Led by Administrator J. Randolph “Randy” Babbitt, FAA executives involved in NextGen planning and leaders of the RTCA NextGen Mid-Term Implementation Task Force have confirmed as speakers at the NowGen NEXT conference Sept. 15 in Washington, D.C.
Babbitt, sworn in June 1 as the 16th FAA administrator, will give the opening keynote address at the daylong conference organized by Avionics Magazine and RTCA. He has close ties to the Task Force, having been designated its chairman before President Obama nominated him to head FAA. Replacing Babbitt as chairman was Capt. Steve Dickson, senior vice president of flight operations with Delta Air Lines.
Dickson and RTCA President Margaret Jenny will lead a panel presentation of the Task Force recommendations. Speakers will be David W. Ford, director of Aviation Strategies with Lockheed Martin; John Hennigan, FAA director of Strategy & Business Development; Ann Tedford, manager of FAA’s NextGen Planning Group; and Steve Vail, senior advisor for Global Air Traffic Operations with FedEx.
Members of the Task Force Business Case Subgroup led by Kirk Rummel, managing director of finance with Continental Airlines, will explain the cost/benefit analysis applied to operational capabilities recommended by the Task Force in a panel titled “Closing the Business Case.” Speakers will be Steven J. Brown, senior vice president of operations, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA); Kyle Gill, manager of Financial Analysis, NetJets, Inc.; Eugene D. Juba, senior vice president, Finance, FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO); Ed Lohr, director of Fleet Strategy & Analysis, Delta Air Lines, Inc.
NBAA President and CEO Edward Bolen (invited) will moderate a discussion on “Best-Equipped, Best-Served,” and how the concept applies to specific capabilities. Speakers will be Capt. Karen D. Lee, director of Airline Safety, UPS; Capt. Ken Speir, chief pilot, Delta Air Lines; and Capt. Brian Townsend, US Airways flight technical operations.
Aviation industry stakeholders will offer their views in a “Community Perspectives” panel led by Victoria Cox, senior vice president for the NextGen and Operations Planning Business Unit, FAA ATO. Speakers include Craig Fuller, president & CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Capt. Randy Helling, vice president of Finance, Air Line Pilots Association; James May, president & CEO, Air Transport Association; and Christopher Oswald, vice president, Safety and Technical Operations, Airports Council International-North America.
Dickson will lead a final panel discussion on maintaining the momentum of the Task Force’s recommendations. Speakers will be Margaret Gilligan, FAA deputy associate administrator for Aviation Safety; Henry P. Krakowski, FAA ATO chief operating officer; Sandy Samuel, vice president, Transportation Solutions, Lockheed Martin; Jeffrey A. Standerski, vice president & general manager, Air Transport Systems, Rockwell Collins; and Jeff Williams, senior vice president, Aviation Management Services, Advanced Management Technology.
For more information, and to register, visit www.NowGenNEXT.com.