management with minors in Airport Planning and Political Science in 2013, both from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.