New England UAS and AAM Summit 2022

Speakers

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  JEFF BREUNIG, PMP Senior Manager Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
  

  JEFF BREUNIG, PMP

  Senior Manager Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)

  Jeff Breunig is a Senior Principal at the MITRE Corporation with over 25 years of aviation and transportation program management, engineering, flight operations, and strategic planning experience with public and private sectors to include the FAA, DoD, NASA, DHS, International agencies, and at the State and local level.

  At MITRE he leads State level programs in the development and implementation of operational uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) programs. His teams specialize in State level strategic planning in the development of aviation system plans, technology exploration and assessment, operational safety risk planning, and strategy formulization. He assists State aviation programs in the capture of their vision, formulation of goals and objectives, and the development of an actionable road map to support the investment and planning for the development and implementation of operation programs.

  Mr. Breunig is a rated aviator, with over 20 years of flying experience for the Air Force in fighter operations and as a Flight Instructor. Additionally, he is a licensed Uncrewed Aircraft Pilot. He holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Advanced Transportation Systems, and an Air Transportation Systems Certification from Virginia Tech University.

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  KEN STEWART President & Chief Executive Officer NUAIR
  

  KEN STEWART

  President & Chief Executive Officer NUAIR

  Ken Stewart has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of NUAIR since Dec 2020. Prior to joining NUAIR, Mr. Stewart held several leadership positions at General Electric Ventures including CEO of AiRXOS, a GE aviation company, where he led innovation, development, and commercialization of Unmanned Traffic Management services. Prior to that Mr. Stewart served in executive roles with several venture capital and private equity-backed companies commercializing and scaling start-ups and transforming organizations for growth. In addition to his role at NUAIR Mr. Stewart is the President of board for the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) and a member of the Advanced Air Mobility Committee with the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Mr. Stewart is an inventor of multiple patents in Uncrewed Traffic Management.

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  KEVIN CLARK, PHD, PMP Chief of Aviation Facilities and Business Services Division U.S. DOT Volpe Center of Transportation
  

  KEVIN CLARK, PHD, PMP

  Chief of Aviation Facilities and Business Services Division U.S. DOT Volpe Center of Transportation

  Dr. Kevin Clark is the Aviation Facilities and Business Services Division Chief, in the Communications, Navigation, Surveillance, and System Engineering Technical Center. He’s been at the Volpe Center for over 24 years leading and facilitating efforts in support of the FAA, DOD, and NASA with more recent activities supporting air traffic control (ATC) facility modernization; and communication and cybersecurity enhancements. In addition, Dr. Clark is a data scientist whose research activities have resulted in new methodologies for measuring critical infrastructure resilience and long-term sustainability. He began his federal career in 1998, as a field engineer supporting weather and aircraft wake turbulence research activities for the FAA and NASA. Dr. Clark has received the Secretary’s Award and Director’s Award for his work in support of the St Louis International Airport and San Francisco International Airport Wake Turbulence Project. He has published works on the Resilience of Airport Networks; Application of Acoustic Sensors for Wake Turbulence Detection and Monitoring; and UAS Integration.

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  NATE WARD Head of Network Development BETA Technologies
  

  NATE WARD

  Head of Network Development BETA Technologies

  Nate Ward is the head of Network Development at BETA Technologies, a Vermont-based aerospace company developing electric aircraft to serve both cargo and passenger missions. In this role, Nate manages the development of BETA’s multimodal aircraft charging network, working to deploy charging stations and vertiports – both of which are products developed in-house by the BETA team – across the U.S. In his role, Nate also supports BETA’s broader business development efforts and partners with several AAM government engagement groups across the industry. Before joining BETA, Nate worked for nearly two decades as a commercial and residential real-estate broker and has experience leading large teams across many disciplines. He graduated magna cum laude from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Economics, and is also an active student pilot.

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  KELLY CURRAN Acting Director, Safety Management and Human Factors & Chief, Aviation Systems Engineering U.S. DOT Volpe Center of Transportation
  

  KELLY CURRAN

  Acting Director, Safety Management and Human Factors & Chief, Aviation Systems Engineering U.S. DOT Volpe Center of Transportation

  Kelly Curran is currently the acting technical center director for Safety Management and Human Factors at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center. She was formerly the Chief of the Aviation Systems Engineering division and has 24 years’ experience in the U.S. government and in aviation. Curran led a team of engineers and analysts supporting a variety of government organizations including NASA, FAA, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The Aviation Systems Engineering Division has expertise in end-to-end engineering for new and modernizing systems, safety risk management, and business case/needs analysis for new programs and technologies. Prior to her current role, she was a project manager in the Aviation Safety Management Systems Division where she supported FAA’s Flight Standards on the System Approach for Safety Oversight (SASO) as well as work with FAA’s Office of Commercial Space and Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention. Curran is also the management lead on the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Software Continuous Improvement Program (SCIP), which maintains the organization’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Maturity Level 3, and she is a liaison for the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Coordination Team.

  Before joining the U.S. DOT Volpe Center in 2014, Curran was a contractor supporting the U.S. Coast Guard in operational requirements analysis. She served in the U.S. Navy as an Aircraft Commander/Pilot of the P-3 Orion as well as having flown the Beechcraft King Air, U/VH-3 Sea King and SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopters. Curran is currently on the advisory board of the Boston Chapter of Women in Aviation. She obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Naval Academy.

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  BASIL YAP President AeroX
  

  BASIL YAP

  President AeroX

  Basil Yap is an investor, engineer and consultant with a profound passion for aviation. With over 15 years of experience, he is nationally recognized as a leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM). His journey in aviation is marked by a curious and innovative mindset, driving him to continually design and build groundbreaking solutions in the aerospace field.

  As the former UAS Program Manager for NCDOT, Yap led an award-winning initiative that pioneered routine medical package delivery operations across the nation, the first BVLOS infrastructure waiver, and first public eVTOL demonstration. As a founding member and the current President of the non-profit AeroX, he plays a pivotal role in building an urban UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system to enable routine BVLOS operations.

  In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures as a Partner at Aero X Ventures, Yap serves as Vice President of Hovecon Consulting, where he provides expertise in emerging aviation technologies. His strategic insights are recognized on a national scale through his appointments to NASA’s Aeronautics Research and Technology Roundtable and the Smith Reynold’s Airport Board, where he contributes to shaping the future of UAS, eVTOL technology, and Urban Air Mobility.

  Yap holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. He resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with his family.

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  COLLEEN M. D'ALESSANDRO New England Regional Administrator, ANE-1 Federal Aviation Administration
  

  COLLEEN M. D'ALESSANDRO

  New England Regional Administrator, ANE-1 Federal Aviation Administration

  Ms. D’Alessandro was appointed as Regional Administrator in August 2019, serving as the senior agency official in the New England region providing cross-functional oversight and leadership for the FAA Administrator and coordination across FAA lines of business. Ms. D’Alessandro is the principal FAA representative for the six New England states – Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

  Ms. D’Alessandro joined the FAA in 2006 holding various leadership roles within the Aircraft Certification Service. In addition to her many years in the New England Region, she spent time at FAA Headquarters in Washington, DC working as a Technical Special Assistant to the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety. Prior to joining the FAA Ms. D’Alessandro spent 18 years at General Electric.

  Ms. D’Alessandro earned her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering and control systems from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

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  NOEL ZAMOT Advisor, Aeronautics Division Massachusetts Department of Transportation
  

  NOEL ZAMOT

  Advisor, Aeronautics Division Massachusetts Department of Transportation

  Noel Zamot is a seasoned leader in aviation, energy, and defense, with deep expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and public policy. A former U.S. Air Force colonel and aerospace executive, Noel led the USAF’s elite Test Pilot School, where he pioneered techniques for testing autonomy in military systems, and evaluating 5th generation aircraft in contested cyberspace. He has testified before Congress on critical infrastructure and energy resilience, and speaks to corporate audiences on leadership approaches for turbulent times. Noel holds engineering degrees from MIT and the University of Michigan, an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School, and a Master’s in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University. He has completed advanced courses from MIT’s CSAIL in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, spanning topics from rapid prototyping to Enterprise and Business Strategy. A member of the DOT’s Aviation Cyber Initiative and IERG, he is also an award-winning author of speculative fiction novels that explores the impact of AI on social media, military intelligence, and information warfare.

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  ASHLEY FERGUSON Vice President of Business Operations Merlin Labs
  

  ASHLEY FERGUSON

  Vice President of Business Operations Merlin Labs

  Ashley Ferguson is the Vice President of Business Operations at Merlin. Prior to Merlin, Ashley served in the United States Navy for 11 years as an FA-18F Weapons Systems Officer. She deployed in 2011 and 2017 aboard the USS George H.W. Bush in support of Operations Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), New Dawn (Iraq), and Inherent Resolve (Syria/Iraq). She graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN) in 2012 and spent five years as a Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor before separating from the service in 2017. Ashley graduated from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2019 with her M.B.A., and worked as an Associate Consultant at the McKinsey & Company Boston office until August 2020.

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  ADDISON FERRELL Director, Infrastructure & Head of Americas Skyports
  

  ADDISON FERRELL

  Director, Infrastructure & Head of Americas Skyports

  Addison Ferrell is Director, Infrastructure and Head of Americas for Skyports, leading the company’s efforts to acquire, design and build, and operate vertiports for air taxis. His team addresses real estate agreements, local stakeholder engagement, regulatory approvals, airport planning, operational procedures, and enabling technology required to develop and operate a safe, efficient, passenger-friendly vertiport. He began his career as a mechanical engineer designing jet engines at GE Aviation in Cincinnati. Following that, he joined McKinsey as a management consultant, serving clients in aerospace and defense and other industrials on a range of strategic and operational topics. He is located in Boston.

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  PAMELA C. GOMEZ Director, Safety & Integration Division, AUS-400, UAS Integration Office Federal Aviation Administration
  

  PAMELA C. GOMEZ

  Director, Safety & Integration Division, AUS-400, UAS Integration Office Federal Aviation Administration

  Pamela Gomez has spent her career in Aviation, which began as an Aerospace Engineer in the FAA Air Traffic Organization Program Management Office working in ground-based and space-based navigation programs, then through 10 years in the FAA’s NextGen office where she served as the NextGen Advisory Committee Liaison. After leaving NextGen, she served as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Vice President of Mission Support to ensure operational readiness for the ADS-B rule and led the ATO’s Strategy Enterprise Planning Group developing UAS and Space Integration strategies. In 2023 Pamela was named the FAA Fellow and Senior Policy Advisor for Senator Tammy Duckworth, Chair of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Aviation Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation supporting the development of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. She now serves as the FAA Director of the UAS Safety and Integration in the Aviation Safety Organization.

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  JOSCHKA HOEFLING, PHD Vice President of Product Daedalean AI
  

  JOSCHKA HOEFLING, PHD

  Vice President of Product Daedalean AI

  Dr. Joschka Hoefling is Vice President of Product at Daedalean, a company developing safety-critical AI systems for situational awareness and flight control. Joschka comes to Daedalean after serving for ten years at Swiss/Swedish unmanned rotorcraft developer UMS SKELDAR, a Saab Aerospace company, in positions of increasing responsibility culminating in his role as Chief Product Officer. He earned a BEng and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering and a DSc in systems engineering and robotics.

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  ALAN LAMBERT Director of Aviation Maine Department of Transportation
  

  ALAN LAMBERT

  Director of Aviation Maine Department of Transportation

  Alan Lambert is a retired U.S. Naval Aviator and former Vice President of Operations with Salamanca Risk Management, Ltd. Alan completed five deployments flying the Sikorsky H-60 Seahawk and Beechcraft C-12 Huron. Alan completed tours as a Defense Acquisition Program Manager, NATO Officer, and as the U.S. Naval Attaché to Ghana. After retiring from active-duty service, Alan worked as a Risk Management Consultant for Overseas Operations. Alan has extensive experience in project management, government service, and systems engineering. Alan lives in Yarmouth, ME, with his wife of 33 years, Kelly Lambert. They enjoy spending time outdoors in Maine with their family.

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  DAVID LEVINE, MD, MPH, MA Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Medical Director, Strategy and Innovation Brigham and Women's Home Hospital Clinician Investigator, Division of Internal Medicine and Primary Care Brigham and Women's Hospital
  

  DAVID LEVINE, MD, MPH, MA

  Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Medical Director, Strategy and Innovation Brigham and Women's Home Hospital Clinician Investigator, Division of Internal Medicine and Primary Care Brigham and Women's Hospital

  Dr. David M Levine, MD, MPH, MA, is an internationally renowned expert in designing and implementing advanced home-based care, using digital health technology to drive health outcomes, and evaluating the quality, safety, and experience of health care. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, clinical director of research and development for Mass General Brigham Health Care at Home, and co-director of the Harvard General Internal Medicine Fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He founded Brigham’s home hospital program and co-founded and co-chairs the Hospital at Home Users Group, a collaborative of home hospital programs throughout the US and Canada. He is core faculty at Ariadne Labs, a center for health systems innovation at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham. To optimize quality time at home, shift care home, and decentralize care, his teams examine and implement novel treatment pathways at home, machine learning and robotics approaches to care at home, and the equity, quality, and experience of these models at home. His vision is for all patients to achieve the right care at the right time in the right place by designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative interaction spaces among the care team, technology, caregiver, and patient.

  David received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College in biology and politics. He earned his Master of Arts in teaching in special and secondary science education and served as a high school chemistry teacher and science department chair in Chicago Public Schools. He received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis and completed his residency at New York University and Bellevue Hospital in internal medicine – primary care. He completed a general internal medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and received his Master of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

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  JENN PLAYER Vice President of Global Aviation Regulatory Affairs Skydio
  

  JENN PLAYER

  Vice President of Global Aviation Regulatory Affairs Skydio

  Jenn Player is Vice President of Global Aviation Regulatory Affairs at Skydio. Jenn collaborates with customers, regulators, and standards development organizations to advance autonomy and unlock scalable beyond visual line of sight drone operations.

  Jenn served as an industry working group lead on the FAA’s UAS BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee and participated in the UAS Detection and Mitigation Aviation Rulemaking Committee. She served on the FAA Advanced Aviation/Drone Advisory Committee in working groups on BVLOS operations, detect and avoid technology, remote ID, airworthiness, and autonomy. Jenn currently chairs the Operations subcommittee under ASTM Committee F38 and is a member of JARUS ISB/WG-AW.

  Jenn has over 10 years of experience in uncrewed aircraft systems research, testing, and operations. Her early work to integrate drones into the National Airspace System through the FAA’s Pathfinder Program with BNSF Railway led to the first long-range BVLOS civil flight in the continental United States.

  Prior to joining Skydio, Jenn founded Avineer LLC, a consulting firm guiding manufacturers in the drone delivery space through the type certification process and helping enterprises gain approvals for BVLOS and other complex operations. She previously held technical roles at the Naval Air Warfare Center, NASA Langley, and Cessna Aircraft Company.