Speakers | BASS 2023 - Flight Safety Foundation

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BUSINESS AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT

MAY 9-10, 2023

Sheraton New Orleans, 500 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Speakers

BASS 2023 SPEAKERS

DAY 1 KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Tony Kern

Chief Executive Officer
Convergent Performance, LLC

DAY 2 KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Jacquie Dalton

President
SPARROW Executive Jets

Birke Rhodes

Manger, Airport Safety and Operations
Federal Aviation Administration

Brad Wilcko

Pilot/Controller Liaison
National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Brian Willis

Director of Safety
University of North Dakota

Bryan Burns

President
Air Charter Safety Foundation

Chad Brewer

Operational Safety Analyst
Federal Aviation Administration

Christopher Rocheleau

Chief Operating Officer
National Business Aviation Association

Dan Boedigheimer

CEO
Advanced Aircrew Academy

Capt. Dave Belastock

President
Teterboro Users Group

Douglas Carr

Senior Vice President, Safety, Security, Sustainability & International Operations
National Business Aviation Association

Eric Carter

Air Traffic Controller/Analyst
National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Hassan Shahidi

President and CEO
Flight Safety Foundation

Jeff Mittelman

Founder
Mittelman Aviation Solutions, LLC

Jennifer Pickerel

Vice President
Aviation Personnel International

Joe Dickinson

Safety Captain
Hess Corporation

Joe Winingar

Director of Safety
Federal Aviation Administration

Keith DeBerry

Chief Operating Officer
National Air Transportation Association

Capt. Kimberly Perkins

Ph.D. Candidate
University of Washington

Luke Bowman

Product Director, Flight Analytics
GE Digital Aviation Software

Maria Kelly

Vice President, Safety
Jet Access

Capt. Neil Schnaak

Vice President, Executive Consultant
DEKRA North America

Paul BJ Ransbury

Chief Executive Officer
Aviation Performance Solutions

Piyush Gandhi

Vice President, Operations and Business Development
Presage Group, Inc.

Richard Meikle

Executive Vice President, Operations and Safety
Flight Safety International

Robert Sumwalt

Executive Director
Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Scott Williams

Aviation Systems Lead
MITRE

Sonnie Bates

Chief Executive Officer
Wyvern

Susan Northrup

Federal Air Surgeon
Federal Aviation Administration

Tom Huff

Vice President, Aviation Programs
Empyrean Inc

The 68th Business Aviation Safety Summit is Jointly Organized By

Questions? Contact: events@flightsafety.org

Dr. Tony Kern

Chief Executive Officer, Convergent Performance, LLC

Dr. Tony Kern is one of the world’s leading authorities on human performance in aviation. He has researched, written, and lectured on the subject around the globe for over two decades. Dr. Kern has received numerous national and international awards for his work, and while it’s always a privilege to win awards, it’s a completely different honor to have an award named after you. In 2015, the National Business Aviation Association announced the creation of the Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award, and to date, there have been over 70 award recipients from around the world. A prolific writer, Dr. Kern has authored eight books on human performance. Tony is also a featured columnist and Contributing Editor for several magazines.

Dr. Kern has world class communications credentials and has testified in front of the United States Congress and been interviewed regarding his insights by the Fox Business Network, Bloomberg TV, the Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, NBC Nightly News, and 48 Hours with Dan Rather, among others.

Despite his three graduate degrees, Dr. Kern does not consider himself an “academic.” He has deep operational roots in the U.S. Air Force as a Command Pilot and Flight Examiner in the B‐1B bomber. Upon retirement from the Air Force in 2000, Dr. Kern served as the National Aviation Director for the U.S. Forest Service, where he directed the largest non‐military government aviation program in the world in support of federal wildland fire suppression and natural resource protection. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the U.S. Federal Government Senior Executive Service Development Program.

Tony has dedicated his adult life to helping individuals and organizations reduce error, improve cultures, mitigate losses, and optimize their performance, but still finds time to enjoy his personal hobbies of hunting, fishing, golf, and writing. He currently lives with Shari, his wife of 34 years and their seven dogs, three horses, 20 chickens, and two donkeys on the Emerald Star Ranch in the Texas hill country west of San Antonio.

Dan Boedigheimer

CEO at Advanced Aircrew Academy

After finding a passion for teaching as a CFI, Dan built a solid instrument scan and gray hair flying a Beech 1900 for Great Lakes without an autopilot across the Midwest. The regional airline flying would routinely include 8 instrument approaches a day (uphill both ways in icing conditions to minimums). His business aviation flying experience spans 4 years in a small Part 91 flight department (1 aircraft / 2 pilots) and 13 years in a large Part 135 operation starting as a SIC and working his way up to managing their training and standards program.

With a philosophy of being a lifetime learner and a stubbornness to re-write a 300+ page dissertation for a 3^rd time to free the reader from having to endure the “non-academic” word “it,” Dan holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Science. He gained membership to the Delta Mu Delta Academic Honor Society for finding 193 academic ways to rephrase “it.”

Inspiration for his Ph.D. dissertation came from Tony Kern and his vision for the Global War on Error. Dan’s FAA sponsored dissertation “Exploring Pilot Reliability Certification and Changing Attitudes on the Reduction of Errors” was published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Record with the data to prove the effectiveness of Convergent Performance’s Pilot Reliability Certification Program. Dan later joined the Convergent Performance team as a part-time lead human factors instructor while continuing to be a full-time pilot.

Dan has served on the NBAA Safety Committee since 2014. First as a member of the Training Advisory Committee and today as the Vice Chairman. Dan also serves on the International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAO Standards Board as the training subject matter expert and is a reviewer for the Embry Riddle Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. Dan’s day job is leading an incredible training team as CEO and a founding partner of Advanced Aircrew Academy.

Dan lives in the mountains of Colorado. A good summer day is spent hiking and a good winter day is snowboarding in feet of new powder. Dan and his wife Jodie are empty nesters with their son Jason working as an Environmental Health Specialist (tree hugging + biology) for Grand County Colorado and daughter Keira a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Division 1 athlete at the University of Minnesota studying Exercise Science and Wellness.

Douglas Carr

Senior Vice President, Safety, Security, Sustainability & International Operations, National Business Aviation Association

Douglas “Doug” Carr is NBAA’s senior vice president of safety, security, sustainability and international operations. In this position, he is responsible for leading the association’s broad regulatory and policy agenda affecting business aviation safety, security, sustainability and aircraft operations in the United States and around the globe. He also is the staff liaison for NBAA’s Security Council.

In April 1998, Carr joined the NBAA staff as manager of domestic operations. He subsequently was promoted to manager of safety and operations, director of government affairs and vice president of regulatory and international affairs. In these positions, he monitored and responded to domestic and international regulatory and legislative initiatives by Congress, FAA, TSA, CBP and other government agencies. He also provided operational-related assistance for commercial and non-commercial aircraft operators.

While at NBAA, Carr has led or participated in several landmark aviation rulemaking and policy efforts, including the FAA’s Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee (FOARC), the FAA’s Part 125/135 ARC Flight and Rest Subcommittee, the Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) ARC, TSA’s Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal, establishment of CBP’s business aviation pre-clearance program in Shannon, Ireland and updates to ICAO protocols for business aircraft, among others.

Internationally, Carr represents business aviation interests at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and has assisted with several rulemaking and policy efforts at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). He serves as the corporate secretary for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

Carr is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation management and an Associate of Science degree in aviation flight. Prior to his college years, he spent six years in the U.S. Navy. As part of his military duties, he worked onboard a nuclear-powered submarine where he was responsible for many aspects of the submarine propulsion system, including the operation, maintenance and repair of the nuclear reactor and support systems.

Before joining NBAA, Carr was employed by the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) as a specialist in government and industry affairs. There, he was responsible for issues affecting FAR Part 135 on-demand air carriers and flight training providers.

Carr is a commercial, multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot and a certificated flight instructor.

Jennifer Pickerel

Vice President, Aviation Personnel International

Jennifer Pickerel is a decisive leader with exceptional communication skills, and a unique ability to build relationships, inspire confidence and unite teams. As Vice President of Aviation Personnel International, she works directly with API’s clients, most of whom are aviation directors, reporting executives and corporate HR partners.

As a recruiter with 15 years of experience working in business aviation, Jennifer has a deep understanding of the workforce challenges facing the industry today. She draws on her subject matter knowledge and expertise to speak at an array of industry events, as well as to author industry media articles on employee attraction, retention and topics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Since joining API in 2015, Jennifer has held progressive roles in all areas of the company and was promoted to her current position in 2020. As VP, she is the “chief of staff” to the company’s President & CEO and serves as the primary point of contact for most of API’s recruitment projects and staff needs.

Jennifer is the Chair of NBAA’s DE&I Working Group, as well as a member of NBAA’s Maintenance Committee and Business Aviation Management Committee. She also is a member of the International Aviation Womens Association, Minnesota Business Aviation Association, Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association and Women in Corporate Aviation. Through her relationship with the Minnesota State University, Mankato, she works one-on-one with students to conduct resume reviews, mock interviews, and offer career and salary advice.

In August, 2022, Jennifer was accepted into the prestigious ’22-‘23 IWF Leadership Fellows Program, a year-long, intensive leadership development experience through the International Women’s Forum. Earlier this year, she also attended Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management’s DEI-focused executive education program. The weeklong-course, “Beyond Diversity: Executive Strategies for Constructive Disruption,” empowers DEI leaders “to take proven concepts and translate them into bold actions, creating meaningful change” for themselves, their employees and their organization. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Keith DeBerry

Chief Operating Officer, National Air Transportation Association

Keith DeBerry, National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Chief Operating Officer oversees NATA’s activities relating to safety education development and member outreach, as well as the day-to-day operation of the Association. DeBerry most recently served as Senior Vice President and as the Association’s Senior advisor for Regulatory Affairs since January 2020.

Prior to coming to NATA, Keith was the Federal Aviation Administration’s Academy Director. As a Senior Executive, Keith led a workforce of over 500 federal employees and hundreds of contractors, providing technical learning solutions for thousands of students annually across the FAA and global aviation communities.

Keith also led the Regulatory Standards Training Division where he had the responsibility for providing technical training for the FAA’s aviation safety inspectors and engineers. He was also the accountable executive for the Academy’s flight program where he led the development and implementation of the FAA’s first flight program’s Safety Management System (SMS), utilizing the Part 5 SMS rule.

Keith also served as FAA’s field program lead in the development and implementation of SMS for the air transportation industry. He co-chaired the SMS pilot project with aviation industry senior leadership in the testing of SMS policy and procedures, sharing best practices with the aviation industry.

In his 22-year federal career, he has had extensive experience leading, directing and managing aviation safety oversight activities. Keith served as the Supervisory Principal Maintenance Inspector for UPS Airlines. Where he oversaw a workforce charged with Congressional mandated safety oversight of UPS’ Airlines worldwide fleet.

Keith is retired from the US Air Force and is a USAF Thunderbird Alumni.

He holds a Master’s Business Administration degree (MBA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Keith is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute.

He currently serves on the board of directors for the US Air Force Thunderbird Association and the Oklahoma State University Executive Education Partnership Program.

Piyush Gandhi

Vice President, Operations and Business Development, Presage Group, Inc.

Piyush is an experienced executive in the field of aviation. He is currently the Vice President, Operations and Business Development for the Presage Group Inc. which is an organization that uses psychological science-based analytics to understand the behaviours of employees (primarily pilots) in operational workplaces and provide mitigation strategies that ultimately improve the safety and performance of those organizations. Most recently, he spent 2½ years with Sunwing Airlines in the role of Vice President Flight Operations. Along with safety, operational, regulatory, and fiduciary responsibility of more than 30,000 flights in the B737-800/MAX-8 per year, he maintained his pilot proficiency flying on the line as a B737 Captain. Previously, he was the Vice President Flight Operations at Porter Airlines where he was a founding team member from its inception in early 2006. He contributed to helping build Porter from its humble 4 aircraft operation to 28 aircraft operating more than 65,000 flights per year carrying more than 3-million passengers. Prior to that, Piyush spent 10-years with Bombardier Aerospace as their Chief Pilot & Customer Liaison Pilot. In addition to his OEM certification/production test pilot duties on the Q400 and Global Express business jet, Piyush spent much of his Bombardier tenure overseas training pilots, delivering new aircraft, conducting sales & marketing tours, and providing operational support to various airlines and operators globally.

Since 2018, Piyush has been on the Board of Directors for The Redwood – a not-for-profit shelter for women and their children fleeing domestic abuse. In 2020, Piyush was the first male elected to the Board of Directors for the Northern Lights Aero Foundation which promotes and celebrates women in the field of aviation and aerospace in Canada. Piyush founded and chaired the Y.A.Y! (You Are You!) diversity and inclusion committee at Sunwing and he also co-founded/chaired the successful Women Soar at Porter program. Piyush is a member of the international Flight Safety Foundation Business Aviation Advisory Committee (FSF BAC). He has also been on the Advisory Boards for Colleges, and Universities, most notably, the Seneca College Aviation PAC (Program Advisory Committee).

Piyush graduated the Seneca Aviation Program (Class ’93) and he completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate degree at the Rotman School of Business (University of Toronto) in 2014.

Dr. Susan Northrup

Federal Air Surgeon, Federal Aviation Administration

Dr. Susan E. Northrup is the Federal Air Surgeon for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. In this capacity, she leads the Office of Aerospace Medicine in Washington, D.C. She leads strategic management of the FAA's aviation medical programs, which oversee all pilots. Together with the Deputy Federal Air Surgeon, she shares responsibility for the direction and management of all FAA medical programs.

This includes the development and establishment of airman medical certification, the air traffic control specialist medical qualification policy, the application of that policy in medical decision making, the medical appeals process, and the oversight of aviation industry drug and alcohol testing programs. Dr. Northrup oversees the FAA's aeromedical education programs, the planning and conduct of aerospace medical and human factors research, and the investigation of aircraft accident medical factors.

A private pilot, Dr. Northrup is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. She is board certified in aerospace medicine and in occupational medicine. She is an acknowledged expert in aviation. She has authored several scientific papers on accident investigation, the use of sleep aids by pilots, cabin air quality, and bioterrorism. While serving in the Air Force, she was the U.S. Head of Delegation to NATO's aeromedical working group.

Dr. Northrup is a senior FAA aviation medical examiner. In 1985, Dr. Northrup earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with Honors in Liberal Arts from The Ohio State University. She earned a medical degree, also from Ohio State, in 1989. She was awarded a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Texas in 1994.

Dr. Northrup is a past President of the American Society of Aerospace Medicine Specialists and the Civil Aviation Medical Association. She also was vice-president for the Aerospace Medicine Association. Dr. Northrup spent nine years (2007-2016) as a trustee for the American Board of Preventive Medicine. She is on the adjunct faculty for the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine and is a Fellow of the Aerospace Medicine Association.