Title: Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Company: Centurion Contracting & Consulting
Location: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States
Jim “Monk” Crisafulli, CW4 (retired), chief executive officer and founder of Centurion Contracting & Consulting, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Military for dedication, achievements, and leadership in consulting, aviation and special operations.
With an impressive professional life spanning more than 50 years, Mr. Crisafulli is celebrated for decades of service to the military and military-adjacent aviation training. This journey began in 1972 when he joined the military to attend flight school, becoming a pilot at 19 years old. Until 1992, Mr. Crisafulli taught as a utility and observation helicopter flight instructor. Concurrently with that, from 1985 to 1992, he was a flight instructor for the 5th Special Forces and the 160th Airborne Special Operations Aviation Regiment of the U.S. Army. He specialized in teaching others how to perform specific types of flights, such as search-and-rescue, night-vision goggle, desert, mountain and overwater.
In total, Mr. Crisafulli dedicated 21 years to the U.S. Army Special Forces as a special operations flight detachment chief pilot for the Green Berets, retiring with the rank of chief warrant officer 4. After retiring from active duty in the military in 1992, he joined International Development & Resources Inc., a company focused on providing professional services related to defense, intelligence, telecommunications and more. Affiliated with this company for 20 years as a flight instructor. Leveraging his extensive military experience, he focused on training military aviators for special mission profiles or unique tasks, as well as teaching proper technique for the MH60 Kilo helicopter.
In 2013, Mr. Crisafulli was recruited by the government to serve as an MI-17 helicopter instructor pilot for the Counter Narco Terrorism Office (CNTPO). He also piloted an SA-332 Puma helicopter during this time in support of government operations in the East China Sea. From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Crisafulli returned to IDR as an instructional developer. In this role, he developed special operations aviation training programs, including writing content and incorporating new technology into the training. He has continued to offer his expertise through his own business, Centurion Contracting and Consulting, which he founded in 2014.
Among his career accomplishments, Mr. Crisafulli is particularly proud of his service during the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm. Most notably, he carried out a mission to rescue three Green Berets who were trapped behind enemy lines. During these events, Mr. Crisafulli had to fly 185 nautical miles at speeds of up to 160 miles an hour, but he succeeded despite his helicopter taking nearly 50 hits from enemy fire. He also notes his achievement of being chosen to fly for Vice President George H.W. Bush.
Mr. Crisafulli’s vocational path has been supported by his academic pursuits, beginning with an Associate of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in aviation from the same institution, graduating summa cum laude. Subsequently, Mr. Crisafulli graduated summa cum laude once more while earning a Master of Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has been certified as an airline transport pilot, a rotary wing pilot and a flight instructor.
Known for his contributions as a civic-minded citizen, Mr. Crisafulli is devoted to helping lift others up. His group has donated $80,000 to local hospitals, while also supporting causes such as the Night Stalker Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. In 2024, Mr. Crisafulli established a scholarship through the Night Stalker Foundation in honor of his late wife, Linda Marie Crisafulli. Through this scholarship, he has already awarded $5,000 to a student facing significant hardship, and he is committed to renewing it for as long as he’s able to do so.
In addition to his esteemed military and professional lives, Mr. Crisafulli is a loving father to two and grandfather to five. His favorite pastimes include collecting and restoring classic cars, attending car shows, restoring antique tractors and photographing vintage machinery. Mr. Crisafulli looks forward to continuing to support aviation and special operations training in every way that he can.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Mr. Crisafulli: