Session Information

All session details are subject to change.

Opening Ceremonies - General FAA Update

Speakers: FAA Deputy Airports Administrator Jess Sypniewski

Join Deputy Airports Administrator Jess Sypniewski for a timely update on the Federal Aviation Administration's current priorities and the issues shaping the future of aviation. This keynote will provide insight into national aviation priorities, Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, airport infrastructure investments, safety initiatives, air traffic modernization, emerging technologies, and key issues affecting both commercial service and general aviation airports. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the FAA's current initiatives and the agency's priorities for the year ahead.

---

General Session 1 - The New Political Landscape: What Florida's Changing Leadership Means for Airports

Speakers: FAC Legislative Team

Florida's political landscape is entering a period of unprecedented transition. With legislative primaries just weeks away, significant turnover expected in both the Florida Legislature and Florida's congressional delegation, and new leadership set to take office across state government, airport leaders must prepare for a changing policy environment.

This session will begin with a political forecast examining key elections, leadership transitions, and emerging influencers who will shape policy discussions in Tallahassee and Washington over the coming years. The discussion will then shift to the implications for Florida's airports, including transportation funding, growth and infrastructure policy, economic development, workforce issues, and other legislative priorities expected to emerge as a new Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the House establish their agendas.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the political forces shaping the future of Florida government and how those changes may influence airport operations, funding opportunities, and advocacy efforts in the years ahead.

 

---

General Session 2 - Cyber Incident Response for Airports: Coordination Across IT, Operations, Legal, and Communications

Speakers: Ken Warriner, Sr Director, Finance & Administration | Naples Airport Authority, Kris Handsel, Founder and Cybersecurity Advisor | Airport Cybersecurity Group,  Anthony Gamboa, Sr Manager, Information Systems |  Naples Airport Authority

Cyber incidents at airports rarely remain technical events. They escalate rapidly into operational disruptions, executive decision points, legal considerations, and public communications challenges. Tabletop exercises are one of the most effective ways airports can prepare for these realities—when they are grounded in real airport operations.  This session draws on lessons learned from a recent cyber incident tabletop exercise conducted with Naples Airport Authority (NAA), along with broader airport experience, to illustrate how cyber incidents actually unfold across IT, operations, legal, communications, and executive leadership. The presentation highlights common coordination gaps, unclear decision authority, and communication breakdowns that tabletop exercises consistently reveal.  Attendees will get information on designing airport-specific cyber tabletop exercises, structure realistic scenarios and injects, and translate exercise outcomes into meaningful improvements in incident response plans, leadership readiness, and operational continuity, without adding unnecessary complexity.
 

---

General Session 3 - Protecting Florida's Communities: Human Trafficking Awareness and the Aviation Industry

Speakers: Douglas O'Mara, SVP, Performance & Compliance | Global Elite Group, Jonathan Barry, Senior Manager | DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking/Blue Campaign, Erin Collins, Executive Director | Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking

Florida remains a major travel destination and transportation hub. The session will examine how awareness, education, and partnerships can help prevent human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals. The panel features leaders from statewide anti-trafficking efforts, aviation security, and DHS Blue Campaign who will share practical insights and resources designed specifically for airport and aviation professionals.



 

---

General Session 4 - Before Takeoff: The Inner Work of Sustainable Leadership

Speaker: Gary C. Cooper, Executive Chairman | Palmetto Infusion

One person can make a difference, but only after doing the inner work first. In this deeply personal leadership keynote, healthcare entrepreneur and author Gary C. Cooper shares hard-earned lessons from his own failures and setbacks to show that leadership under pressure is ultimately a test of character. Gary explores why true leadership begins with character, not titles or recognition, and how giving credit to others builds trust, loyalty, and lasting influence. Challenging the myth of solo leadership and hustle culture, he offers practical insights on humility, servant leadership, and building resilient teams that perform and endure when conditions change.

 

---

General Session 5 - Between the Hype and the Risk: A Practical Guide to Ai Risk and Policy for Airports

Sri Kumar, PE, President & CEO | Connico, Douglas Wycoff, Director of Digital Technologies & Innovation | Tampa International Airport, Stephanie Griffin Mateo, Attorney | Kaplan Kirsch, & Rick Adams, Director of Technology | Faith Group

The Ai revolution is here — and so is the risk that comes with it. While billions are being poured into developing and deploying new technologies, airports serving the traveling public face a unique challenge: how do we harness Ai's potential while protecting our organizations, our people, and the communities we serve?

This session takes a practical, clear-eyed approach to Ai adoption across three key areas:

• Legal Compliance & Emerging Risk. We'll examine recent legal and regulatory developments shaping Ai use, including some Florida-specific considerations, and what they mean for airport organizations today.
• Policy in a Moving Landscape. With legislation and technology evolving in real time, how do you build Ai policy that's durable enough to be useful but flexible enough to accommodate the unknown? We'll share best practices for developing frameworks that don't expire on arrival.
• The Human Element. Beyond the case studies and the tech, effective Ai deployment depends on people. We'll explore how to lean on your teams to manage risk, address ethical concerns, and build a culture of responsible adoption.

Attendees will leave with practical tools and strategies to navigate AI legislation, regulation, and deployment in ways they can put to work in their organizations.

---

General Session 6 - How the Stakeholder Perspective Analysis Is Informing Ways to Improve the Resiliency of the National Airspace System – and Florida Airports Helped

Speaker: Patty Clark, CEO | Project Gestalt, Inc.

The Center for Air Transportation Resiliency at UC-Berkeley is leading a three year NASA-funded study on improving the National Airspace System’s performance during and following major disruptions.  The Stakeholder Perspective Analysis, which included interviews with several Florida airports, as well as airlines, and the FAA, about how they prepare for, respond to and recover from disruptor events – AND how we might improve the resiliency of the NAS.  Learn about the synthesized observations made to date, provide feedback, and contribute to our ongoing investigation.


 

---

Breakout Session - Buyer Beware: Best Practices for Construction Procurement and Project Management in light of Recent Changes to Florida's Local Government Prompt Pay Act

Speakers: Brett Henson, Shareholder | Carlton Fields, Alexander J. Williams, Jr., B.C.S., Senior Assistant County Attorney | Broward County Attorney, Aviation Office, Daniel Zorilla, J.D., CGC, President | Oxley, Brannon & Zorilla Consultants

The Florida Legislature has enacted recent changes to Florida's Local Government Prompt Pay Act, to include the "prompt processing" of change orders (2025), along with punch list and project closeout requirements (2023).  Further, the 2026 Legislative Session could result in the elimination of both "no-damages-for-delay" provisions in public construction contracts, along with clauses precluding a contractor from recovering for "concurrent delays."  This presentation will survey recent and anticipated changes to Florida's Local Government Prompt Pay Act, and will include best practices for airports and construction vendors in complying with these changes.

 

---

Breakout Session - Quality Lives at the Design–Construction Interface

Speakers: Rob Hambrecht, PE, Engineering Consultant | AVCON, INC., David Perley, CIP, Director of Capital Improvements | Melbourne Orlando International Airport, Cliff Graham, CM, Director of Operations & Maintenance | Melbourne Orlando International Airport, Stephanie Betts, CM, ACE, Assistant Director of Operations & Maintenance | Melbourne Orlando International Airport

Project quality on airport construction projects is rarely the result of a single decision or action. More often, quality outcomes are shaped at the intersection of design intent and construction execution. This presentation explores how the relationship between design and construction can either support or undermine overall project quality, with a focus on where breakdowns most commonly occur. Attendees will gain insight into how quality issues originate, helping airport sponsors better distinguish between deficiencies rooted in design versus those stemming from construction practices. The discussion will highlight common challenges encountered during construction on airport projects, including recurring issues related to standard construction and testing requirements. By clarifying responsibilities and identifying typical problem areas, this presentation aims to equip airport sponsors, designers, and construction professionals with practical strategies to improve coordination, accountability, and overall quality on future projects.

---

Breakout Session - Training for a Terminal That Doesn’t Exist Yet: Preparing Staff for Future-State Operations

Speakers: Throy Josephs, Project Manager | Chrysalis Global Aviation, Richard LePore, Project Manager | Chrysalis Global Aviation

Preparing staff for a facility still under construction presents unique challenges. In this panel, readiness, program-delivery, and planning/engineering leaders share how to begin operational preparation during design, phase training as layouts and systems mature, and use trials and the right tools to ready people without excessive rework at airports of every size.





 

---

Closing Session - Elevating Florida’s Global Gateways: Airports, Trade, and Economic Growth

Speakers: Secretary Jared Perdue, Florida Department of Transportation, Secretary Alex Kelly, Florida Department of Commerce, Matt Swanson, President, SelectFlorida, Nick Primrose, Chair, Gateway Council

Florida’s airport system plays a key role in supporting international trade, tourism, and global business connections. This discussion will bring together leaders in transportation and economic development to explore how airports support Florida’s broader economic competitiveness. The panel will also formally introduce the Gateway Council, a new initiative focused on strengthening collaboration between airports, trade organizations, and state leadership to advance Florida’s international commerce strategy. Panelists will discuss the role of aviation infrastructure in attracting investment, expanding trade opportunities, and strengthening Florida’s position as a global economic hub.




 

---

Committee Sessions

Legal - Panel on Advanced Air Mobility

Speakers: Sierra LePore, CM, ENV SP, Director of Planning | Tampa International Airport & others TBD

Security - Reimagining Airport Resiliency: Passenger Experience, Operational Continuity, and the Future of TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) & Gold+

Speakers: Trey Huelskamp, Director of Growth | VMD Corp (moderator), Dennis Nelson,Jr., Solutions Architect | Smiths Detection, Ray Larcohe, COO | Punta Gorda Airport, Keith Jeffries, VP | K2, & George Speake, EVP/Deputy CEO | Orlando Sanford International Airport 

As airports face mounting operational pressure from government funding instability, staffing shortages, and increasing passenger expectations, the need for resilient and adaptable screening operations has never been more urgent. This session explores how the TSA Screening Partnership Program (SPP) and Gold+ are emerging as strategic tools for airports seeking greater operational continuity, workforce stability, and passenger-centric security operations during periods of federal disruption and uncertainty. In light of recent government shutdown impacts and ongoing strain on airport operations nationwide, attendees will hear candid discussion on how SPP airports have leveraged operational flexibility, enhanced workforce engagement, and innovation-driven screening models to maintain performance, reduce checkpoint friction, and protect the traveler experience when traditional federal systems are under pressure. The session will also address long-standing misconceptions about SPP and examine why more airports are reevaluating the model to modernize and provide strategic risk mitigation.

Corporate - When Leadership Changes but Projects Don't: How Partners Enable Continuity

Speakers: Cody Parham, Florida Aviation Team Leader | Garver, Brandon Dambeck, Airport Director | Vero Beach Regional Airport, Leandro Goicoechea, Director of Engineering & Construction | Lee County Port Authority, Paul Mehrlich, CEO | Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport

This panel discussion will bring together professionals working at Florida airports with significant experience in planning and delivering capital improvement programs. Panelists will have recently assumed leadership roles with authority over airport facilities, infrastructure, and campus development at airports that were new to them when they stepped into these positions. Panelists will share insights on their transition into these roles, the practical and organizational challenges they encountered, strategies they used to navigate those challenges, and lessons learned. A key focus will be how the airport’s existing business partners can most effectively support airports during periods of leadership transition with their institutional knowledge.

Legislative - Legislative Affairs Federal Update

Speaker: Annie Russo, Chief Political and Congressional Strategy Officer | ACI-NA

Operations - Weather Modification Awareness & Aircraft Identification

Speaker: Shaun J. Germolus A.A.E., Director of Aviation | Kissimmee Gateway Airport

This session provides airport staff and designated representatives with technical training on aircraft recognition related to potential weather modification activities. The session will focus on identifying aircraft equipped with devices or components that may be used for the intentional release or dispersion of air contaminants intended to affect weather, climate, temperature, or sunlight intensity, in accordance with Florida law. Attendees will gain situational awareness to support compliance, coordination, and appropriate reporting responsibilities.

Facilities - Comprehensive Airport Infrastructure Program

Speaker: Barry Brown, C.M., ACE, Director of Operations & Maintenance | Naples Airport

This session will provide airport staff and designated representatives with practical guidance on developing and maintaining a comprehensive airport infrastructure program in accordance with Chapter 332.007(2)(c), Florida Statutes. Topics will include identifying infrastructure subject to inspection, establishing preventative maintenance programs, prioritizing repairs and rehabilitation projects, and tracking inspection and maintenance activities to support safe and serviceable airport facilities. Attendees will gain insight into best practices for long-term infrastructure preservation, operational reliability, and compliance reporting requirements.

Finance & Admin - Website Transparency for Commercial Service Airports

Speaker: Celina Saucedo, A.A.E., Chief Administrative Officer | Broward County Aviation Department

This session will provide commercial service airport staff and designated representatives with practical training on website transparency and reporting requirements in accordance with Chapter 332.0075, Florida Statutes. The session will cover best practices for publishing meeting notices and agendas, posting approved meeting minutes and budgets within required timelines, maintaining historical records, and providing access to current and prior airport master plans. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of compliance expectations, website organization strategies, and approaches to improving public accessibility and accountability through airport websites.

Environmental - New Regulations Driving Your Airports’ Transition Away from AFFF: What, When, How, and Lessons Learned 

Speakers: John Lengel – Vice President Env. Stewardship and Resilience, | RS&H (moderator), Brett Renton – Partner | Shutts & Bowen LLP, Barry Brown – Director, Operations and Maintenance | Naples Airport , Tracy Young – Fire Chief, Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting  (ARFF) | Lee County Port Authority, Bob Cipolletti – Sr. Vice President | WSP

Florida legislation now requires transitioning away from AFFF in ARFF vehicles, fuel farms, hangars and QTA fueling facilities.  If you are ultimately responsible for operating these types of facilities or systems, you’ll want to attend this roundtable conversation sharing a variety of perspectives from legal, to planning/engineering, to operations/firefighting, to procurement, to environmental. Panelists will provide brief introduction and then be available for questions from attendees.  Join us to learn more about the various challenges ahead in the transition from AFFF to other means of fire suppression.