Marcela White has 40 years of aviation industry experience. Since 1999, she has co-owned Tavaero Jet Charter, Corp. An aircraft charter company based at Houston Hobby Airport, Tavaero was named for founder Thomas A. Vaughn, whose TAV initials led to the formation of the Tavaero Jet Charter business entity. She is also a licensed pilot and certified cabin attendant.
White frequently serves as a source for the media and as a speaker and panelist for aviation industry conferences and events. She also serves as a mentor for women and young professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in aviation and other Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.
White’s aviation career began in 1986 when she joined her sister’s private jet charter company, which she bought in 1989. In 1995, White earned her private pilot’s license. She also obtained cabin attendant certifications. Equipped with this training, White has gained a better understanding of the roles, responsibilities, challenges, and time constraints of flight crews in their quest to meet their private charter clients’ needs and expectations. Earlier in her career, she also worked as a dispatcher who was on call 24/7 – which resulted in many sleepless nights spent fielding calls and quoting charter flights at all hours of the night.
Born in Libya to an American father and Peruvian mother, White speaks English, Spanish, and French fluently. She often uses her Spanish language skills and knowledge of international regulations, cities, countries, and cultures to support her staff, clients, and strategic aviation industry partners.
“Most people think of private aircraft charter as an incredibly luxurious way to travel, enabling passengers to avoid the many challenges often associated with commercial airlines. While that is true, a valuable aspect of private air charter is the ability to transport severely burned children and their family members to the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, delivering life-saving organs to medical facilities and transplant teams, and providing humanitarian aid in the wake of natural disasters,” White commented.
Supporting industry associations and events is a priority for White and Tavaero Jet Charter. White is a member of the National Business Aircraft Association, the South Texas Business Aviation Association, and Women in Corporate Aviation. She is a former member of Women in Aviation, International. In 2023 and 2024, White chaired the South Texas Business Aviation scholarship and safety committees. In 2024, she served as a panelist for a Flight Safety Foundation conference; as a panelist for the Lone Star Flight Museum’s Girls in Aviation Day 2024 event; and as a guest on the WYVERN Way podcast.
For four consecutive years from 2021 to 2025, Tavaero served as a sponsor of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. The company also sponsored the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame 2024 Ceremony and Luncheon, the 2024 Women Inspiring the Next Generation through STEM (WINGS) breakfast event benefitting Lone Star Flight Museum programs, and Girls in Aviation Day 2024 at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
In addition, White spearheaded Tavaero Jet Charter’s participation in the Men Wear Pink Houston campaign that benefitted the American Cancer Society’s efforts to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research and treatment. Collectively, Tavaero leaders, clients, and staff raised $6,000 for the 2024 Men Wear Pink Houston campaign. .
White resides with her husband and business partner Renato Venturini in the Houston suburb of Friendswood. White and Venturini, who is Tavaero’s co-owner and director of maintenance, enjoy spending quality time with their two adult daughters. When she is not working, White enjoys recharging with family and friends by playing tennis, hiking, and traveling to explore new places.