Mark Heefner is the Commissioner of Aviation for the Greater Binghamton Airport. His top priorities are adding air service to BGM, growing General Aviation at BGM, cultivating additional non-commercial aviation business, and developing the 300+ acres available at BGM. The focus will be on sustainable and future growth for the Airport. He plans to continue the public outreach events, become a better community partner, and help Broome County’s economy grow. To date he has helped BGM grow with a $50+ Million Terminal Renovation scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2025 thanks to the NYS Upstate Airport Revitalization Program, created BGM Aviation Services which is an FBO run by the Airport, hosted the Blue Angels for the 2025 Greater Binghamton Airshow, and added air service at BGM. Mark embodies the slogan/acrostic at BGM “Better Get Moving”!

Mark Heefner attended Fairmont State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in 'Aviation Management' and 'Professional Pilot'. He began his aviation career in Clarksburg, WV at North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB). Mark is a constant student of Aviation and Business Culture and Development. He is also a AAAE Certified Member.

State of the State:

Jeremy A. Cooney

New York State Senator

Senator Cooney was adopted from an orphanage in Kolkata, India and raised by a single mother in the City of Rochester. He made history in 2020 as the first Asian American elected to state office from upstate New York, and the first state senator in decades to graduate from Rochester City School District (RCSD).

Senator Cooney serves as the Chair of the Transportation Committee, the Committee on Procurement and Contracts and the Subcommittee on Cannabis.

In 2021, he was named co-chair of the Marijuana Task Force for the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus and he was instrumental in passing landmark legislation to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. 

During his first year in office, Senator Cooney wrote over 50 legislative bills and passed legislation implementing the final phase of the Rochester School Modernization Project after years of delay in the legislature. The RSMP was one of the largest public works projects in Rochester’s history with nearly half a billion dollars going towards updating learning environments for RSCD students. 

In 2022, Senator Cooney passed the Green CHIPS Act, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The Green CHIPS Act was instrumental in attracting new semiconductors businesses to New York State, such as Micron in Onondaga County and STAMP in Genesee County

Senator Cooney began his career working on Capitol Hill for the late U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and later served as chief of staff for the City of Rochester. Prior to running for public office, Senator Cooney served as the senior director for community relations with Empire State Development (ESD). At ESD, he helped lead public affairs for large-scale economic development projects. 

Senator Cooney is active in Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region. He sits on the Board of Trustees for his alma mater, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, and is a member of the Vestry for Christ Church Rochester (Episcopal). He is a proud Eagle Scout and serves as a Vice Chair of the Executive Board for the Boy Scouts of America, Seneca Waterways Council.

Senator Cooney earned his B.A. with honors from Hobart College and his J.D. from Albany Law School. He resides in the City of Rochester and is married to Dr. Diane Lu, a urologic surgeon at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Donna Lupardo

New York State Assembly

Donna A. Lupardo represents the 123^rd Assembly District which includes the City of Binghamton and the Towns of Vestal and Union. First elected in 2005, Assemblywoman Lupardo has several leadership positions in the Assembly including Chair of the Agriculture Committee. She serves on the Economic Development, Higher Education, Rules, Steering and Transportation Committees. She also Co-Chairs the NY Legislative Aviation Caucus and leads the Legislative Squadron of the NY Wing-Civil Air Patrol.

In 2019, Assemblywoman Lupardo was appointed Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and has led the effort to address weaknesses in the state’s food supply chain exposed by the pandemic. She has prioritized small farms and producers, helping new and existing farmers with access to land and emerging markets through programs like Farmland for a New Generation, Farm to School, and Nourish NY. She was the driving force behind the legalization of industrial hemp and was instrumental to the growth of New York’s craft beverage industry. The Assembly Speaker also appointed her to serve on the National Conference of State Legislators- Agriculture Task Force.

In 2017, she became Chair of the Committee on Aging and focused her attention on the many services that older New Yorkers receive and depend on. She was successful in bringing more resources to home care services as a way to help people stay in their own homes, avoiding more expensive nursing home care.

In 2013, she became Chair of the Committee on Children and Families. During this time, she was an outspoken advocate for affordable childcare and afterschool programs; and is credited with making childcare a workforce development, and economic equity issue. She also helped expand the Empire State Anti-Poverty Initiative that focused on the high percentage of children living in poverty throughout the state. She continues to serve on the Assembly Childcare Working Group.

In 2015, she was appointed to the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team (SIAT); a group responsible for reviewing the annual progress reports of the 10 Regional Economic Development Councils from around the state. She has served as the Chair of the Bi-Partisan Legislative Women’s Caucus, and as President of the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators. Most recently, she was one of seven legislators appointed to the Assembly Working Group on COVID-19 Recovery.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo is an outspoken advocate for the Southern Tier, championing the area’s continuing economic recovery. She has secured funding for many local nonprofit organizations, area schools and colleges, historic renovations, and infrastructure improvements. Some local examples include: Binghamton University’s Innovative Technologies Complex, the Agricultural Development Center at Broome County Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the renovation of the historic Carnegie Library into the SUNY Broome Culinary Arts Center.

She is also an effective legislator, seeing many significant bills signed into law. Some examples include the Safe Drinking Water Schools Act, Parking Garage Inspection Standards, Work-Zone Safety Act, Industrial Hemp Pilot Program and a bill to protect our statewide network of Centers for Excellence.

Through her years of service, Assemblywoman Lupardo has received numerous awards and recognitions. Some include the New York Aviation Management Association Presidents Award, Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier Humanitarian Award, Cornell Cooperative Extension Friend of the Extension, Family Enrichment Network’s Friend of Kinship Families, Association of Small City School Districts Leadership in Education Award; and Legislator of the Year for the NY Trucking Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, Nurses Association, Brewers Association, Conference of Italian American Legislators and the Association of Pupil Transportation.

Originally from Staten Island, Donna is a graduate of Wagner College. She moved to the Southern Tier in 1976 to attend graduate school at SUNY Binghamton where she received a Master’s degree. She stayed on as a Lecturer in the School of Education & Human Development for ten years before dedicating herself to community mental health education and public service.

She served on the Broome County Legislature from 1999 to 2000 and is the first woman to represent Broome County in the State Legislature. Donna lives in Endwell with her husband Scott J. Peters, a Professor in the Department of Global Development for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Robert W. Gibbon, Esq.

Assistant Commissioner for Government and Community Relations 

Rob Gibbon was appointed to the position of Assistant Commissioner for Government and Community Relations in January 2023.  In this capacity, Mr. Gibbon provides expert advice and guidance to further the mission of the Governor, the Commissioner and the Department across the state’s vast transportation network.   

A graduate of SUNY Albany (Magna Cum Laude) and Albany Law School, Mr.  Gibbon began his career as an assistant counsel with the New York State Association of Counties where he developed trainings on municipal home rule law, assisted with litigation impacting county interests, and lobbied Albany on behalf of the NYS Association of County Clerks.  In 2011, Rob began work in Majority Counsel’s Office at the New York State Senate serving as Assistant Counsel, and later Senior Counsel, where he acted as the home rule counsel for the Senate, local government and Cities committee counsel, and worked on a number of legislative initiatives including: establishing green taxi’s in NYC; furthering mandate relief and establishing a real property tax cap; and, legislation to allow for the development of the U.S. Tennis Association’s facilities in Queens. 

At the end of 2016, Rob started as an Assistant Counsel for Governor Andrew Cuomo, focusing primarily on transportation and infrastructure overseeing New York State’s transportation related agencies and authorities. In that role, Mr. Gibbon was the main attorney working on legislation to authorize ridesharing companies in upstate New York and Long Island, to establish MTA governance and operation reforms and congestion pricing, to authorize autonomous vehicle pilots in New York State, and to establish major limousine operation and inspection reforms after the tragedy in Schoharie. Mr. Gibbon also served as the governor’s primary attorney for a seven-way negotiation (between New York, New Jersey and Amtrak) that established the Gateway Program Development Commission.  In addition to these legislative achievements, Mr. Gibbon assisted in the management of the construction for the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and with the development of the 9/11 First Responders Memorial on the 9/11 Memorial Glade, which opened in 2019.

In 2019, Mr. Gibbon began work at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as Special Counselor to the Executive Director under Rick Cotton assisting in overseeing major priority initiatives including: the development of the PANYNJ Toll Payer Advocate and facilitating changes in law to combat illegal cab operations at New York’s airports.

Brian D. Bushnell, Ed.D. 

Assistant Federal Security Director/Screening Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration

Brian Bushnell is currently employed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and serves as the Assistant Federal Security Director for Screening (AFSD/S) for 13 airports in Upstate New York (UNY). In this role he serves as the principal advisor to the Federal Security Director (FSD), charged with mitigating threats against aviation and other transportation sectors by providing leadership and direction to TSA personnel engaged in risk-based security operations.

Mr. Bushnell has served the TSA for over 22 years in a variety of roles. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, he was motivated to return to public service and joined TSA as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO). Since that time, Mr. Bushnell has been promoted successively to the positions of Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO), Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO), Transportation Security Manager (TSM), Deputy Assistant Federal Security Director/Screening (DAFSD/S) and AFSD/S. Prior to joining the TSA, Mr. Bushnell served in the United States Air Force. He was assigned to the 18th Air Support Operations Group and provided support for the United States Army’s 10th Mountain Division during multiple exercises and deployments.           

As the AFSD/S for UNY, Mr. Bushnell seeks to advance transformational leadership tenets that are founded in the TSA Administrator’s Intent and aligned with the TSA’s mission to protect the nation’s transportation systems and provide freedom of movement for people and commerce. Throughout his TSA service, Mr. Bushnell has focused on building stakeholder relationships, both internal and external, with an emphasis on collaboration and the advancement of mutual interests and objectives.

Mr. Bushnell holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Homeland Security, a M.A. degree in Management, and a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. Mr. Bushnell has been married to his wife, Naomi, for more than eight years and has two young children, a daughter, Rylie, and a son, Brooks.

Evelyn Martinez

Federal Aviation Administration

Manager, New York Airports District Office

Jamaica, New York

Evelyn’s career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spans over 26 years of public service. She has held a number of positions all within the Eastern Region Airports Division including managing the Grant Assurance Compliance Program, the Airport Improvement Program and Passenger Facility Charge Program as well as serving as the Lead Airport Certification Safety Inspector overseeing a team of Inspectors and managing all enforcement actions in the Region. Evelyn has served as the New York Airport District Office Manager since 2015 overseeing the Airport Capital Improvement Program and now the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL program) including all necessary airport planning, environmental and engineering reviews for 69 active airports in the Great State of New York.

Evelyn has a degree in Aeronautics and Management from Dowling College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Baruch College.

Evelyn was born and raised in New York and enjoys living on Long Island with her husband and two sons.

Session 1A: World Class Airport Snow Removal

Moderator: Grant Sussey, Watertown International Airport

Since arriving at Watertown International Airport as the Airport Manager, Grant has propelled unprecedented growth and expansion at the airport. He is a licensed commercial pilot, certified flight instructor, NYS licensed outdoor guide, amateur radio operator, and a small unmanned aircraft system pilot. Grant has previously worked in either airport operations or management at the Orange County Airport and the Albany International Airport before coming to Watertown in November of 2013.

In his tenure at Watertown, he has overseen the construction of a number of major airfield infrastructure improvements including a new Business Center & FBO facility, a runway extension, as well as numerous other hangar, taxiway, and runway improvements. Grant has also overseen the construction of a new Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Facility, as well as security and access control system improvements.

Mr. Sussey has been instrumental in assisting Jefferson County by leveraging a small amount of County investment to secure tens of millions of dollars of improvements utilizing FAA, Empire State Development, and NYSDOT grant funding. And he’s still going!!

All of these projects have been undertaken with one goal in mind – to improve the Watertown International Airport by enhancing the safety, operational efficiency, business enterprise, and passenger experience for the users of the Airport.

Grant has made it a priority to ensure that the airport facilities remain a valuable community and economic asset as the community recovers from the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic.

Grant’s involvement with New York Aviation Management Association started as a student member while attending SUNY Oswego where he received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. As Grant’s involvement in NYAMA continued, he subsequently joined the Board of Directors and served as the association president in 2020.

Grant serves as a part-time contract pilot in a Cessna Grand Caravan C208B for a global aerospace and defense technology company. On weekends, evenings and vacation, Grant volunteers as both a Mission Pilot and Instructor Pilot with the Civil Air Patrol of the United States Air Force Auxiliary and enjoys spending his free time in the Adirondacks in either a canoe or amphibious aircraft floats.

Presenters:

Alan Luke, MB 

Director of Sales, M-B Companies – Airport Maintenance Products Division

 Alan Luke is the Director of Sales for the Airport Maintenance Products division at M-B Companies. With extensive experience in the industry, Alan specializes in providing cost-effective equipment solutions to ensure efficient snow removal at airports across the United States. His expertise has been instrumental in helping airports maintain safe and operational runways during harsh winter conditions, leveraging innovative technology and equipment to meet the unique challenges of airport maintenance. Alan's commitment to excellence and deep understanding of the industry has made him a key figure in the field of airport maintenance, contributing significantly to M-B Companies' reputation as a leader in the market.

Laura Miao, President

New Deal Deicing

Laura Miao (pronounced “meow”) is the Founder, Owner, and President of New Deal Deicing. She has been serving Airports of all sizes across the

nation for the past 15 years, by providing their airfield deicing products, to support airport winter safety and on time aircraft performance during 
winter operation.

Session 1B: World Class Airport Snow Removal

Moderator: Russell O. Stark, C.M. 

Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (BNIA and NFIA)

Russell O. Stark is an aviation professional providing domestic and international aviation experience and innovative leadership for his tenants, customers and staff.  He retired from the U.S. Army with almost 32 years of active-duty service.  In his military career he attained the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) and held various positions including Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer, Standardization Instructor Pilot, Airfield Operations and Safety Officer and Deputy Chief of Airspace Command and Control, Aviation Operations and Plans.  During his time in the military, he received qualifications on the UH-1, OH-58 and CH-47D&F helicopters as well as the C-12 (King Air) and the Dash 7 fixed wing airplanes.  He attended the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Flight Training Program, numerous Army Aviation qualification courses and has received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from City University. 

Mr. Starks previous positions, include Airport Director for Stockton Metropolitan Airport and the Commissioner of Aviation for Griffiss International Airport as well as Operator of one of six FAA designated UAS test sites.  During his time at these positions, Mr. Stark was a member of the California Airports Council (Board of Directors), New York Aviation Management Association (NYAMA) Board of Directors and a member of the Academic Outreach and Training committee and Chairman of the NYAMA UAS Committee.

Mr. Stark is currently the Deputy Director, Aviation for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA).  The NFTA is responsible for the operation and oversight of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and the Niagara Falls International Airport.

Mr. Stark is also a Certified Member and Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) Candidate of the American Association of Airport Executives and also served as an adjunct instructor for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Presenter:

Cody Baciuska

Vice President and Co-Founder, Loomacres Wildlife Management

Cody was the first private sector biologist qualified by the FAA to perform wildlife hazard management services to airports. Cody has conducted Wildlife Hazard Assessments, developed Wildlife Hazard Management Plans, and has conducted numerous airport related research studies. Cody has provided wildlife hazard mitigation for some of the largest airports in the United States; including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Nashville International Airport and LaGuardia International Airport. In addition to being a FAA qualified Airport Wildlife Biologist, Cody is a member of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association, the Wildlife Society and is the current president of the NYS Wildlife Management Association. In addition, Cody is a certified National Rifle Association firearms instructor. Cody's interests include gardening, bird watching, cooking, shooting, hunting and camping.

Keynote Session

Moderator: Lee Weitz 

Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (BNIA and NFIA)

Lee Weitz joined the NFTA in 2005 as the Deputy Director of Aviation, overseeing all maintenance and airport operations. With 44 years of aviation experience, the individual has worked in various management capacities for both major air carrier USAirways and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. As the Director at USAirways' hub in Pittsburgh, they were responsible for all aspects of flight operations and customer service, directing 400 daily departures, including international and cross-border flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. Prior to overseeing the Pittsburgh hub, Lee held director or general manager roles in several east coast cities, including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Newark, N.J.

Lee currently serve on the boards of the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce and the New York Aviation Management Association (NYAMA), having been a part of both executive committees for the past 10 years. Additionally, he has participated in the Canisius College One Year MBA Mentoring Program since 2013.

Presenter:

Don Erwin

President of the Board of Trustees, Niagara Aerospace Museum

Don Erwin has served as the president of the board of trustees for the Niagara Aerospace Museum since 2019, and had previously volunteered with the museum in various capacities since 2010. When he is not attending to museum affairs, Don serves as the Chief Service Officer for a SUNY organization that provides IT services for most of the SUNY campuses across New York State. He previously worked with various contractors for NASA and the Department of Defense on military and space programs.  Don combines his interests in aviation, aerospace, and local history with his background in strategic planning, digital transformation, and team building to help the museum meet its mission.

General Session 2: Through the Looking Glass – DEI in NY Aviation

Moderator: Carrem Gay

Manager, Business Performance, Port Authority of NY & NJ

Carrem Gay is the Manager, Business Performance for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (Port Authority) Aviation Department.  In this role, Carrem is responsible for the administration of the Aviation Department By-Law and Board Authorization Process, supporting departmental strategic initiatives, and supporting the Aviation Director’s Office.

Carrem has also held the position of Senior Property Representative with Property and Commercial Development at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).  As a Property Representative she was responsible for coordinating all aspects of airport tenant negotiations and development, in addition to the ongoing management and administration of the resulting agreements. One of her favorite projects was the JFK Administration Building Cafeteria Request for Interest (RFI), where she served as project manager.  The RFI led to the selection of a joint venture between two local Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprises to operate and manage the employee cafeteria.

Carrem joined the Port Authority as a Leadership Fellow in 2017.  The Port Authority Leadership Fellows Program is a distinguished fellowship designed to develop future leaders in public service. 

Carrem is a Certified Member (C.M.) of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).  She earned a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, where she also played basketball.

Panelists:

Chaundra Daniels

Director of Career Services, Vaughn College

Chaundra provides the guidance and structure for a range of student services offered by career services and oversees all office operations on career development strategies. She has more than 25 years working as a seasoned professional with a diverse background in the corporate, healthcare, higher education and the nonprofit sectors. An advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, she has worked as a job coach, job developer, career counselor and project manager. She has written award winning grants and developed successful initiatives to assist students to become more independently involved with their career planning endeavors while securing purposeful employment. Chaundra is an enthusiastic and resourceful administrator. She offers a unique communication style with the ability to successfully engage employers and motivate students through critical thinking. She has a fond appreciation of butterflies and uses their symbolic nature of “transformation” as part of her message in providing inspiration.

Diane Giliam, FAA, DBE/ACDBE

Program Compliance Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration’s Eastern Region in the FAA Office of Civil Rights

Diane Gillam is the DBE/ACDBE Program Compliance Specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Eastern Region in the FAA Office of Civil Rights. In this capacity, she oversees DBE/ACDBE program compliance for hundreds of airports in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Prior to the FAA, Diane worked at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) as the Properties and Senior DBE Manager, as well as the Compliance Manager for Title VI/LEP/EJ, ADA/504, and DBE/ACDBE programs. This work involved managing the programs and reporting to the FAA for compliance purposes, in addition to regular properties management functions including Requests for Proposals, leases for corporate hangars, and managing the concessions program, including food and beverage, retail/news/gift, advertising, vending, and the rental car concessions.

Diane Gillam receives great joy in helping people, and she is always ready to provide technical assistance and support to recipients of FAA funding.  If you need assistance on anything related to the DBE and ACDBE programs, you can contact her at [email protected].

Dejuan Hardy

Chief Diversity Officer, NFTA

As Chief Diversity Officer, Dejuan Hardy is responsible for diversity, inclusion and employee engagement, as well as Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance and DBE certification.

Mr. Hardy has a wide range of experience in Human Resources, Employment, and Diversity with progressive leadership in employee relations, conflict resolution, diversity training, equal employment, affirmative action and compliance. He most recently worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs.  

He served in the United States Air Force and completed three tours to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Qatar.

General Session 3: NYAMA Advocacy and Voice of Aviation

Moderator: Mark Heefner, President, NYAMA

Panelists:

John DelBalso

Aviation Facilities Design Manager, CHA Consulting, Inc.

John provides consulting services with CHA Consulting as an Aviation Facilities Design Manager. He previously served as the Assistant Airport Manager at the Albany International Airport. John held several positions at the airport over the past 22 years including, Operations Officer, Operations Supervisor, Assistant Airport Security Coordinator, Airport Security Supervisor, Airport Operations and Security Manager, and Airport Property, Operations and Security Manager.

John has experience in a wide range of aviation related services such as aircraft maintenance, quality assurance, airport management, airport operations and security, airport administration, general, commercial, and cargo aviation operations, project management, emergency preparedness, safety management, aviation weather observation, airport snow removal, and property management.

He is on the Board of Directors for the New York Aviation Management Association, NYAMA, since 2013. (Served as President 2016-2017)

In November of 1999; Staff Sergeant DelBalso left a 9-year career in the United States Marine Corps as an air crewman, aircraft mechanic, and quality assurance inspector. His most notable assignment was with the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, known as HMX-1. This brought John to points across the globe supporting the president’s travel. John was also deployed to Somalia, as part of Operation Restore Hope where he was awarded the Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

A native of Latham, NY, John is a proud graduate of Shaker High School. He attended the State University of New York, Empire State College, and graduated with a B.S. in Business Management and Economics. He has also successfully obtained the AAAE Certified Member designation.

John is an avid skier, and enjoys golfing, camping, mountain biking, and hiking with his family and friends.

Brian Flogaus, 

Senior Sales Manager, Avfuel

Brian has been a Senior Sales Manager for Avfuel Corporation for the past four years and was previously a District Sales Manager for Avfuel.   Brian has worked in the Aviation industry since 1998 including Airborne Express, Director of Operations at Jet One Aviation in Pontiac, Michigan as well as a Regional Sales Executive for World Fuel Services.  Brian has a BS Aviation from Western Michigan University.

Bruce Geiger

President, BWG Associates

Bruce W. Geiger is President of Bruce W. Geiger & Associates, Inc., an Albany-based government affairs firm specializing in New York State government relations. 

Bruce held the position of Chief of Staff to the Vice President Pro Tempore of the New York State Senate prior to leaving government service. He has amassed years of experience in the State Legislature and private sector combined as a staff member, policy advisor, communications specialist, legislative director, chief of staff and lobbyist. As such, Bruce has directly developed laws, budget language and regulatory provisions that have had a significant impact on health care, transportation, aviation, property and income taxation, economic development, the environment and other important policy areas.

As a lobbyist, Bruce has represented the New York Aviation Management Association for over twenty years

General Session 4A: Generating Revenue for Airports-Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Renewable Energy

Moderator: Shannon Fischer

Manager, Chautauqua County Airport

Presenters:

Steve Bottia

Senior Account Executive, VEREGY

Steve brings 24 years of experience in the industry, focusing on Energy Solutions, Business Development, and Client Relations. Steve works with Veregy’s East region Team and helps to guide innovative energy solutions for clients and provides sales leadership for all energy solutions projects. Steve has extensive experience at all levels of large complex sales cycles and selling to executive-level decision makers across all market sectors. This includes educational, municipal, governmental, housing authorities, airports, higher education and healthcare.

Corey Harper

Airport Business Development VEREGY

Mr. Harper is currently the Airport Business Development Executive for Veregy. He has a diverse and accomplished career in the Aviation industry. For over 25 years, Mr. Harper has strived to assist airports nationwide in implementing their development and sustainability goals through various job roles. His background as an aviation planner provides him extensive knowledge to assist airports with innovative solutions to their development needs. While working with the client, Mr. Harper will create a unique plan for each aviation facility that is not only achievable, but also provides for optimal savings and the highest amount of new revenue generation for the airport.

General Session 4B: Electrification Challenges to NY Airports Large/Small

Moderator: Shannon Fischer, Chautauqua County Airport

Presenter:

Nate Ward

Network Development, BETS 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.

General Session 5: Workforce Development

Moderator: Russell Stark, NFTA

SPEAKERS PENDING

General Session 6: Airforce Development

Moderator: Mark Heefner, President, NYAMA

Presenters:

Matthew Colbert

Founder and Principal Consultant Empire Aviation Services

Matt is a ‘total aviation geek’ and the Founder and Principal Consultant of Empire Aviation Services. With over 15 years of industry experience leading airline strategy, air service development, and infrastructure investment projects, he offers a 360-degree, market-based approach to every engagement. Matt’s commitment to P&L-accretive outcomes is achieved through rigorous analysis and strategic insights, keeping each airport and community top of mind. As the saying goes, “If you’ve seen an airport, you’ve seen an airport.”

Recent engagements include a $150M hangar complex acquisition, a successful SCASD grant campaign, and the doubling of an airport’s air service.

Prior to Empire, Matt built and led commercial strategy teams at JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Matt grew local market share, profitability, and customer satisfaction at each airline through public-private partnerships, new market entries, and terminal investments, including Delta’s $4.5B LaGuardia Airport redevelopment project.

He graduated from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he also earned his Master’s Degree. Matt is also a published author on airline merger labor integration best practices.

Matt’s first job was at the Ithaca-Tompkins International Airport (ITH).

Tim Sieber

Director of Air Service Development, Volaire Aviation

Tim is a forward-thinking, respected industry professional who launched his commercial aviation career in 1987 after completing his Aviation Business Administration degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Tim possesses over three decades of both airline and air service consulting experience. His airline background varies widely from front line customer service to regional airline President. His most recent positions include Managing Director, Development for ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. and Head of the aha! Business Unit where he led the commercial activities for the relaunch of ExpressJet Airlines as an independent regional carrier. He has extensive understanding and skill in airline operations, air service planning, pricing, revenue management, distribution, sales and interline relations. This wide-ranging skillset coupled with his adaptability and prior work in air service consulting serves his clients well.

General Session 7A: Cybersecurity Services for Building Cyber Resilience

Moderator: Russell Stark, NFTA

Presenter:

Scott Patronik
CISA (Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency)

Scott R. Patronik is 20-year law enforcement officer currently assigned as the Chief of the Special Services Division of the Erie County Sheriff's Office in Buffalo, New York. As chief, his duties include overseeing the agency's special investigative units and special operations. These units include the agency's Detective Bureau, Narcotics Unit, Computer Crime Unit, Electronic Surveillance Unit and Counter-terrorism initiatives. Scott also oversees the agency.s specialized operational units including its Aviation Unit, Bomb Squad, Marine Unit, and SWAT Team. Scott was assigned as a Lead Investigator overseeing the .Bike Path Task Force., and as a former FBI Buffalo's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) member was assigned to the "Lackawanna Six" case in Buffalo, NY. His educational background includes earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the State University College of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from James Madison University. Scott is also an adjunct instructor at Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY where he instructs courses in the Computer Security and Information Assurance program, teaching courses in Computer Security, Computer Investigations, Computer Forensics, and Cryptography. Designations held by Scott include being a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) as conferred by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² and a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) as conferred by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS). He is a member of the FBI.s Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence, and the FBI.s Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory's National Advisory Committee. Affiliations include serving as a board member to the InfraGard Chapter of Western New York and as an advisory board member for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children/ NY, and as a member of the Western New York Incident Management Team and has been involved in command and supervisory positions in numerous disasters in New York State including Flight 3407, Gowanda Floods, October Storm of 2006, Hurricane Lee, Hurricane Sandy and numerous large scale searches. Notable awards and recognitions include being honored as the Buffalo News Citizen of the Year, Business First 40 Under Forty Award, Bar Association of Erie County - Police Officer Award, and the National Association of Police Organizations Top Cops Awards . Honorable Mention.

General Session 7B: GPS Use for All Airfield Vehicles

Moderator: Russell Stark, NFTA

Presenters:

Michael Bettua

Co-Founder and the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Volan Technology.

Before starting Volan, Michael was an early executive at two enterprise software technology startups – BladeLogic and Silknet Software – that became billion-dollar IPO and M&A exits. Michael has now funneled his skills and passion for innovation into Volan Technology, a powerful new solution for Fortune 500 industrial companies to reduce operations costs, improve productivity, and increase worker safety.

He holds a B.A. from Boston University.

Nathan Wood

Monroe Tractor 

Nathan grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania. In 2013 he graduated high school and started college at SUNY Cobleskill. Nathan received an associate’s degree in Agricultural Engineering Technology: Agricultural Power Machinery in May of 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Equipment Technology in May of 2016. It was when Nate started college that he had been introduced to precision farming and began the study of it. When Nate graduated in May of 2016, he started with Monroe Tractor focused in precision agriculture.