Recordings available as Video-on-Demand
4th Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure for UAM
March 2-4, 2021 — Virtual
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This 4th Workshop is dedicated to addressing the identified policy challenges in eVTOL Infrastructure and plotting out a plan of action in collaboration with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), State, Regional and Local government to advance eVTOL Infrastructure development. The workshop schedule will include updates from the FAA Tech Center, presentations from key players from the industry and facilitated discussions to set the roadmap. In the 1st workshop in Sept. 2019, industry representatives and regulators focused on the "defining challenges" of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, identifying key stakeholders and strategies for moving forward. The 2nd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure, held virtually (due to COVID-19) in a series on sponsored webinars in April and May 2020, covered foundational elements needed to support the development of safe, functional and economically viable infrastructure to support UAM applications. The 3rd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure, held virtually (due to COVID-19) in a series was held in September 2020, covered foundational elements needed to support the development of safe, functional and economically viable infrastructure to support UAM applications. A virtual tour of the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City was also part of the program. The output of the workshop was captured via audience inputs and used to set the content for the 4th workshop. Objectives
Deliverables
Organizers
In order to maximize the educational opportunity and the diversity of attendees, we have set the registration rates very low. Watch the recordings now! (Microsoft's Internet Explorer/Edge browser is not compatible with our registration site. First time users, be sure to click the popup to "Allow Cookies." You do not need to be a member to register but you need an account.)
Notes: Since this is a working meeting, members of the press are welcome to attend, but attributions made by FAA employees must be reviewed by the FAA Communications team. |
Workshop Gold Sponsors:
Contact VFS to become a sponsor! |
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VFS is hosting its virtual 4th Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). This three-day meeting is the fourth in a series of solution-focused workshops. 
| Infrastructure for Urban Air Mobility Workshop | ||
| March 2-4, 2021 | GoToWebinar All times are in EDT (UTC-5) |
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| March 2, 2021 | ||
| 1000 - 1030 | Welcome and Introductions |
Jim Sherman, Vertical Flight Society |
| 1030 - 1200 | Infrastructure Policy Challenges: Session 1 / Industry Perspective
Traditionally, aviation has functioned as a mode of transportation distinct from other modes of transportation and, in most cases separated from the communities they serve. However, AAM envisions an aviation industry that interacts directly with communities, both from a hardscape perspective such as rooftop vertiports or multimodal transportation hubs or corporate campuses, and a softscape perspective such as the use of electricity, communications and airspace. As industry contemplates this new relationship with local communities, it must move beyond a traditional general aviation approach, building trust and bringing value in new ways. Reciprocally, to realize the maximum potential of AAM, communities must work with industry in new ways and be willing to find innovative policy solutions to accompany innovative technologies. This panel explores--from the industry perspective--what AAM has to offer communities and what it needs to realize its full potential. |
Moderator: Anna Dietrich, Director of Industry and Strategy, CAMI Jarred Howard, Government and Public Affairs Lead, Bell Paul Stith, Director, Global Transportation Initiatives, Black & Veatch Dan Dalton, Vice President, Global Partnerships, Wisk |
| 1200 - 1300 |
Networking Lunch with Exhibitors |
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| 1300 - 1430 | Infrastructure Policy Challenges: Session 2 / Local Perspective - Unique Communities, Tailored Approaches
As AAM technology has moved forward, communities have begun to explore how to integrate this new form of transportation into their existing transportation systems and infrastructure. Each community has its own unique needs, resources and concerns, and must use these to tailor this integration. Moreover, different policy issues arise depending on the characteristics of the community and the governmental agencies involved. In this panel, we hear from three communities represented by three levels of government – tribal, state and city – about their approaches to AAM. |
Moderator: Todd Petersen, Co-Founder, Ellis & Associates David Fleckenstein, Director of Aviation, Washington State DoT James Grimsley, Executive Director, Advanced Technologies Initiatives, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Matthew Broffman, Director of Innovation, City of Orlando Lauren Moore, President, Atlantic County (NJ) Economic Alliance |
| 1430 - 1445 | Short Break | |
| 1445 - 1615 | Infrastructure Policy Challenges: Session 3 / Putting It All Together
As communities and industry come together to implement AAM, it is clear that planning is at the core of a successful approach. Planning for AAM includes everything from vertiport designs and locations, to route planning, to integration into a multimodal transportation system, to addressing issues of sustainability, and more. This planning is an exercise that must happen at the local level, but with the active participation of all stakeholders including industry, regulators, operators, agencies, essential services and the public. This panel will discuss how these stakeholders can come together to address infrastructure policy concerns and develop a broadly supported implementation plan |
Moderator: Yolanka Wulff, Executive Director, CAMI Adam Cohen, Senior Research Manager, University of California, Berkeley Darrell Swanson, Director, Swanson Aviation Consultancy Ltd Timothy Middleton, Senior Consultant, HMMH |
| March 3, 2021 | ||
| 1000 - 1200 |
State & Municipality Strategic Considerations: Session 1 / Learning From Past Experiences With Airports From site selection to construction many players are needed to develop a Vertiport. Funding, zoning, airspace, and community engagement all play into the entire development and operation of a facility. Understanding the many political hurdles of a vertiport has rarely been explored. This session will bring together leaders from around the industry in planning, policy, airspace, and finance to discuss the steps needed to select and build a vertiport. |
Moderator: Zach Shuman, Woolpert Adrienne Lindgren, State and Local Partnerships, Hyundai Rick Day, Principal, 6DOTS Danielle Rinsler, Principal, Rinsler Consulting Michael Meyers, Manager of Airport Engineering, FAA |
| 1200 - 1300 | Networking Lunch with Exhibitors | |
| 1300 - 1430 | State & Municipality Strategic Considerations: Session 2 / Mobility choices and the Future Power Grid
Transportation systems are evolving with new energy supplies, autonomy, rideshare models and other mass-transit efforts evolving and providing alternate and potentially more efficient solutions. This evolution has included electrification of the ground vehicle industry and is accelerating through the classes of vehicles from Light-Duty to Heavy-Duty into aviation. The electrical grid of today is also evolving as well as the world transitions to more distributed energy systems and future transportation energy loads will increase demands on existing infrastructure in potentially dramatic fashion. Intermodal transportation mode choice, electrical energy system transformations, and potential use cases for electric aviation energy systems will be explored in this panel. |
Moderator: Scott Cary, NREL David Ulane A.A.E., Director, Colorado Division of Aeronautics Stanley E. Young, P.E., PhD , Mobility Systems Team Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Jesse Bennett , Research Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Michael Peters, Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
| 1430 - 1445 | Short Break | |
| 1445 - 1615 |
State & Municipality Strategic Considerations: Session 3 / Local Engagement / The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Early engagement with local decision makers is vital to the success of any new project. Nowhere is this more evident than in the development of transportation infrastructure. “What they don’t know, will scare them!” This holds true for planning commissions, zoning commissions, city councils, city utilities, environmental services, etc… Before you issue your first press release you need to engage local policy makers and community stake holders, providing them with the facts they need to make informed decisions. If on the other hand community leaders hear about your project on the evening news first, there are not enough facts in the world to trump public opinion when its driven by pure emotion. This panel will provide an overview of lessons learned as it applies to local policy, community outreach, and engagement strategies. |
Moderator: Cliff Johnson, FAA Ted Osborne, Senior Director, PS&S Chuck Clauser, Senior Architect, PS&S Cade Clark, Vice President of Government Affairs, Helicopter Association International (HAI) Rex Alexander, President, Five-Alpha LLC |
| 1615 - 1715 | Happy Hour with Sponsors and Exhibitors | |
| March 4, 2021 | ||
| 1000 - 1200 |
Advancing Technology Through Policy: Session 1 / Community Engagement and Unlocking Scaled Advanced Air Mobility Urban Air Mobility represents an exciting paradigm shift, taking aviation from a predominantly long-distance public transportation mode to an integral component of regional and local mobility. While industry and governments mature Urban Air Mobility capabilities there is recognition that it will to bring new aviation operations closer to communities than ever before. Experience has shown that communities have a strong interest in any changes to their neighborhoods including those above them. The experience of the aviation over the last 30 has generated many invaluable lessons about the importance of effective community engagement, that have the potential to enable or constrain scaled UAM operations. This panel explores what we can learn from past community engagement best practices, what different or new approach’s might be possible now, and how and when we start? |
Moderator: Matt Metcalfe, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting Don Scata, Manager, Noise Division, FAA Nancy Mendonca, Deputy Team Lead, UAM Coordination and Assessment Team, NASA David Rottblatt, Vice President of Business Development, Eve Urban Air Mobility Ernest Huffman, Airport Planning and Education Program Manager, Transportation Department, North Central Texas Council of Governments |
| 1200 - 1300 | Networking Lunch with Exhibitors | |
| 1300 - 1430 | Advancing Technology Through Policy: Session 2 / Vertiport Infrastructure: A Case Study - Practical and Legal Considerations This panel will use a real-world patented vertiport product as a "case study" to discuss go-to-market legal challenges and provide the audience with practical tips to navigate these hurdles at the state level. The panel will discuss potential holistic solutions including whether the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) model rule-making procedure is a viable option for consistent regulations and approaches. |
Moderator: Dawn Zoldi, P3 Tech Consulting Lydia M. Hilton, Of Counsel, Berman Fink Van Horn PC Mike DiCosola, CEO, Drone Industry Systems Corp Grant Guillot, Partner, Adams and Reese LLP Joseph Corrao, Civil Aviation Attorney |
| 1430 - 1445 | Short Break | |
| 1445 - 1615 |
Advancing Technology Through Policy: Session 3 / Hydrogen – Policies, Technologies and Future Infrastructure. Hydrogen-powered propulsion is now considered both feasible and a game-changer for future electric flight. In this panel, a select group of experts having a perspective on the future of hydrogen -- production, distribution and use for flight – will provide their thoughts and take questions from the Vertical Flight Society audience. |
Moderator: Michael Dyment, NEXA Capital Partners Bruce Holmes, Principal, Holmes Consulting Rod Williams, Chief Commercial Officer, Universal Hydrogen Yesh Premkumar, Sr. Manager, Global Partnerships, Hyundai |
| 1615 - 1715 | Happy Hour with Sponsors and Exhibitors | |
There are limited number of sponsorships available. Fill out this eVTOL Workshop Sponsor Application to apply for a sponsorship.
- Gold Sponsorship (5 max): $2,500 — includes logos/signage, flyer, three complimentary registrations and a 20-minute speaking slot. (Subject to approval and availability.)
- Silver Sponsorship (5 max): $1,500 — includes logos/signage, flyer, one complimentary registration and a 10-minute speaking slot. (Subject to approval and availability.)
- Advertiser (10 max): $500 — includes logos/signage. (Subject to approval and availability.)
Background
The Vertical Flight Society, founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, is the world's leading professional organization working to advance vertical flight. VFS has been a leading advocate and supporter of what we call "The Electric VTOL Revolution." We held the world's eVTOL technical meeting in 2014 and our 7th Annual eVTOL Symposium was held in Jan. 2020 in Silicon Valley; we now have 100+ hours of informative and educational videos on electric VTOL. A summary of the work that VFS and its partners have done, along with information on previous events and activities, can be found on this webpage.
Questions?
Please contact Jim Sherman for more information.
Yolanka is a business attorney and consultant with over two decades of experience in the successful development, implementation and management of mission-driven programs. Prior to joining Community Air Mobility Initiative as Co-Executive Director, Yolanka has been a sustainable aviation consultant for nine years, working with industry, government, academia and nonprofits on policy, standards and regulations, industry development, market challenges, communications and media relations. Yolanka also serves as Executive Director of CAFE Foundation where she organizes the annual Electric Aircraft Symposium.
Anna is an industry-recognized leader in the urban air mobility (UAM), eVTOL, and innovative personal aviation industries. She is an expert in policy, certification and government relations in the aviation industry, as well as start-up company operations and generally solving complex problems in unique ways while inspiring innovation within a sustainable framework. Anna is now active in creating the policy and regulatory landscape for urban air mobility (UAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft including being the Co Executive Director of the Community Air Mobility Initiative (CAMI).
Scott Cary is the Ports and Airports Project Manager for NREL. As one of 17 Department of Energy national labs, NREL is transforming energy by advancing the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power technologies and provides the knowledge to integrate and optimize energy systems. Scott has more than twenty years of aviation design and construction management experience with the Department of Defense, and aviation both domestically and internationally. As the Ports and Airports Project Manager for NREL his role focuses upon assisting with advancements in transportation technologies for the transportation sector, primarily ports and airports. Scott is a licensed engineer in multiple jurisdictions and enjoys assisting aviation partners with leading edge implementation of technology.
Lydia Hilton knows bankruptcy – and drones. Having spent more than 25 years concentrating on real estate litigation and bankruptcy matters, today Lydia also applies that versatility to the highly entrepreneurial business opportunities within unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), a/k/a “drones.” Lydia offers straight advice for available solutions, no matter if a client is facing bankruptcy or dealing with the latest drone regulations. Lydia’s broad range of clients includes creditors, service providers, food co-ops, vendors, franchisors and franchisees and other business clients that seek insolvency, restructuring and bankruptcy solutions. Through sage negotiation, and litigation, when necessary, Lydia brings her clients to a quick, practical and wise business resolution. An advisor on day-to-day operational and compliance matters, Lydia also helps address the legal conundrums that drones present. She devises strategies to find balance between risks and reward in this emerging industry.
Mike DiCosola is the CEO of Drone Industry Systems Corp, CEO of Alpha Omega Asset Investments, a general contracting company, a member of the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), and the inventor of over 15 conceptual utility process provisional patents, a domestic and international non-provisional patent, over 40 drone IP brand logos, over 30 vertical market brand trademarks and over 380 URLs directly related to drone delivery and drone specialty services that he has created, modified, and filed over the last 7 years to support the hardware components and unmanned airport infrastructure system in the UAV industry.
As an Aviation Program Director, Zach manages Woolpert’s federal and emerging technology research, specializing in the exploration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) applications and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) for aviation clients. Zach is an active part of the industry dialog and volunteers on an FAA-funded National Safe Skies Alliance airport safety board. Zach is the principal investigator on numerous federally funded research projects including FAA research on vertiport design. He is also a regular speaker at national conferences on UAS and AAM implementation and safety.
Grant J. Guillot advises companies that provide drone/unmanned aircraft system (UAS) services, as well as companies operating in industries that are increasingly using drones, such as construction, energy/oil & gas, forestry and agriculture, public safety, telecommunications, and transportation & logistics. He regularly represents clients in contractual matters between UAS companies and businesses seeking to retain UAS operators. Grant assists commercial drone users with the concurrent navigation of federal, state and local UAS regulations. He works with companies seeking type certification, Part 135 certification, waivers, exemptions, and other authorizations from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Joseph Corrao is a civil aviation attorney, pilot, aircraft owner, and aviation writer. He has served in the private sector as VP for regulatory and international affairs with a major aviation trade association, and in government as an aviation expert and regulatory specialist with a federal agency. Mr. Corrao has represented aviation industry interests in, and chaired, managed, or staffed, many federal advisory bodies including more than a dozen FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committees and sub-committees or working groups of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, TSA’s Transportation Security Advisory Committee, ICAO’s Helicopter/Tiltrotor Study Group, and FAA’s Aircraft Certification Joint Harmonization Working Group in partnership with European civil aviation authorities; he is currently a member of Helicopter Association International’s Vertical Flight Infrastructure Sub Working Group.
Cade Clark is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Helicopter Association International (HAI). Cade runs the federal and state government affairs program to promote and defend the helicopter industry in Congress and in the states. HAI provides safety, education, and advocacy services for the civil helicopter industry. HAI’s 4,100 members include 2,300 individuals and 1,800 aviation businesses in 73 countries. Membership spans the industry, from manned and unmanned operators, manufactures, and suppliers to pilots, maintenance technicians, students, military service members and safety professionals.
Adrienne is an urban planner with unique expertise in the integration of new mobility and advanced technology into the built environment; she is notably experienced in the conversion of legacy transportation networks and infrastructure assets to partially-full autonomous and electric systems. Across her career experiences in corporate partnerships, local government, and infrastructure consulting, Adrienne has managed the delivery of over $1B in public-private programs and initiatives aimed at fostering local economic development, enhanced transportation accessibility, network optimization, and regional competitiveness through technology deployment in the built environment. In her role as Hyundai Urban Air Mobility’s Lead for State and Local Partnerships, Adrienne partners with public entities across the globe to develop programs that leverage advanced transportation technology to deliver universal, affordable, and human-centered cities.
Adam Cohen is a Senior Research Manager at the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Since joining the group in 2004, his research has focused on innovative mobility strategies, including advanced air mobility, shared mobility, last-mile delivery, automated vehicles, smart cities, and other emerging technologies. Cohen also worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Information Technology and Telecommunications Laboratory (ITTL) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Cohen has co-authored numerous articles and reports on innovative mobility, including a NASA Market study for urban air mobility.
Swanson Aviation Consultancy Ltd. is consulting firm focusing on the infrastructure requirements of electric aircraft and demand modelling. Darrell has established himself as a subject matter expert regarding electric aviation and how it will lead to a future of distributed aviation. His knowledge encompasses electric aircraft infrastructure requirements as well as defining market opportunities for emerging electric Low Cost Carriers (eLCCs). He is an advisor to NASA’s Transformative Vertical Flight programme, the Advance Air Mobility panel at ADS Group, the Community Air Mobility Initiative and is a board member of the British Aviation Group which is the largest trade body in the UK representing over 200-member companies. Darrell has over 20 years’ experience as an aviation consultant on airport masterplanning projects thru to airport acquisition advisory services.
Under the direction of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, Dave leads the Colorado Department of Transportation’s innovative and forward-leaning Aeronautics Division. Dave has over 31 years of aviation experience in the Northwest Mountain Region. Prior to his current role, Dave was the Northwest Mountain Regional Manager for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), where he managed the association’s airport advocacy, state and local legislative and governmental affairs, and member engagement in seven northwestern states. Before he joined AOPA in 2011, Dave served over six years as the Assistant Aviation Director at the Aspen/Pitkin County (Colorado) Airport and has managed the St. George (Utah) Municipal Airport and the Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming.
Dr. Young is the Mobility Systems team lead for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Mobility Science. He currently serves as the DOE technologist in city for the Columbus Smart City program, led the Urban Science pillar for the DOE Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation initiative, and coordinated the DOE’s Transportation Systems COVID-19 Rapid Response for Safe and Efficient Mobility for Return to Operations. Dr. Young is a graduate of Kansas State University, served in the United States Peace Corps, and was previously on staff at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Jesse Bennett is a Research Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado and has worked extensively on the intersection of the utility industry and transportation supporting fleet electrification and research on the impact EV charging will have on the grid. Jesse studied electrical engineering at Bucknell University and prior to his current position at NREL, served as a standards and specifications engineer at Duquesne Light, the electric distribution utility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Osborne has over 40 years of architecture experience. His involvement in architectural design encompasses significant domestic and international expertise producing creative design solutions for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Osborne possesses a strong commitment to integrity, service, collaboration, innovation, and design. He has been the project principal for project solicitation, feasibility studies, planning and conceptual design, project implementation, management, as well as participation in commissioned value engineering studies.
Mr. Clauser is Senior Director of Architecture at PS&S’s Delaware Valley Regional Office Architectural Group in Cherry Hill. He has over 49 years’ experience in the practice of architecture with a concentration in the health care sector. His responsibilities included directing the project activities of the Group, project organization and oversight, client relationship, and consultant coordination. Mr. Clauser currently serves as Lead for the company’s Urban Air Mobility Task Force (UAM/TF).
Matt Metcalfe is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s Strategy and Analytics Practice and leads the development of operational concepts and business strategies for emerging and transformative aviation technologies. Matt has led several studies on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) for NASA and the FAA including market viability, concepts to realize mature markets, and roadmaps to operationalize AAM. He also provides strategic and technical insights as an advisor to commercial industry leaders in this emerging and transformative aviation space.
Nancy Mendonca, is currently the Deputy in ARMD's Mission Integration Office (AMIO). The AMIO integrates ARMD's AAM efforts across the four ARMD Programs and with the AAM community. She served 24 years in the Navy flying H-46 helicopters. Between the Navy and NASA she worked at the Missile Defense Agency, on the Marine Corps MRAP Program and at NTIA working on the Federal Strategic Spectrum Plan. She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and subsequently eared M.S. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and National Security and Strategic Studies. She is also a Certified Public Accountant and has currently prioritized rescuing Great Danes and riding horses over flying helicopters.
Don is an aviation professional working in the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy (AEE), as the Noise Division Manager. His current work is managing FAA's research and policy development regarding aircraft noise effects on individuals and communities; noise modeling, metrics, and environmental data visualization; and noise reduction, abatement, and mitigation. Don spends his time focused on addressing challenging questions ranging in topics from new Supersonic Aircraft to Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Advanced Air Mobility aircraft. In his previous role, Don coordinated FAA's International Environmental Activities, including work in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).
NanLauren H. Moore, Jr. is currently the President of the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA). The ACEA’s core mission is to drive economic growth in Atlantic County through strategic planning and public-private partnerships that attract, retain and support a diversity of businesses and industries, create quality jobs and lower property taxes. As President of the ACEA, Mr. Moore leads economic development efforts for the Atlantic County region and maintains a broad range of responsibilities. These include working with state, local and federal business assistance and incentive programs; assisting businesses in commercial real estate site selection services; advising and guiding companies on regulatory and permitting matters; developing and encouraging domestic and foreign-based firms to invest in Atlantic County; and promoting and marketing Atlantic County as a place to live, work and do business.
David is the Vice President of Business Development at Eve Air Mobility, and co-led the development of the UAM Concept of Operations with Airservices Australia. David's 18+ years of experience as a commercial fixed-wing and helicopter pilot bring practical experience to Eve's partnerships and engagements. Prior to joining Eve, David served as Business Development Director for EmbraerX and is the project leader of the Urban Air Traffic Management initiative.
Rod is an industry veteran with extensive aircraft commercial operations experience, having served in a variety of high-level roles at Bombardier including Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Regional Programs. Most recently he served as Chief Marketing Officer of Wheels Up, as well as President of its Canadian subsidiary.
As Vice President of Global Partnerships, Dan leads Wisk’s global regulatory initiatives and business partnerships and works with regulators, policy-makers, and industry partners, to bring Wisk's self-flying air taxi to the sky. Over the course of his career, Dan has held a variety of leadership and engineering positions at Airspace Systems, Inc., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and the U.S. Department of Energy, and was also a visiting scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. As a commercially-rated pilot, Dan has a passion for innovation in the aerospace industry and enjoys flying drones, land, and seaplanes, as well as teaching the next generation about the wonders of flight.
Matt Broffman serves as the Director of Innovation for the City of Orlando where he oversees the city’s innovation portfolio including advanced air mobility, customer experience and digital transformation. Prior to joining the city Matt worked in the private sector leading digital transformation efforts across various industry sectors.
Jarred Howard is Government and Public Affairs Lead at Bell. Jarred holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Dallas Baptist University. Jarred launched his career in JP Morgan-Chase’s consumer banking division and later spent time in marketing at DaimlerChrysler Financial Services. In 2006, Jarred commenced a 12-year stay at BNSF Railway, where he led a team in the Consumer Products business unit before assuming leadership of their economic development efforts in the southeastern U.S. In 2018, Jarred was recruited as senior vice president - Entrepreneurship at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Jarred spends most of his personal time with his wife, son, and daughter. Jarred enjoys brand-building, serving in his local church fellowship, and the Dallas Cowboys.
David Fleckenstein is the Director of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Aviation Division. David has over 27 years of aviation experience stemming from his current position, his previous role as an airport director, and as an Army Aviation officer and pilot. The current work of WSDOT’s Aviation Division is focused on providing for airport infrastructure, addressing emerging aviation technology, and coordinating aviation emergency services with programs also supporting aircraft owner and dealer registration, airport infrastructure grants and loans, aviation planning, and management of the state owned/managed airports. David earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of South Carolina and master’s degrees in Adult Education from South Dakota State University and in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Ernest Huffman is born and raised in Syracuse New York and received his Bachelors in Aeronautical Science from Dowling College and his Master’s in aviation from Florida Institute of Technology. With over 17 years in the industry Mr. Huffman has worked all over the country as an Aviation Consultant. Included in that is his work as an Airline Technical Representative designated with managing the development of the O’Hare Modernization Program on behalf of the airlines previous to moving to the DFW Area. His current role is the Aviation Planning and Education Program Manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. There he manages numerous programs including the Aviation Education Initiative, Regional Aviation System plan and the UAS Safety and Integration Task Force.
Danielle J. Rinsler, AICP, most recently served as Head of Aviation Policy at Uber Technologies where she led global aviation policy efforts for Uber Elevate, working to advance planning and policy related to urban air mobility. Danielle has more than 20 years of aviation industry experience, including senior leadership roles in the US Department of Transportation Office of the Under Secretary for Transportation Policy, Federal Aviation Administration and airport industry. She specializes in airport planning, environmental planning, transportation policy and infrastructure finance. She holds a Master of Regional Planning with specializations in economic development and transportation planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Paul Stith is director of global transportation initiatives for Black & Veatch’s Growth Accelerator where he develops ecosystems needed to plan, finance, deploy and operate sustainable transportation and distributed clean energy infrastructure at scale. Paul leverages a decade of involvement in vehicle electrification and infrastructure supporting investors, utilities, fleets, energy and transportation providers to electrify and automate ground, aviation and marine fleets. Paul serves on the board of directors at Forth https://forthmobility.org/ and NACFE https://nacfe.org/
Timothy Middleton has over thirteen years of airport management, noise abatement, and environmental compliance experience. With a background in Political Science and Public Policy, Tim leverages his technical knowledge and public outreach expertise to effectively communicate to a wide range of clients, including members of the public, airport managers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and state and local officials. His core competencies include operating Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring Systems, responding to airport noise complaints, writing technical reports for senior airport staff, training airport staff on noise abatement best practices and procedures, and presenting complex technical information in an approachable manner. Tim is a thought leader at HMMH in supporting work with clients in understanding and fostering community acceptance of the new Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) entrants that include electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
James Grimsley is a nationally recognized expert on policy and technology related to unmanned aircraft ("drones") and autonomous systems. Mr. Grimsley is currently the Executive Director of Advanced Technology Initiatives for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Mr. Grimsley was also recently appointed to the Oklahoma Transportation Commission in May 2019 by Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall and currently serves as the Transportation Commissioner for District 2.
Bruce is a five-decade veteran of aviation leadership in research and development, air taxi operations, aircraft development, and disruptive innovations in his field. His background includes industry and government roles in Senior Executive Service leadership at NASA, in the commercial on-demand air carrier world (DayJet), with aviation software startups (AirMarkets, NextGen AeroSciences), on the U.S. NextGen founding team, and most recently on an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air vehicle (Alakai).
Yesh is currently the Sr. Partnership Manager at Hyundai Motor Group’s new dynamic enterprise, Urban Air Mobility, where he focuses on developing and deploying blueprints & frameworks for sustainable multi-modal mobility ecosystems that will support enabling and commercializing air mobility. Prior to joining Hyundai’s UAM division, he spent 16 years at BAE Systems. He has had the opportunity to be part of a variety of transportation markets, during his time at BAE Systems and acquire a large spectrum of skills and experience. His experiences in the commercial and military markets includes ground transport, surface and underwater maritime, and now aviation. In these markets he has held leadership roles in Engineering, Program Management, BD and strategy, with background in clean energy solutions (hydrogen and battery-electric solutions), controls and infrastructure.
Rick Day is a principal at 6DOTS, LLC, a small business that provides business solutions and consulting services and a consultant to Woolpert. His primary expertise is in Air Traffic Management (ATM), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and other transportation issues. Rick retired from a 35+-year career at FAA as the Air Traffic Organization’s (ATO), Senior Vice President of Operations, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the implementation of NextGen technologies. Rick went on to become the Vice President of Transportation Solutions at CSRA, and the Director of Strategic Programs at Woolpert, before joining 6DOTS. He was a longtime board member of the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) and member of the Aero Club of Washington.
Todd is a serial entrepreneur with a background in the technology, aviation, and automotive industries. He is passionate about the momentous technological changes occurring in transportation in cities, and advocates for open source technologies that both empowers cities and creates opportunities for the private sector. He identifies potential solutions to administering and managing public spaces including streets, sidewalks, and curbs, and challenges with operating drones and air-taxis within urban airspace. As a current public sector consultant, leader of a technology company, helicopter pilot, and a manufacturer of aviation components, Todd is able to view the world through the lens of public and private entities, providing direction on transportation technology solutions that are equitable, open, pragmatic, and comprehensive.
Michael Meyers currently serves as the Manager for the Airport Engineering Division of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), He manages with the day-to-day operations of the engineering division, to include oversight of advisory circular and guidance updates, national safety inititatives such as runway incursion and excursion mitigation, airspace matters, and airport data and information.
Mike Peters specializes in renewable electrolysis, hydrogen infrastructure research, and business development. He is the PI on the recently awarded HyBlend project which focuses on materials compatibility R&D, technoeconomic analysis, and life cycle assessment of blending hydrogen into the U.S. natural gas pipeline infrastructure. The 2-year, multimillion-dollar project brings together 6 DOE national laboratories and over 20 partners from industry, academia, and state organizations. Mike is the business development lead for the Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Center within NREL. He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.Posted January 4, 2021; updated Feb. 24, 2021.