Mark Sixel, President and Owner
Mark Sixel is a nationally recognized leader in air service development. Mark has been working on behalf of airports since graduating from the University of Texas in Austin with his Master Degree in Business Administration. In 1996 he formed “Transportation Solutions, Inc.” in Austin, his first fully owned airport and air services consulting firm. In 2001 he renamed the company Sixel Consulting Group, Inc. to better reflect the recognition that he had received in the industry. Mark has represented hundreds of airports of varying sizes at airline corporate headquarters, industry conferences and at local community forums. He also has been a featured speaker at numerous aviation conferences, both on the regional and national level and is frequently asked by regional and national media from around the nation for his expert views on the industry. Mark has developed strong, personal relationships with top airline route decision makers and continues to work with them on behalf of airports across the country.

Brandi Ferguson, Director of Research and Administration
In her role as Director of Research and Administration, Brandi Ferguson manages the preparation, communication and research involved in conducting our Passenger Leakage Study. She also coordinates with airline executives, airport clients, community groups and has conducted focus groups and educational sessions to improve ridership within a community. Brandi supports the president of the company and staff with various airport related projects including federal grant application preparation, editing presentations and proposals, writing marketing materials, creating route maps using ArcMap and coordinating business conferences. Her many responsibilities also include various administrative duties such as bookkeeping, making travel arrangements and human resources. Before joining SCG in 2002, Brandi worked for American Airlines, America West Airlines and as a travel consultant for both leisure and corporate clients. She also worked in human resources for three years and in the banking industry. Brandi attended Lane Community College and graduated from the International Air Academy in Vancouver, Washington with President’s List honors.

Jack Penning, Analyst
Jack joined SCG in 2001, and now has wide-ranging responsibilities including analyzing data, developing and presenting airline presentations, and writing many of the Group’s major projects.  Jack is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest for his work as the Aviation Reporter for KGW-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland, Oregon, and NorthWest Cable News (NWCN), the 24-hour news channel covering five Northwest states.  At SCG, Jack has worked for more than 50 airports, developing research papers and projects that have led to the initiation of dozens of new airline routes.  Jack is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jeffrey Hayes, Director of Marketing
Jeffrey joined SCG in 2007 as the Director of Marketing in the state of Indiana. His primary focus is developing, managing and implementing the airport and airline marketing plan for the new intrastate Indiana passenger service. Jeffrey has worked in the airline industry for more than eighteen years. His experience includes airline and airport management, route planning, airline schedule analysis, air traffic forecasting and six years working for the US Government in the Department of Homeland Security. Jeffrey attended Purdue University majoring in Aviation Management.

John Gunderson, Information Systems Manager
John has worked for Mark Sixel since 2000.  John works to keep SCG on the leading edge of the current technology.  John created SCG’s network operating system and is responsible for keeping all hardware and software optimized.  John has developed websites for airport clients and is in charge of quality control on all projects.  He also ensures the integrity of the data acquired to study markets and new route opportunities. 

Lynn Pocan, Sub-Contractor in Charge of Marketing and Advertising
Lynn Pocan is the President and Owner of Advertising/Marketing/Strategic Planning, a marketing and advertising agency based in Eugene, Oregon.   Lynn brings over twenty years of experience in marketing and advertising to Sixel Consulting Group.  Lynn offers Sixel Consulting Group clients a complete range of services including all media production and placement (television, radio, print), corporate identity, image development, logo design, direct mail campaigns, interior and exterior signage, brochures, presentation folders, catalogs, and other collateral printed materials, exhibits and displays, packaging and brand development, and point-of-sale materials.

Matthew Derrick, GIS Analyst
Matthew joined the Sixel team in 2007. Matthew melds practical technical skill with a breadth of knowledge in geovisualization theory to provide expertise in geographic information systems (GIS). He is called upon to transform layers of data into efficient, easy-to-read geographic analysis, including detailed catchment area studies, route maps, spatially modeled market research, and other products. Matthew holds master's degrees in Geography and Russian Studies; he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography.