Thel Osborne


Thel Osborne is Managing Director of Continuous Improvement at American Eagle Airlines, a regional affiliate of American Airlines. She has spent more than 30 years in the aerospace industry and is one of the highest ranking African-American women in aviation.

She started her career in Aviation with The Boeing Company as an Industrial Engineer, in maintenance and traveled around the world applying the techniques of Lean Manufacturing, which she was taught in Japan by the Shigeo Shingo Group, Toyota Production System.  This started an inspiring career on “Teams”.

To be consistent with her mission and goals in Aviation to become president, she decided not to wait to be recognized by her peers in the Airlines Industry; she founded and is President, of JAMNG, Inc.  A  Lean Six Sigma Consulting Company.  JAMNG is the initials of her children.

Thel is the oldest of three children, born to missionaries in Haiti.  Her father, Thel (Plum) a Baptist Minister and Mother, Corene, a nurse.  She spent her early child hood in Puerto Prince, and could run a Mill, lathe at 11 years old.

She received a BSIE (Industrial Engineering) from Lincoln University, Nebraska
MBA, University of Oklahoma (OU)

Proud mother of four children, two of which work in aviation, a pilot and air traffic controller.  Grandmother of three.


Motto:  Be Inspiring!