AeroVironment Inc. has named Kevin McDonnell as its new chief financial officer effective Feb. 10. McDonnell joins the Simi Valley unmanned aircraft developer and manufacturer after having served in a similar position with Jams Inc., a provider of alternative dispute resolution services based in Irvine. McDonnell replaces Brian Shackley, who served as interim chief financial officer after Teresa Covington left the position in October to become finance chief of an undisclosed private company. Shackley remains with the company as vice president and controller. McDonnell said he is excited to join AeroVironment at this stage in the company’s history. “The AeroVironment team has generated significant value for its shareholders, with a demonstrated track record of strong, profitable growth,” McDonnell said in a statement. In addition to his time at Jams, McDonnell has also served in various senior financial roles at Teradata Corp., a San Diego software company, and was chief financial officer at Digital Insight, a software provider to banks and credit unions in Calabasas that was acquired in 2014 by NCR Corp. Shares in AeroVironment (AVAV) closed down 7 cents, or a fraction of one percent, to $67.93 on the Nasdaq.