Meet the board

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Sharon Sandberg is one of the original founding members of Flight Expo, Inc.  She is a graduate of Lothian Fashion Merchandising School.  She worked in the buying office for both Target and May Company Corporation in the 1980’s.  At May Company she oversaw 200+ department stores with both domestic and international purchases for the Boys 4 - 7 and Girls 4 - 6x departments.  

She also worked in store management for Motherhood Maternity, Susie's Casuals, and Dayton Hudson Stores.

Sharon started Speed, Props & Pylons, LLC in the mid 80’s which was dedicated to the air racing community with a quarterly newsletter about the people, planes and crew involved in the air racing circuit.  She was able to continue her other love of merchandising by producing promotional merchandise for the crews and spectators of the race planes: Tsunami, Strega, Risky Business, Yak 101 and Howard Perdue's airplanes and numerous others.  This helped defray the costs associated with racing and continue promoting the racers.  

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this merchandise was donated to Air Racing Unlimited, a group that was formed to help facilitate and encourage other racing venues.  Sharon headed up the promotional side by providing merchandise at numerous aviation events.  

1993 Sharon expanded into other aviation aircraft categories and started producing embroidered products for Aviation Organizations.  By 1996 she was embroidering for groups such as:  Leeward Air Ranch, Commemorative Air Force (Minnesota Wing), Warbird Rides of America, Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association, Warbirds Parts, Experimental Aircraft Association (Antique Division) and several others.   She gives back to the aviation community through donations to EAA, CAF (MN Wing) and Flight Expo, Inc.

 In 2023, Sharon was able to sell All Star War Birds. Today, Sharon overseas all facets of Flight Expo and is dedicated to helping the aviation industry grow.

John Bjornstad is the driving force behind Flight Expo’s Build A Plane program.  Build A Plane is for students from 12 years of age up to 18 years of age.  The goal of the program is to inspire, engage, and educate the next generation of aviators and technology leaders.  

Through his life experiences, John has developed numerous leadership qualities that help and support Flight Expo’s programs.  When faced with a challenge, John takes charge of the situation with his knowledgeable background in the aviation business sector.  He never gives up, but continually perseveres.  John shows the compassion and resourcefulness needed to help students and adults to learn different aviation techniques and skills.  He also shines through with his competitiveness that encourages the students to do better.

John spends his days restoring vintage aircraft for Kruse Aviation, Inc. located in Princeton, MN.  The shop has had the opportunity to work on President George Bush Seniors Stearman that he soloed in.  This aircraft did receive the “Best Stearman” award at Air Venture 2015.