2026 Conference Agenda
Draft Agenda
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Exhibitor Setup
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom Registration
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Spouse Activity
Paddywax Candle Bar with Lunch and River Street Savannah
Location: Gather & Meet at Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Registration Area
General Sessions Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Welcome and Introduction
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
The Honorable Van R. Johnson, II, Mayor of Savannah, GA
Michael Owens, President/CEO Tourism Leadership Council Savannah
1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Session 1: Keynote Speaker
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
Speaker: TBD
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Session 2: Legislative Session
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderators: James Marquardt, Airport Manager, Perry Houston County Airport Andrew Wiersma, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport
Edward Lindsey, Partner/Head of Dentons Georgia Public Policy Team, Dentons US LLP
Speakers: Members of the Georgia State Legislature
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Break with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Session 3: Telling your Airport Story/ Working with Local Government
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Lauren E. Smith, Deputy Executive Director, Augusta Regional Airport
Speaker:
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Session 4: General Aviation Airport Roundtable
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Verelst & Precival Rooms
Moderators: Van Mills, Jr., Airport Manager, Baxley Municipal Airport
Matthew L. Smith, C.M., ACE, GAA Past President, Airport Director
Gwinnett County Airport
End Wednesday General Sessions
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Opening Reception with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
Dinner on your own
Thursday, October 8, 2026
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom Registration
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom Pre-function
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. GAA Business Meeting #1 Committee Reports and Board Nominations
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Session 5: Fuel Systems 101 and Expensive Common Mistakes
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: James Marquardt, Airport Manager, Perry Houston County Airport
Speakers:
9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Session 6: Height Restriction Legislation Passed, What Next?
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Andrew Wiersma, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport
Speakers:
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. Session 7: Filming Policy
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Douglas “Doug” Faour C.M., Aviation Director
Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN), Macon Downtown Airport (MAC)
Speakers:
End Thursday General Sessions
Afternoon Networking Activities
12:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Golf Outing, Crosswinds Golf Course
12:45 Shuttle Departs from Hyatt Regency, Main Entrance
Lunch provided at Golf Course
12:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Historic Trolley Tours of Savannah with Old Town Trolley Tours
12:45 Shuttle Departs from Hyatt Regency, River Street Pickup location under the Hyatt Tunnel. Box lunch on tour
12:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Savannah Pub Crawl
Pub crawl through Savannah’s Historic District and River Street
12:45 Walking Tour Departs from Hyatt Regency, Main Entrance Lunch Included
12:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Aviation Tour - SAV and Gulfstream Aerospace
Tour of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and Gulfstream Aerospace offers a fascinating look into the world of aviation
12:45 Shuttle Departs from Hyatt Regency, Main Entrance Lunch Included
Lunch Included
Presidents Dinner Function
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. President’s Dinner – Savannah River Boat, “Georgia Queen is Cleared for Fright”
Location: Savannah River Boat, Georgia Queen, Hyatt Boarding Dock
Boarding Starts at 6:00 p. m., must be on board by 6:45 p.m.
Friday, October 9, 2026
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. GAA Business Meeting #2: Installation of New GAA Officers
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Session 8: General Aviation and Economic Development
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Chris Bailey, Airport Manager, Assistant City Administrator
Cy Nunnally Memorial Airport (D73)
Speakers: Brecca Carter, Villa Rica Community & Economic Development Dept.
Scott Berta, Manager of Industrial Development, Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG)
Serra P. Hall, Executive Director, Newton County Industrial Development Authority
9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Session 9: Emergency Response Programs
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
Speakers:
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break with Exhibitors
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom CDEF
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Presentation of Awards
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Presenters: Dawoud Stevenson, C.M. GAA President, Director of Program Management, Savannah Airport Commission
Amber Clark, C.M., Airport Director, Columbus Airport (CSG)
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Session 10: Aviation Industry Updates
Location: Hyatt Regency, 2nd Floor Regency Ballroom A & B
Moderator: Terra Winslett, C.M., Director of Airport Property and Marketing, Glynn County Airport Commission (BQK and SSI)
Speakers: Jeffrey U. Vincent, Southern Region Regional Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Colette Edmisten Williams, A.A.E., Aviation Program Manager
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)
Conference Adjourn