2026 Airports Agenda, draft 11, (2-21-2026)

2026 NEC Annual Airports Conference Agenda

Revised as of: 2-21-26

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Those joining us for the Basic ASOS course will need to register separately through the AAAE website. Click Here to register for our 2026 course!
8:00am - 8:45am	Basic ASOS Course - Continental Breakfast Magnolia CD
12:15pm - 1:15pm	Basic ASOS Course - Lunch Magnolia CD
4:30pm	Basic ASOS Course Concludes Magnolia CD

Sunday, March 1, 2026

8:00am - 8:45am	Basic ASOS Course - Continental Breakfast Magnolia CD
12:15pm - 1:15pm	Basic ASOS Course - Lunch Magnolia CD
4:30pm	Basic ASOS Course Concludes Magnolia CD

Attendees please note: Registration for Basic ASOS and the Airports Conference are separate. If you are looking to attend both, you would need to complete the Basic ASOS registration for the course on Saturday & Sunday and then register for the Airports Conference which runs Monday - Wednesday.

Monday, March 2, 2026

8:00am - 6:00pm	Registration Open Exhibit Registration Desk Sponsored by:
8:00am - 11:30am	Exhibitor Set Up Blue Room
10:00am - 11:00am	Airports Conference Committee Meeting Cocoa Boardroom
10:00am-12:00pm	YoPro Career Path Panel Discussion We ask that YoPros looking to join this session, click here* to register!* Cocoa Suite 6
11:00am - 12:30pm	University Affiliated Airports Meeting Tower 1
11:30am - 1:00pm	Lunch with Exhibitors Blue Room
12:15pm	NEC/AAAE Scholarship & Grant Winner Photo! We would like to encourage all of our 2026 Scholarship & Grant Winners to join us just outside the exhibitor hall for a photo!
1:00pm - 1:30pm	Welcoming Remarks NEC Welcome & Updates Ryan Collins, A.A.E.and Kirsten Kennedy, P.E., Airports Conference Committee Chairs Sean Hammer, A.A.E., 2026 NEC President Red Room
1:30pm - 3:00pm	Opening Session Session - TBA Speaker TBA Red Room
2:30pm - 4:30pm	Headshots! Stop by our exhibitor hall for free headshots, our photographer will be available between 2:30pm - 4:30pm, Sign up sheets are located at the photography booth, you must reserve your slot in advance
3:00pm-3:30pm	Break with Exhibitors Blue Room Sponsored by:
Sessions:	Engineering Sponsored by:	Operations	Management	Finance, Environment & Planning	FAA Track
Location:	Cocoa Terrace & Cocoa 1	Cocoa 6	Cocoa Suites 2 & 3	Cocoa Suite 4	Cocoa 5
3:30pm - 5:00pm	Construction and Operations Continuity at Delta's Terminal C: Navigating the Redevelopment of an Active New York City Airport Speaker David Marcoux, AIA, NCARB Azar Design Co. Brian O'Sullivan, AIA, LEED AP, Gensler Richard Ryan, AIA Corgan Moderator Jim Stroup, PE, P.Eng, LEED AP Burns & McDonnell	Part 139 update: Preparing for inspection, Water Rescue Plan, SMS Speaker Jennifer Klass, FAA Moderator James Dolan Passero Associates Architects and Engineers	Recent Changes to Federal Grant Conditions Speaker Nicholas Clabbers, J.D. Kaplan Kirsch LLP Moderator Stephen Williams, A.A.E. PANYNJ	State of Flight: Why State Leadership Matters in Funding Aviation's Future Speaker BJ Teichman Aviation Council of PA Moderator Eric Jacobs Airport Monitoring Systems	Use of Recycle Pavement Materials in new pavement projects Speaker Ybrahina Cohen FAA- Eastern Region Guillermo Felix DY Consultants Niraj Lamichhane DY Consultants

5:15pm	New Attendees, Join Us! First time at the NEC Airports Conference? Join members of the Airports Conference planning committee in the Red room ahead of our opening Ice Breaker Reception to help make new connections, ask questions and get a better understanding of the days ahead Red Room
5:00pm - 6:45pm	Ice Breaker Reception with Exhibitors Blue Room Monday Bar Sponsored by:
7:00pm - 9:00pm	Dinner On Own

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

7:00am - 5:00pm	Registration Open Exhibit Registration Desk Sponsored by:
7:00am - 8:30am	Breakfast Red Room
8:00am - 6:45pm	Exhibit Hall Open Blue Room
Sessions:	Engineering Sponsored by:	Operations	Management	Finance, Environment & Planning	FAA Track
Location:	Cocoa Terrace & Cocoa 1	Cocoa 6	Cocoa Suites 2 & 3	Cocoa Suite 4	Cocoa 5
8:30am - 10:00am	Rehabilitation of Runway 15-33 at Martin State Airport Speaker Mark Tiger JMT Moderator Madhuri Subramaniam Urban Engineers, Inc.	Landside Management During Major Redevelopment on Site Constrained Airports - Challenges & Opportunities Speaker Mark Leininger Sr. Managing Director AvAirPros Michael La Fazia, PE, LEED Green Associate PANYNJ Ellis Kim, PE TY Lin George Guillaume AECOM Moderator Laurie Balbo, AIA, PMP, LEED AP, C.M. Dewberry	Airshow Architecture: Building an Airshow From the Ground Up Speaker Ryan Johnson HIA Bryan Lilley Air Dot Show Tour Moderator Bennett Nast Interactive Airport Intelligence LLC	Harnessing AAM Vehicles to Create a Seamless Air-Rail-Air (ARA) Transportation Network Speaker Luigi Campanale, ENV SP The Jones Payne Group Moderator Nicolette Lind Michael Baker International	Pavement Design guidelines Speaker Harold Muniz, FAA National Headquarters
8:30am - 10:00am	BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Restroom Improvement Project Phase 1 Speaker Curtis Grieveson, PE AECOM Michael Mezzetti AECOM JoAnn Schneider, AIA LEED AP BWI Moderator Madhuri Subramaniam Urban Engineers, Inc.
10:00am - 12:00pm	Headshots! Stop by our exhibitor hall for free headshots, our photographer will be available between 10:00am - 12:00pm Sign up sheets are located at the photography booth, you must reserve your slot in advance
10:00am-10:30am	Break with Exhibitors Blue Room
Sessions:	Engineering Sponsored by:	Operations	Management	Finance, Environment & Planning	FAA
Location:	Cocoa Terrace & Cocoa 1	Cocoa 6	Cocoa Suites 2 & 3	Cocoa Suite 4	Cocoa Suite 5
10:30am-12:00pm	Atlantic City International Airport Deicing Facility Speaker Michael Lobman Michael Baker International Adam Minichelli CDM Smith Tim Kroll SJTA Moderator Sagar Bethu HDR	Unlocking the Power of FAA AC 150/5300-18B Surveys for Your Airport Speaker Ryan Bowe, MGIS, GISP, PMP Woolpert Aneta Calle-Zaczek Woolpert Moderator Patti Gibson Dewberry Engineers, Inc.	Personalization of the Airport Experience Powered by Computer Vision Speaker Ed Krafcik Metropolis Moderator Nick Bresser Burns Engineering	Commercial Spaceports and Airspace Integration Speaker Michael O'Donnell, A.A.E. Aerospace Consulting, LLC Moderator Kevin Gurchak Inland Deicing Services, LLC	ADIP/OEAAA and AMR Speaker Colleen Kubont, FAA National Headquarters Ybrahina Cohen, FAA Eastern Region
10:30am-12:00pm	Cargo Apron Expansion at Harrisburg International Airport Speaker Derek Hollinger AECOM Brian Peda Urban Engineers Louis Pirozzi SARAA Moderator Sagar Bethu HDR	Aircraft Recovery - Post Accident Speaker Darren Large, A.A.E. MMU Joe Cali Essex County Airport Moderator Patti Gibson Dewberry Engineers, Inc.	Board 101 - What Do Advisory Boards Need to Know About Airports Financially Speaker Dennis Lowenwirth, PE Jacobs Moderator Nick Bresser Burns Engineering	Airport Success Stories with Cooperative Purchasing Speaker Hoku Sharp Mike Garrette Sourcewell Moderator Todd Rushing, AMP Sherwin Industries
12:00pm-1:30pm	Lunch & Leadership Awards Red Room
1:00pm - 3:00pm	Headshots! Stop by our exhibitor hall for free headshots, our photographer will be available between 1:00pm - 3:00pm Sign up sheets are located at the photography booth, you must reserve your slot in advance
Sessions:	Engineering Sponsored by:	Operations	Management	Finance, Environment & Planning	FAA
Location:	Cocoa Terrace & Cocoa 1	Cocoa 6	Cocoa Suites 2 & 3	Cocoa Suite 4	Cocoa Suite 5
1:30pm - 3:00pm	Selecting the Correct Asphalt Binder for Your Airfield Project Speaker Ronald Corun, BS Associated Asphalt/Ergon Moderator Chris Gardner DiDonato Associates Engineering & Architecture, PC	Passenger Feedback Trends Speaker Angelique Denneman AirVote Moderator Elizabeth Connelly Reimaged Parking	Navigating FAA Non-Aeronautical Land Releases a Case Study from Cape Cod Gateway Airport Speaker Katie Servis Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. Moderator David Dinneen Gale Associates	Lessons Learned from an Airport Bacteriological Source Investigation Speaker Aine Chalmers TRC Michael Eberle TRC Moderator David Glass TRC	FAA Tech Center Report Speaker Dr. Dan Offenbacker FAA Technical Center Richard Ji, FAA Technical Center
1:30pm - 3:00pm	The Case for Concrete Overlays: A Resilient, Cost-Effective Solution for Airfield Pavements Speaker Harold Honey, P.E., PMP American Concrete Pavement Association Moderator Chris Gardner DiDonato Associates Engineering & Architecture, PC	Workforce Development in Aviation for the Underrepresented Community Speaker Louis Scala Farmingdale State College David Franco FSC/AAAE Anne Marie Armstrong LIEOC Farmingdale State College Moderator Elizabeth Connelly Reimaged Parking	Understanding the 5010 Inspection Process: Compliance, Accuracy and Best Practices Speaker Justin Palmer PENNDOT Bureau of Aviation Ryan Pollina, AID Moderator David Dinneen Gale Associates	Successful PFAS Mitigation of an Airport Stormwater Infrastructure System Speaker Aine Chalmbers, PE TRC Moderator David Glass TRC
3:00pm - 3:30pm	Break with Exhibitors Blue Room
Sessions:	Engineering Sponsored by:	Operations	Management	Finance, Environment & Planning	FAA
Location:	Cocoa Terrace & Cocoa 1	Cocoa 6	Cocoa Suites 2 & 3	Cocoa Suite 4	Cocoa Suite 5
3:30pm-5:00pm	Airline Maintenance Facility & Taxiway F Phase 1 Site Development at BWI Speaker Marcus Snyder Michael Baker Int'l Alex Ollerman BWI Darren D'Achille Sr., PE JMT Moderator Soloman Aaron Morristown Airport	Beyond the Project: How Three Breakthrough Technologies Are Redefining Project Delivery at Houston Airports Speaker Nicholas Johnson Kahua Moderator Chris Gubeno Burns Engineering, Inc.	Capitalizing on the Convergence of Innovation in BVLOs UAS, AAM, and Aviation Workforce Develpment Speaker Glen Ponas Aerium A Nonprofit Corporation Moderator Tim Parsons Applied Research Associates, Inc.	Economic and Enviromental Results of International Design Decisions: Taxiway L Pavement Rehabilitation at Northeast Philadelphia Airport Speaker Daniel Ritter PE, ENV SP AtkinsRealis Moderator Jeff LaHucik AtkinsRealis	ADIP/AGIS Speaker Chris Criswell, FAA National Headquarters Andrew Goldsmith, FAA National Headquarters
3:30pm-5:00pm	Building Better Pavements Together: The Power of QC & QA Collaboration Speaker Harold Honey, P.E., PMP American Concrete Pavement Association Moderator Sergiu Pelau Syska Hennessy Group	Leveraging BIM for Asset Deployment and Management at an Airport Speaker Steve Bisch, MBA Arora Engineers Moderator Chris Gubeno Burns Engineering, Inc.		Three Different Airports, Three Pragmatic Heating Decarbonization Strategies Speaker Quindi Guiseppe Syska Hennessey Group Moderator Tim Parsons Applied Research Associates, Inc.
5:00pm-6:30pm	Networking Reception & Basket Raffle! - Blue Room
6:30pm	Dinner on Own
7:00pm	Exhibitor Teardown 7:00pm - 10:00pm Blue Room

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

7:00am - 12:00pm	Registration Open Exhibit Registration Desk Sponsored by:
7:00am	5K Walk / Fun Run Swiss Lobby Sponsored by:
8:00am - 9:30am	Breakfast Red Room
Location:	Cocoa Suite 6	Cocoa 2 & 3	Cocoa Suites 4
9:30am - 10:15am	CASE DISCUSSION Aviation's Digital Transformation: The Future is NOW Moderator Carl Braley, A.A.E. Fortbrand	CASE DISCUSSION Inside the Hangar: Best Practices for Fair and Effective Leasing Moderator Dan Markind Flaster Greenberg	CASE DISCUSSION Large Scale Event Planning Moderator Ryan Johnson HIA John Glass PHL
10:15 - 10:30am	Join Us in the Red Room for Our Closing Session!
10:30am-11:30am	AAAE Washington & Industry Update Karen Kuhlman Senior Vice President, Government Affairs Red Room
After Closing Session	YoPro Field Trip - Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) Come tour MDT’s new construction updates at the cargo facility! We will gather in the main lobby of the Hershey Lodge using shuttles to and from the airport. Click Here to Register for the Airport Tour!
11:30am	Conference Concludes

Our Corporate Partners

Chapter News

2026 NEC/AAAE Executive Committee and Board of Directors Announced

NEC/AAAE is proud to announce the 2026 Executive Committee and Board of Directors. During the Membership meeting at the NEC/AAAE Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD. The following team was elected to lead NEC/AAAE for 2026

Executive Committee

President: Sean Hammer, A.A.E.
Vice President: Stephen Williams, A.A.E.
Treasurer: Paul Brean, A.A.E.
Secretary: Keiva Rodriques, A.A.E.
Past President: Derek Martin, A.A.E.

Board of Directors

Kellyann Valentine, A.A.E., Christopher Dougherty, A.A.E., Shon Dempsey, A.A.E., Ryan Collins, A.A.E., ACE, Nick McLaughlin, P.E., Todd Rushing, James Pacansky, A.A.E.