Binghamton, NY, December 16, 2025 – McFarland-Johnson, Inc. (MJ), a 100% employee-owned planning, engineering, technology, environmental, and construction services firm, is pleased to announce four significant promotions in its Aviation Division.
“At McFarland Johnson, we are committed to recognizing and empowering exceptional talent within our organization. These promotions within our team reflect not only their individual achievements but also our continued dedication to advancing innovation and excellence in the aviation industry. We are confident that their leadership will drive our clients’ success and help shape the future of aviation,” said John Mafera, Vice President and Director of Aviation.
Matthew O’Brien, P.E., has been promoted to Aviation Design Manager at McFarland Johnson. With more than 18 years of civil and aviation engineering expertise, O’Brien is highly regarded for his leadership in designing and managing aviation improvement projects for general aviation and commercial service airports. Since joining MJ in 2016 as a Project Manager, he has overseen a wide array of aviation projects across New England, from Maine to Connecticut. O’Brien brings a comprehensive understanding of both airport operations and infrastructure, with experience spanning project scoping, permitting, design, construction oversight, and facility inspection. He has developed, managed, and executed designs for projects, including runway extensions and relocations, taxiway and apron modifications and improvements, and terminal building expansions. His project portfolio ranges from commercial facilities such as Bradley International in Hartford, CT, to small general aviation airports like Fryeburg, ME. Based in MJ’s Concord, New Hampshire office, O’Brien is actively engaged with organizations such as ASCE-NH, serving as past president; Airport Consultants Council (ACC); American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and Massachusetts Airport Management Association (MAMA).
Brady Brewster has been promoted to National Aviation Planning Lead at McFarland Johnson. Since joining the firm in 2019, Brewster has excelled as a Senior Aviation Planner, providing consulting and on-site expertise at a diverse range of airports—from general aviation fields to the nation’s busiest large hub airports. With nine years of industry experience, he has led the development of Airport Master Plans and Project Definition Documents (PDDs) for significant airside and landside expansion projects. His background also includes activity validation studies, aviation passenger demand forecasts, gate modeling and site planning, and the preparation and delivery of executive briefings to support large expansion projects. Based in MJ’s Hollywood, Florida office, Brewster is actively involved with AAAE and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC), serving on both organizations’ Young Professionals Committees. He was recently recognized as one of Airport Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40 honorees for 2025.
Amanda Sheridan, P.E., has been promoted to Aviation Design Lead at McFarland Johnson. With 11 years of specialized experience in aviation design and project management, she joined the firm in 2021 as an Airport Project Engineer. Sheridan’s expertise covers both new construction and rehabilitation of runways, taxiways, aprons, aircraft gate layouts, access roadways, site development, obstruction mitigation, and landside development. As project manager, she leads projects from initial planning and programming through to the completion of project design and construction. Based in MJ’s Greenville, South Carolina office, Sheridan also plays an integral role in industry organizations, serving as the Young Professionals Liaison for the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) Advocacy Committee and as Secretary for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in Western Carolina.
Santiago (Rocky) Navarro has been promoted to Regional Planning Manager at McFarland Johnson. With over 18 years of professional planning and project management expertise in the public and private sectors, Navarro joined MJ as a Senior Aviation Planner and Project Manager. Based in MJ’s Buffalo, New York office, he has led a wide range of transportation-focused projects, drawing on experience in engineering, energy, environmental, railroad, and telecom industries. His planning background includes program management, grant administration, airport and transit master planning, transportation planning, and environmental reviews. He has successfully managed engineering projects that include permit acquisition, construction-phase services, inspections, and safety oversight. In addition, Navarro has held leadership roles in operations management and quality assurance/quality control, further demonstrating his comprehensive approach to project delivery.
Please join us in congratulating these aviation professionals on their achievements and new appointments.
About McFarland-Johnson, Inc.
McFarland-Johnson, Inc. (MJ), is a 100% employee-owned leader in the planning, engineering, environmental, technology, and construction services of innovative aviation, transportation, civil/facilities, and environmental projects. With office locations throughout the United States, MJ has been serving clients for more than 79 years. We are a people-centric company guided by the belief that employee owners are more committed to delivering quality services.
