At 26, Lonna Gibson stepped into what would become the defining foundation of her career.

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She was asked to join Rick Amber,  a solopreneur with a bold mission — a Naval Academy graduate who had lost the use of his legs in Vietnam and was determined to inspire children with disabilities through the gift of flight. As Marketing Director and his first hire, she helped build Challenge Air and its signature Fly Day events, where children with disabilities experienced a day as a co-pilot alongside volunteer wheelchair pilots.

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What began as a job quickly became something far more formative.

Shortly after she joined, Rick was diagnosed with cancer. Eight months later, he was gone, leaving Lonna to carry forward the organization he had built from the ground up.

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That moment didn’t just shape her; it established the lens through which she would lead for the rest of her career.

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She earned her pilot’s license and went on to scale Challenge Air from four states to 38, building national partnerships with organizations like Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Xerox, and Pillsbury. But more importantly, she learned firsthand what it takes to lead under pressure, steward a mission, and build systems that outlast a founder.

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Those years became the bedrock of her approach to leadership, strategy, and growth.

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In 2005, she founded Seven & Associates. For nearly 30 years, she has served as a strategic growth partner to founders, executives, and boards ready to move from reacting to leading, specializing in fundraising systems, StoryBrand messaging, and marketing strategy that turns mission into momentum.

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Lonna is deeply driven by strategy and passionate about helping leaders build what matters, with clarity, structure, and staying power.

 

A Texas A&M graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a minor in Marketing, Lonna is also a StoryBrand Certified Guide, Duct Tape Marketing Advisor, Veritus-certified in Major Gifts Fundraising, AFP board member, and founder of Do Good SCV. She brings 29+ years of real-world experience, not as an outside expert, but as someone who has sat exactly where her clients sit.