96th Annual
AAAE Conference & Exposition

8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

10:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.

10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

A panel session with industry experts.

12 - 1:30 p.m.
Corporate Committee

12:30 - 1:15 p.m.
Academic Relations Committee

12:30 - 2 p.m.
Air Service Committee
General Aviation Committee
Operations/Safety/Planning/Emergency Management Committee
Leadership Development Committee (invite only)
NAC Committee

1:15 - 2 p.m.
Young Professionals (YoPro) Committee

2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

2:30 - 4 p.m.
Airport Board Members and Commissioners
Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committee
Environmental Services and Sustainability Committee
Finance and Administration Committee
Industrial Aviation/Military Relations Committee
Transportation Security Services Committee

3 - 3:30 p.m.

3:30 - 4:15 p.m.

4:30 - 5 p.m.

A meet and greet for industry mentors and student mentees. Mentors and mentees will be matched to network and collaborate throughout the conference.

5 - 6:30 p.m.

Sponsors:

Avis Budget Group, Inc.

Federal Express Corporation

HNTB

6:45 - 7:45 p.m.
Renaissance: Bridge Lounge

Sponsors:

McFarland Johnson

8 - 9 a.m.

Sponsors:

Arora Engineers

RIDE

TKDA

8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

8:00-9:00 am

What is ethics, and what do you need to know to be an ethical aviation professional and maintain an ethical workplace? This session will explore what you and your organization can do to develop strong ethics policies and stay away from common ethics pitfalls. We will also discuss cautionary tales of ethical missteps and resulting consequences and how to approach ethical decision-making when faced with challenging circumstances. 

Speaker:
Todd Curry, A.A.E., IAP | Chief Municipal Affairs Officer | Houston Airport System

8:10 - 9:30 a.m.

Presented by: Agati Furniture

8:40-9:00 a.m.

Presented by:
Clara Bennett | Executive Director | Boca Raton Airport

8:40 - 9 a.m.

Presented by: The Vertex Companies

9:15 - 10:30 a.m.

In 2020, Congress established the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) to address the significant underrepresentation of women in aviation. 30 women from diverse backgrounds were appointed to the WIAAB and were charged with checking aviation’s course and make recommendations to navigate toward a stronger future.

Join our session to hear about the WIAAB’s report and from our esteemed panelists who will discuss their remarkable roles, the challenges they have overcome and the strides they are making to inspire women and girls to embrace aviation as a career and let their dreams take flight!

Moderator: Api Appulingam, P.E., A.A.E. | Deputy Director of Aviation, Capital Development | City of Philadelphia, Department of Aviation

Speakers:
Dana Donati | CEO | Breaking Down Barriers
Kelly Jost, P.E. | Great Lakes Service Group Manager - Aviation | C&S Companies
Karen Kuhlman | Senior Vice President | AAAE
Melinda Montgomery, A.A.E. | Airport Manager | Trenton-Mercer Airport
Eboni Wimbush | President & CEO | Airport Minority Advisory Council

Sponsors:

Advance Aviation

9:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Moderator:
Veronica Cintron | Vice President of Communications | Tampa International Airport

Speakers:
Stacey Nickens | Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications | BNA
Brian Brooks | Assistant Vice President Communications | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Kati Hartwig | Sr. Digital Media Specialist | Columbus Airports

9:15 - 10:30 a.m.

This session will focus on revenue diversification, non-aeronautical revenue, and non-traditional funding sources for airports.

Moderator: Marge Basrai | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | BNA

Speakers:
Kathleen Sharman | CFO | Orlando International Airport
Gisela Shanahan | Managing Director | Frasca & Associates, LLC
Megan McLellan, C.M., MBA | Strategic Funding Manager | Garver

10:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Sponsors:

Intellisoft, Inc.

10:20 - 10:40 a.m.

Presented by: SageGlass

10:45 - 11:15 a.m.

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Sally Jenkins has been a columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post for more than twenty years. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 and in 2021 was named the winner of the Associated Press Red Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Journalism. She is the author of twelve books of nonfiction including The Real All Americans, the story of the Carlisle Indian School and its use of football as a form of resistance following the close of the Indian Wars. Her work for The Washington Post has included coverage of ten Olympic Games. In 2005 she was the first woman to be inducted into the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1982 and resides in New York.

Sponsors:

HMSHost

Hudson

12:10 - 12:40 p.m.

Presented by: McFarland Johnson

12:15 - 1:45 p.m.

Sponsors:

Ardurra

C&S Engineers

Michael Baker International

Suffolk Construction

12:30 - 1:45 p.m.

It’s time to throw out the old techniques and embrace new ways of looking at people and positions in your organization. This session will look at the current influences affecting today’s workplace and challenge traditional ways of approaching succession and retention with new techniques you can apply immediately.  In this session you will learn the simple shift in these approaches that will allow your organization to have an immediate impact in increasing retention through succession planning. 

Speaker:
Mindy Price| Chief PACE Setter | Direct Effect Solutions 

12:30 - 1:45 p.m.

12:45 - 1:05 p.m.

Speaker: David Sconzo

1:20-1:40 p.m.

Presented by: Archetype

1:10 - 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Alyssa Connell

1:20 - 1:40 p.m.

Presented by: Ricondo & Associates, Inc.

2 - 3:15 p.m.

Speaker:

Peter Kirsch | Partner | Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell
Nick Clabbers | Partner | Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell

2 - 3:15 p.m.

This session will focus on specific factors and examples that show the function and value of general aviation airports to the aviation community and local communities they serve.

Moderator: Jeff Kohlman | Managing Principal | AMCG

Speakers:
Georgia Twyerould | Aviation Planner | Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Chris Davidson | Assistant Vice President | John J. Tune Manager
Scott Custhall | Clay Lacy Aviation

2 - 3:15 p.m.

Moderators:
Stephanie K. Gupta | Senior Vice President, Security and Facilitation | AAAE
Colleen Chamberlain | Vice President, Security | AAAE

Speakers:
Jennifer De La O | Acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Jody Hardin | Executive Director | Innovation and Strategy Directorate | Office of Field Operations | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

2 - 3:15 p.m.

Moderator: Eve Machol | Aviation Specialist | Microsoft

Speakers:

KC Hampton | Assistant Vice President Information Technology | Metropolitan Nashville Airports Authority
Ted Kaplan | Chief Business & Innovation Officer | Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Chris Crist | Chief Technology Officer | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 

3:15 PM - 3:45 PM

Sponsors:

Collins Aerospace | An RTX Business

Paslay Management Group

Siemens

3:20 - 3:40 p.m.

Presented by: SITA

3:20 - 3:40 p.m.

4 - 5:15 p.m.

Take part in a workshop focused on your personal accreditation journey. You will join a group of your peers based your stage in the Accreditation process (including those just exploring) – the C.M. exam, the writing requirement or the final interview. The AAAE Board of Examiners, Accreditation Dean and Mentors will provide guidance to help you progress to the next stage. Those in the writing phase should bring their latest work to share with our Dean for feedback. Accreditation Mentors are invited to join this session to share their expertise.

Moderator: Casey Denny, A.A.E. | Chief Operations Officer | Columbus Regional Airport Authority

Speakers:
Jack Christine, A.A.E. | Chief Infrastructure Officer | Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Todd Curry, A.A.E., IAP | Chief Municipal Affairs Officer | Houston Airport System
Medardo Gomez, A.A.E. | Operational Readiness Activation and Transition Director | Salt Lake City Department of Airports
Kim (Bill) Hopper, A.A.E. | Executive Director | Pitt-Greenville Airport
Judi Olmstead, A.A.E. | Director of Airports | Myrtle Beach International Airport
Zach Sundquist, A.A.E., IACE | Assistant Airport Director | Portland International Jetport

4 - 5:15 p.m.

The expectation to deliver exceptional airports has never been greater, and meeting the demands of the modern traveler means not only growing to increase capacity, but also improving the ways in which airports create and navigate a transforming travel experience – often amid the potential impacts of development. Join our conversation of airport leaders meeting the challenges of change and learn how they are harnessing industry innovation to deliver facilities that meet traveler expectations while managing through modernization.

Moderator: Traci Holton | Vice President, Chief Engineer | BNA

Speakers:
Mike Christensen | Interim Chief Development Officer
Shawn Dobberstein | Executive Director | FAR/Hector International
Frank Miller, A.A.E. | Executive Director | Hollywood Burbank Airport

4 - 5:15 p.m.

Moderator: Melissa Sabatine, C.M., IACE | Vice President, Aviation Carbon Response and Sustainability Lead | Jacobs

Speakers:

Noah Karberg, A.A.E., ACE | Airport Manager | Nantucket Memorial Airport
Megan King, P.E. | Contaminated Soil & Groundwater Program Manager | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Todd Gibbs, C.M. | Director of Operations | Eastern Iowa Airport

4 - 5:15 p.m.

Join us at the forefront of the aviation revolution, where we explore the intricacies and possibilities of integrating Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) at airports. This session convenes industry frontrunners and experts to tackle the regulatory and infrastructure hurdles that come with seamlessly incorporating these aerial technologies into conventional airport operations. Participants will glean valuable insights into both the opportunities and challenges inherent in integrating AAM at airports. Together, let's pave the way towards a more interconnected, efficient, and sustainable future for air transportation.

Moderator: Hilary Fletcher | Director of Community & Governmental Affairs | Jvaition, Inc., A Woolpert Company

Speakers:
Hillary Fletcher | Director of Community & Government Affairs | Jviation, Inc., A Woolpert Company
David Ison | Aviation Planner | Washington State Department of Transportation
Brad Friel | Senior Vice President of Planning & Environmental | GOAA
Lydon Sleeper | Easy Policy Lead | Joby Aviation

5:15 - 6:30 p.m.

7 - 9:30 p.m.
Grand Ole Opry

Join our host, Nashville International Airport®, for an evening of food, drinks, and networking with colleagues, and experience the Grand Ole Opry as one only can in Nashville! There will be food and drinks on the Opry Plaza, followed by a concert in the Opry Hall at the Grand Ole Opry. Our lineup includes country newcomers Restless Road, country legend Rhett Atkins, comedian Henry Cho, America's Got Talent Golden Group Buzzer winner Chapel Hart, and country star Chris Jansen. The concert starts at 8 p.m. so make plans to be there for what is sure to be a Monday Night Event like only Nashville can do!

Buses will begin loading at 6:15 p.m. at the North Shuttle 6th Avenue Tunnel Drop-off site at Music City Center. Please remember to bring your ticket to exchange for a wristband when you board the bus.

Hosted By:

Nashville International Airport®

8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

8 - 9 a.m.

Sponsor:

Parsons Corporation

8 - 9 a.m.

8:00-9:00 a.m. 

Even with best intentions, SMS can feel like an exercise in compliance or just more work. When we focus on managing safely, not managing safety, though, things make a lot more sense. 

Speaker: 
Ben Goodheart, PhD, CSP, FRAeS | Founder & Principal Consultant, Magpie | Human Safety Systems

8:10 - 8:30 a.m.

Presented by: Tork, an Essity brand

8:40 - 9 a.m.

Presented by: Parabit

9:00-10:15 a.m.

Moderator: Justin Barkowski | VP, Regulatory Affairs | AAAE

Speakers:
John Dermody, P.E. | Director, Office of Airport Safety and Standards | Federal Aviation Administration
Frank McIntosh | Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization | Federal Aviation Administration
Danielle Rinsler | Director, Office of Airport Planning and Programming | Federal Aviation Administration

9:00-10:15 a.m.

Join us for an enlightening session where we explore methods to generate, manage, and institutionalize innovation within our organizations. We'll delve into concepts and strategies to boost organizational creativity and real-world examples of small and medium airports innovating the future of aviation.

Moderator: Ethan Croop, A.A.E. | Senior Manager, Maintenance Administration | RSW

Speakers:

Stephen D. Van Beek | Director & Head of North American Aviation | Steer
Ashley Thorsen, A.A.E. | Operations Manager | GRR

9:00-10:15 a.m.

Moderator: Jason Shevrin, P.E. | Director of Technology | McFarland Johnson

Speakers:
Jarrett Morgan, CISSP, PMP, ACE | Technology Market Leader, Building Engineering | Mead & Hunt

10:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Sponsors:

Q&D Construction

TLC Engineering Solutions

Woodward & Associates

10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Sponsors:

Amadeus

Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.

Jetlaw, LLC

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

McCarthy Building Companies

Nashville International Airport®

RS&H

Signature Aviation

12 - 12:30 p.m.

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.

Sponsor:

Clear Channel Airports

12:20 - 12:40 p.m.

Presented by: Parking Logix

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Congratulations! You have just been appointed to the local airport board. After the excitement wears off you begin to think about what this means and how you should prepare for the first meeting. This session will provide insight into airport ownership and operations, state laws and policies, meeting etiquette, airport finances and capital projects, funding options, and consultant selection. You will also walk away with a list of critical documents and training that all board members should obtain to ensure their success.  

Speaker: 
Kimberly A. Kenville, Ph.D., C.M. | Professor | University of North Dakota

12:45 - 1:05 p.m.

12:50 - 1:10 p.m.

Presented by: Parsons

1:15 - 1:35 p.m.

Peak Power Demand at 6,000 Feet: How Colorado Springs Airport is Tackling Its Top Energy Challenges

Although Colorado Springs Airport (COS) sits over a mile high, Pikes Peak, at 14,115 feet, still forms an imposing backdrop over the airport. But there’s another peak looming close on the airport’s horizon, and one that’s rising quickly — peak power demand. With a new 1,600-acre industrial innovation park and data center landing on airport property, and electrification fast approaching, COS faces energy challenges on many fronts.

During this trend talk, you’ll hear how Greg Phillips, Director of Aviation at COS, and his colleagues are taking on these challenges head-on. You’ll get a real-world look at the energy transition’s peskiest problems, savviest solutions, and top lessons learned through the lens of a single airport. Christine Weydig, VP of Transportation at AlphaStruxure, will join him on stage to speak on technological and financial solutions for power availability, resilience, and decarbonization. Christine is the former Director of Sustainability at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is partnering with AlphaStruxure to deploy, via Energy as a Service, the country’s largest clean-energy airport microgrid at JFK International Airport New Terminal One.

Presented by:

Christine Weydig | Vice President of Transportation | AlphaStruxure
Greg Phillips, A.A.E. | Director of Aviation | Colorado Springs Airport

1:20 - 1:40 p.m.

Presented by: Smiths Detection

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Moderator: Coming Soon

Speakers:

Rebecca Francosky | Airport Director, Air Service Development | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Megan Atkins Thoben, A.A.E. | Vice President of Operations & Customer Engagement | Louisville Regional Airport Authority
Chris Rozansky, C.M. | Executive Director | Naples Airport Authority 

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Moderator: Rhett Morgan | Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting

Speakers:

Thomas Rafter, A.A.E. | Executive Director | Tweed New Haven Airport Authority
Hasaan Azam | Manager Air Service & Cargo Business Development | Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority
Bill Swelbar | Chief Industry Analyst | Swelbar Zhong Consultancy
Tina Kinsey, A.A.E. | Vice President, Marketing, Public Relations & Air Service | Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Hear from industry and airport leaders about the innovative ways in which they are enhancing the experience of their travelers by considering the different wants and needs they may have, building awareness, and creating more comfortable, empowering, and inclusive environments. 

Moderator: Randy Dorsten | Assistant VP, Human Resources | BNA

Speakers:
Alexis Higgins, A.A.E. | CEO | Tulsa International Airport
Megan O'Connell | Director of Marketing and Branding | Philadelphia International Airport
Lynn Gordon | Vice President, Business Development | Arconas

4:30 - 5:15 p.m.

5:30 - 6:15 p.m.

Having left the basketball court for the boardroom, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has successfully parlayed his skills and tenacity from the court into the business world as Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE). MJE provides high-quality products and services that focus primarily on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities. 

With a commanding presence in popular culture, Johnson recently made history in 2023 when he became co-owner of the National Football League’s Washington Commanders. He also co-owns MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, and eSports franchise Team Liquid. He continues to support community initiatives and expand his influence through many of his businesses including EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, SodexoMAGIC, a food service and facilities management company, and JLC Infrastructure, that invests in billion-dollar infrastructure improvements across the United States.       

With his unique positioning as a businessman spanning multiple industries and generations, he aims to help companies expand and foster a positive impact domestically and globally.

Sponsor:

Nashville International Airport®

6:15 - 7:45 p.m.

Sponsor:

Nashville International Airport®

7:45 - 8:30 p.m.

Sponsor:

Nashville International Airport®

8:30 - 10 p.m.

Sponsor:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) is Music City’s connection to the world, and the world’s connection to Music City. With exponential passenger growth and continued staggering projections, join us for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the nation’s fastest-growing airports. Dive into BNA’s two expansion and renovation programs, BNA® Vision and New Horizon ($3 billion total), which aim to create a world-class airport for a world-class city. The tour will begin on the airside because rapid growth calls for significant renovations and expansions that will improve passenger experience now and in the future. Attendees will take an airfield tour to learn about our Terminal Apron & Taxiway Expansion, A Concourse Ramp Area Expansion, the Relocation of the Air Freight Building, and the Central Utility Plant. The airfield tour will also highlight our new Satellite Concourse, the eight-gate freestanding concourse serving primarily Spirit and Allegiant, and the expansion of our Terminal Building, which added six dual domestic/international gates. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about BNA’s upcoming $287 million Concourse D extension that will add five additional gates to the concourse. The tour will continue inside with our guests experiencing the new Grand Lobby at BNA! Marking the return of one central checkpoint at BNA, the new Grand Lobby is the renovated and reimagined 200,000-square-foot space at the center of the terminal which features large-scale art installations with the goal of creating a calming experience for passengers. BNA’s Arts at the Airport program transforms Nashville International Airport into a showplace of creative talent found in Tennessee and beyond, and attendees will be greeted in the Grand Lobby with an immersive multimedia showcase through two enormous 12K resolution screens and experience the prominent five-story sculpture that greets you. The tour will wrap up with a stroll on the outdoor plaza level of BNA, where you will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at BNA’s first on-site hotel – Hilton BNA. With 290+ rooms and a rooftop lounge and pool, you will be among the first to tour the upcoming hotel, slated to open in December 2023. Head over to the state-of-the-art Administrative Building, which houses hundreds of Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) employees, and view the Dog Park, one of our many pet-friendly amenities, which provides much-needed outdoor green space to traveling pets and pet parents.