Meet the team
Tammy Barlette is the Founder and CEO of Crosscheck and a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel with more than 20 years of military service. A fighter pilot and instructor pilot, she flew the T-37, T-38, A-10, MQ-1, and MQ-9, accumulating more than 3,000 flight hours, including 1,500 hours supporting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Tammy's career also included overcoming a career-threatening spinal injury before returning to high-performance aviation as a T-38 instructor pilot.
Today, Tammy is a professional speaker, mental performance coach, and creator of training programs that help individuals and organizations perform more consistently by developing the human behind performance. She founded Crosscheck to translate the principles of high performance into practical tools that help people build confidence, improve consistency, and perform at their best when it matters most.
Brian Ellis, PhD is Crosscheck's Lead Aviation Performance Coach and a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) with more than 20 years of experience in rotary-wing aviation. A Black Hawk instructor pilot and examiner, he served in senior standardization roles, including with the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he flew as both a mission pilot and maintenance test pilot. Brian deployed multiple times in support of combat operations and humanitarian missions worldwide.
Brian holds a Ph.D. in Higher Educational Leadership, an M.A. in Aviation Education, and a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics. His research explored the Dunning-Kruger Effect in aviators, and he is an FAA Airline Transport Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII). Throughout his career, he has combined operational experience, instructional expertise, and human performance research to help pilots learn, perform, and lead more effectively.
Ryan "Moses" Addams retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel after more than 20 years of active duty and reserve service. A former instructor pilot in the T-37 and T-6, and aircraft commander in the KC-10, he dedicated much of his career to developing the next generation of military aviators.
Ryan earned his commission through AFROTC at Brigham Young University, where he received a bachelor's degree in International Relations, and later completed an MBA at Touro University. His service included deployments supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, along with joint counter-drug operations alongside the U.S. Army.
Today, Ryan is a captain at a major U.S. airline and brings his passion for teaching, mentoring, and pilot development to Crosscheck. He combines decades of operational experience with a practical, people-first approach to helping pilots build confidence and perform consistently.
Mahki Matthews is a doctoral student in Sport and Performance Psychology and serves as a Mental Performance Coach and Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Stress Management at St. Thomas Aquinas College. His work focuses on translating evidence-based performance psychology into practical tools that help individuals perform more consistently under pressure.
Mahki earned his M.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology and is currently pursuing his Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) credential. His experience includes a performance psychology internship at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he supported cadets and NCAA Division I student-athletes through the Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP).
At Crosscheck, Mahki brings the academic and research foundation behind mental performance, combining the latest evidence with practical coaching strategies to help pilots strengthen confidence, improve consistency, and perform at their best.
Pete "Vapor" Reddan is the founder of Vapor Global Aviation and President of the Upset Prevention and Recovery Network, organizations dedicated to advancing aviation safety and developing highly skilled pilots. An FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), Pete has spent more than 30 years training pilots and improving flight instruction across the aviation industry.
A retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and evaluator pilot, Pete flew the KC-10, T-6A, and C-17A during a distinguished military career that included more than 600 hours of combat and combat support flight time. He is also host of the podcasts The Way I Taught It and The Aviation Rant and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis.
Pete brings decades of experience in aviation, instruction, and human performance to help Crosscheck pilots develop the skills and mindset for consistent, confident performance.
Steve Gergen is an instrument-rated private pilot currently working toward his commercial and multi-engine ratings. After a 23-year break from flying, he returned to the cockpit only to discover that rebuilding confidence and trusting his abilities was more challenging than expected.
Through Crosscheck, Steve found the tools to overcome self-doubt, regain his confidence, and rediscover the joy of flying. That experience gives him a unique perspective on the challenges many pilots face as they work to build consistency and confidence.
As Crosscheck's Brand Representative, Steve connects with pilots across the aviation community, shares his personal journey, and helps others recognize that confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you develop. His authentic enthusiasm for aviation and belief in the Crosscheck mission make him a trusted advocate for pilots at every stage of their journey.
