Wednesday, October 12, 2022

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.            GAA Board of Director’s Meeting

Location: Lafayette Suite

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.              Exhibitor Setup

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.              Registration

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom Foyer

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.              Afternoon Spouse Activity

Lunch Location: Hitch Savannah, Depart from Desoto Main Entrance Mercer Williams House Museum Tour – Begins at 2:10 p.m.              

General Sessions                  Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Unless Otherwise Notated

1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.              Welcome and Introduction

Andrew Wiersma, GAA President, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport

Michael Owens, President/CEO Tourism Leadership Council Savannah

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.        Session 1: A Discussion with FAA Associate Administrator for Airports

Moderator: Steven V. Brian, C.M., Manager – Aviation Programs, GDOT

Speakers: Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., FAA Associate Administrator for Airports

2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. A Message from U.S. Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter, Georgia District 1                                                                                           

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.              Session 2: Legislative Session

Moderator: Andrew Wiersma, GAA President, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport

Moderator: Edward Lindsey, Partner/Head of Dentons Georgia Public Policy Team, Dentons US LLP

Speakers: Members of the Georgia State Legislature

3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.              Break with Exhibitors

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

 3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.              Session 3A: Airport Management Fundamentals

Location: Desoto Savannah, Pulaski Room 

Moderator: Terra Winslett, C.M., Airport Property & Marketing Manager, St. Simons Island Airport

Speaker: Tracy Arner, M.Ed., CPA, CPFO, Carl Vinson Institute of Government |Assistant Director, University of Georgia

3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Session 3B: Existing and Emerging Airfield Technology 

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Moderator: Jim Galloway, Executive Director, Valdosta Regional Airport

Speakers: Mark Morley, P.E., RCDD, President, The Ohmega Group Inc.

Sam Hobbs, Senior Team Member, BETA

Keith Meese, Sales, ADB Safegate / Allen Enterprises

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.              Session 4: Airport Roundtables

Commercial Service Airport Roundtable – Amber Clark, C.M., Executive Director, Columbus Airport   

Location: The Desoto, Pulaski Room

General Aviation Airport Roundtable – Matthew Smith, C.M., Airport Manager, Gwinnett County – Briscoe Field  

Location: The Desoto, Oglethorpe Ballroom

End Wednesday General Sessions                     

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.              Opening Reception with Exhibitors

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

Dinner on your own

Thursday, October 13, 2022

7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.              Registration

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom Foyer

7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.            Exhibit Hall Open

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.              Lightning Round Breakfast with Silver Sponsors

(Presentations begin at 8:00 a.m.)

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Moderator: Hugh Weaver, P.E., Pond, Co., GAA Corporate Board Member

Presenter(s): Engage with Silver Sponsors as they provide a brief presentation of their products and services which may be useful to your airport.

8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.              GAA Business Meeting #1 & Officers’ Reports,                      Nominations, and Elections                                                

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Andrew Wiersma, GAA President, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.            Session 5:  A Look into the Future: Integrating Urban Air      Mobility, Advanced Air Mobility, Electric Aircraft and Vertical Take-off and Landing             

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Moderator: Lauren Smith, Asst. Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Augusta Regional Airport

Speakers: Matt Coffelt, UAS Program Development Manager, Georgia Department of Transportation  

Melissa Rank, Aviation Project Manager, Woolpert

William Fugate, U.S. Business Development Manager, SkyDrive 

Hugh Weaver, P.E., Vice President of Aviation, Pond, Co.

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.          Break with Exhibitors

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.          Session 6A: Breakout Session – Building Community          Relations in a General Aviation Environment

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Moderator: Matthew Smith, C.M., Airport Manager, Gwinnett County – Briscoe Field  

Speakers:Carlos Tobar, ICMA-CM, County Manager, Baldwin County

Dwight Albritton Airport Manager, Calhoun Gordon County, Tom B David Field

Phil Eberly, President, Lead Edge Design Group, Inc

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.          Session 6B: Breakout Session – Aviation Cyber Threats: Real World Solutions to Protect Your Airport

Location: Desoto Savannah, Pulaski Room

Moderator: Dawoud Stevenson, C.M., Director of Program Management/IT, Savannah Airport Commission

Speakers: Klint Walker, Cyber Security Advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Brad Goodman, Director, Data Center Services, Layer 3 Communications

End Thursday General Sessions

Afternoon Networking Activities

12:00 p.m.                     SHUTTLES WILL LOAD FROM THE DESOTO FRONT                      ENTRANCE

12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.            Golf Outing

Location: Southbridge Golf Club

12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.           Savannah Riverboat Cruise                                                                                  Location: River Street   

President’s Dinner Function:

6:00 p.m.                             SHUTTLES WILL LOAD FROM THE DESOTO FRONT ENTRANCE

6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.              President’s Dinner Function

Location: Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos

14 Williamson St, Savannah, GA 31401

Friday, October 14, 2022

7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.            Registration

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom Foyer

7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.            Exhibit Hall Open

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.              Breakfast with Exhibitors

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom

General Sessions

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.              Session 7: A Discussion with AAAE GA Vice Chair 

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Speaker: Chris Rozansky, Executive Director, Naples Airport Authority, AAAE General Aviation Committee Vice Chair

9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.       GAA Business Meeting #2 & GAA Leadership: Installation of New GAA Officers

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Andrew Wiersma, GAA President, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport

9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.            Presentation of Nominations and Awards

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Andrew Wiersma, GAA President, Airport Manager, Dalton Municipal Airport

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.          Session 8: Wildlife Hazard Management: Mitigation Toolkit  and Resources

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Moderator: Van Mills, Airport Director, Baxley Municipal Airport

Speakers: David Mixon, Coastal Region Supervisor,

Game Management, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia DNR

Ethan Burke, Wildlife Biologist, USDA Wildlife Services

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.         Break with Exhibitors

Location: Desoto Savannah, Madison Ballroom                 

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.          Session 9: FAA Southern Region and ADO Update

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Speaker: Michael O’Harra, ASO-1, Regional Administrator, FAA Southern Region

Steven Hicks, Director, FAA Southern Region, Office of Airports

Joseph Robinson, Aviation Planner and PFC Specialist, FAA Atlanta ADO 

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.          Session 9: GDOT and Georgia Statewide Air Cargo Study Update

Location: Desoto Savannah, Oglethorpe Ballroom

Speaker: Colette Edmisten Williams, A.A.E., Asst. Manager, Aviation, Georgia Department of Transportation

Michael Giambrone, Manager, Aviation Planning, Georgia Department of Transportation            

Conference Adjourns