BIOGRAPHY

BIOGRAPHY

BIOGRAPHY

Jim Eck is vice president, strategy and business development for the Mission Networks sector within L3Harris Technologies’ Space and Airborne Systems segment. Jim is active in developing L3Harris' strategic relationships with federal agencies, the aviation industry and the U.S. airspace user community. He holds more than 30 years of leadership experience with the federal government supporting both the FAA and the U.S. Navy.Prior to joining L3Harris, Jim served as the Assistant Administrator for NextGen at the FAA where he led the modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS). He previously held roles with the FAA focused on acquisition management, program development and program execution where he served as Vice President for the Program Management Organization. Jim holds a BSEE from Pennsylvania State University and an MSE, Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Dr. Swati Saxena is a Senior Aerospace Engineer in the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center. Her research interests include AI/ML applications for aviation operations, high-fidelity modeling and simulation, turbomachinery aerodynamics and computational aeroacoustics. Before joining NASA, Swati has worked at Ansys Inc. as the Technical Director for Aerospace & Defense and at GE Research as Lead Research Scientist. She holds two patents and has authored more than 40 technical publications. She completed her MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and her undergraduate studies from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in India. 

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Cara Herbers is an Enterprise Lead at Palantir Technologies, leading the company's partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration. She and her team of forward-deployed engineers build the AI tooling and data infrastructure that give the FAA a unified data picture, enabling faster, more effective work in service of the safest and most efficient airspace in the world. Cara holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with earlier research in the AI/ML and neurotechnology space before joining Palantir.

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Eric Hoover is the Manager of the Test & Evaluation Services Divisions of the William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace. He has been with the FAA for 38+ years.  He has a B.S. in Electronics Engineering, Wichita State University, and Systems Engineering Certification from Stevens Institute of Technology.  Happily married for 32+ years, with two adult sons and one adult daughter, and enjoys playing golf.

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BIOGRAPHY

Shaelynn Hales is an expert in systems engineering, data management, data analytics and integrated program management support. She conducts and oversees industrial engineering, operational analyses, data analyses, business process analyses and systems analyses to inform U.S. decision-makers.Hales oversees CNA's domestic data management and data analysis portfolio, including aviation research for the Federal Aviation Administration. She performs systems engineering and develops operational concepts for enterprise-level data and information flow, complex software system optimization, and automated system design and integration for federal information technology modernization programs. She oversees research assessing the integration of emerging technologies—such as uncrewed aircraft systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning—into federal government solutions. Hales also has significant expertise with aviation information, including aeronautical information, Notice to Air Missions and post-operational air traffic data.Hales has a Master of Science in industrial management engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Science in industrial management engineering and management from Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute. She is a certified Project Management Professional under the Project Management Institute.

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BIOGRAPHY

Dan Brudnicki is the Co-Founder and COO of IntegriSys, where excellence, respect, integrity, and collaboration are core beliefs that guide the pursuit and execution of work. Dan possesses decades of experience in systems engineering and analysis, software development and testing, cybersecurity, and strategic planning to sustain and improve safe, secure, and efficient air transportation for our nation and the world. Having supported the FAA mission across numerous FAA directorates, Dan brings deep expertise in the areas of air traffic automation and weather systems, infrastructure modernization, and system transformation.  Dan began serving the FAA in 1990 with MITRE, concentrating in areas such as air traffic automation, decision-support systems for controllers and traffic managers, data communications, controller training systems, and operational transformation. He has since held multiple technical, management, and executive positions leading efforts at FAA Headquarters, the William J. Hughes Technical Center, the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, and FAA field sites. He is passionate about aviation, air traffic management, and aligning multi-disciplinary organizations to accomplish mission objectives.  Dan holds a BSCS from the Pennsylvania State University and an MSCS from Johns Hopkins University.  

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Faisal leads the Federal Civilian Solutions Architecture at AWS

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Chris Niehaus leads strategic programs and pursuits for Google Cloud's Federal business. He helps agencies accelerate mission outcomes through Google's differentiated approach to security, data, and AI. Prior to Google, Chris held technology leadership roles at AWS and Microsoft, building global cloud infrastructure and solutions across commercial and public sectors.

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Dan Hamilton is the Program Management Organization Representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), leading NATCA’s engagement on the Brand New Air Traffic Control System and broader modernization efforts. With 18 years in air traffic operations and more than 30 years in the aviation industry, he has supported multiple National Airspace System deployments across the United States. Known for clear communication and cross functional coordination, Dan aligns stakeholders, teams, and various lines of business to drive successful program outcomes.

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Dr. Alicia Fernandes has over 20 years of experience designing and evaluating future airspace concepts and aviation technologies. Currently a Principal Analyst and R&D Business Unit Lead at Mosaic ATM, she leads research and system development to support the safe and effective integration of automation and human decision-making in the National Airspace System (NAS). Dr. Fernandes has helped shape FAA initiatives such as Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS), Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM), and concepts for integrating New Entrants, including Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), into NAS operations. Her work bridges the gap between technical system capabilities and real-world operator needs, particularly in contexts involving distributed collaboration and contingency management. Dr. Fernandes holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University and a Master’s degree in Operations Research from Northeastern University.

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Elly Smith is Senior Principal Engineer at the MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD), the FAA’s Federally Funded Research and Development Center. Working closely with the FAA, she is defining and delivering modernized air traffic management solutions based on research conducted to define controller and traffic flow manager decision support systems, identify and address human-system integration issues, and ensure interoperability among people, systems, and operating procedures. She has nearly 30 years of aviation experience and holds two engineering degrees; a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University and a M.S. in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University. Prior to joining MITRE, she performed human factors research for the U.S. Department of Transportation at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center and also worked at Boeing’s Propulsion Systems Division and performed aircraft systems engineering at Continental Airlines. 

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Amy Parish is the Vice President of North American Programs at UFA, where she plays a pivotal role in delivering critical training systems designed to meet the complex needs of air traffic and airside training. A Navy Veteran turned aviation expert, Amy graduated as valedictorian of Daniel Webster College in 2012 with a degree in Air Traffic and Aviation Management. She then joined UFA, a leader in aviation safety solutions, serving as Project Manager, Program Manager, Director, and ultimately Vice President.Throughout her career, Amy has supported product development, managed customer installations, and led impactful training initiatives. She has been a leader in the FAA’s pandemic-era initiatives, the replacement of critical simulator systems across Canada, and UFA’s groundbreaking delivery of its first ATVehicle airside driver training simulator in the Middle East. In addition to her professional achievements, Amy is a resolute mentor of the next generation of aviation professionals. She actively engages in STEM events and plays a key role in industry committees, including serving as the Chair of the ATCA Rising Professionals Committee. Amy also contributes to the aviation community through her position on the Board of Trustees for the University Aviation Association. An active member of ATCA since her senior year of college, Amy is committed to supporting ATCA’s vital role in advancing the aviation industry.

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Dr. Stéphane Mondoloni is Director of the Transportation Evolution and Engineering Division at the MITRE Corporation. In this role, he leads a team dedicated to the modernization of Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Automation systems towards an info-centric vision of the National Airspace System. He has conducted research in Air Traffic Management (ATM) for over 20 years and authored over 50 technical publications and future concepts. Research interests include ATM simulation, optimization, and operational performance evaluation and improvement. For over 15 years, he has advised ICAO expert groups on visionary ATM concepts including Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO), and the Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE). Dr. Mondoloni has collaborated with global partners to develop, validate, and mature these concepts from authoring operational concepts through real-world operational demonstrations.  Dr. Mondoloni received his Ph.D. from MIT in Aeronautical Engineering and an MBA from the IESE Business School.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics. 

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Douglas Lieberman is Deputy Business Area Lead and CTO for Transportation Solutions at Leidos and a Leidos Technical Fellow. He helps lead strategy, execution, and innovation across Leidos’ air traffic management portfolio, supporting modernization for the Federal Aviation Administration and global air navigation service providers through AI-enabled, cloud-native, data-centric systems. With more than 30 years of experience spanning Fortune 100 companies, venture-backed startups, and national security programs, he has built global organizations, led complex digital transformation efforts, and advanced secure cloud, cybersecurity, and mission-critical infrastructure solutions. He previously held senior leadership roles at Dell, Leidos, and Lockheed Martin, and is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration in Data Analytics focused on applied AI and digital transformation.

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David Almeida is the Strategic Technical Advisor at LS Technologies, where he leads innovation efforts across the National Airspace System. With over 20 years of experience, David specializes in integrating emerging technologies, AI, cloud, and edge computing into mission-critical FAA systems. He has advised the FAA AJM-3 and contributed to initiatives such as BNATCS, SWIM, and SWIFT. A frequent speaker at ATCA Global, ICAO Drone Enable, and the EDA Summit, David champions user-centered design and DevSecOps as drivers of digital transformation.

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Mr. Tessitore has over 37 years of experience with the FAA, specializing in the full life cycle of air traffic systems and aviation safety analysis. He began his career supporting the deployment and maintenance of National Airspace System (NAS) technologies, later advancing into roles in testing, validation, systems engineering, and safety-focused research and development. Currently a technical advisor to the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) program, he leads efforts to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve aviation safety. With more than 20 years in data sharing initiatives, he helped establish a large-scale Big Data environment at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center and played a key role in developing and onboarding data to the FAA’s Enterprise Information Management Data Platform, enabling enterprise-wide data access across all Lines of Business. His work has significantly advanced aviation safety analytics and information sharing across the FAA.

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Wayne David Hubbard is a National Operations Manager at the FAA Command Center in Virginia with 25 years of aviation and air traffic control experience. He is the Vice President of the FAA Managers Association and was recently appointed as a Standing Member to the National Academy of Sciences & Engineering – Transportation Research Board Committee for Managing Airfield and Airspace Performance. Additionally in 2025, he served as a Manager of Decision Support Systems, guiding systems engineering testing and development efforts for Enroute/Oceanic at William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace. He combines a unique background of managing real-world operational contingency and supporting technical integrations for ATC enterprise systems. He is the FAA Stakeholder Advisory Lead to NASA Center for Air Transport Resilience (CATRes).

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BIOGRAPHY

Dawn Amore is President and CEO of Volanno, a transportation-focused digital modernization firm supporting aviation, transit, and rail agencies nationwide. Volanno has built the nation's foremost source of aviation metrics that has been cited by more than 300 aviation research studies worldwide. Dawn serves on the ATCA Board of Directors and is an active advocate for innovation, collaboration, and the critical role small businesses play in advancing aviation modernization.

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Nathan started out his engineering career at Siemens Technologies designing, installing, programming, and troubleshooting building automation systems. He joined the FAA in 2014 working on SWIM Terminal Data Distribution System as a Second Level Engineer. In 2019 Nathan joined the FAA Air Traffic Organization Cybersecurity Group. His work in cybersecurity consists of System Security Officer, Domain Subject Matter Expert, Remote Management Access Gateway lead, Domain Subject Matter Expert Lead, Air Traffic Organization Cybersecurity Engineering Manager and is currently on a detail as the Program Control and Governance Manager in the cybersecurity group. When not working Nathan loves to spend time with his 4 young children, read books and enjoy the outdoors. 

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Adam Monsalve is the cybersecurity practice lead within CNA’s Enterprise Systems and Data Analysis division who specializes in cybersecurity and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Adam supports the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) project within the FAA, focused on the cybersecurity needs of this forthcoming environment. He has been integral to several FAA prototyping efforts and demonstrations of UTM technologies, such as the UTM Pilot Program and the UTM Field Test. Adam also supports the design, architecture, and implementation of the FAA’s research and development cloud environment, helping to implement its devsecops toolchain, implement Identity and Access /management, develop procedures for vulnerability scanning and remediation, and a variety of other key elements required of such an environment. Adam was also the technical lead supporting NASA's Urban Air Mobility project in understanding the cybersecurity needs for that ecosystem and the broader extensible traffic management ecosystem. Adam has participated in several NIST-UAS challenges, in one helping develop the concept for a prototype that protects UAS fleets from cyberattacks and a second focused on indoor UAS operations for first responders. He graduated with his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in materials science and engineering where he specialized in magnetic nanomaterials research. Adam holds a CompTIA Security+ certification and is an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.

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I am a cybersecurity professional with 17+ years of experience in security, technology, and mission-critical operations. I’ve supported large-scale environments at Lucent Technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton, and government programs. My expertise includes risk mitigation through penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, SIEM, and identity management. I’ve worked in regulated settings, ensuring compliance with standards like FISMA while aligning security with business goals. Additionally, I bring 16 years of broader IT experience, leading technical teams, managing infrastructure, and designing resilient systems. This blend enables me to view security as a strategic enabler of innovation and operational success, not just a control measure.

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