FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2017
Contact: Tom McMahon, tmcmahon@auvsi.org, (571) 255-7786
AUVSI Announces Board Directors
Terms of new chairman and board directors start today
DALLAS — The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) today announced new members of its board, including a new chairman.
Dallas Brooks of Mississippi State University/ASSURE UAS Center of Excellence has become the board’s chairman. Brooks has served on the board since 2013, most recently as its executive vice chairman. He succeeds John Burke of Airbus, who has served as chairman of the board since 2015.
Current directors David Agnew of Mobis Technical Center of North America and Paul McDuffee of Insitu were reappointed to the board. The new directors are Nevin Carr, Leidos; Brian Chappel, Northrop Grumman; John Coffey, Cherokee Nation Technologies; Brendan Schulman, DJI; and Bobby Sturgell, Rockwell Collins. In addition, Brent Klavon, Aviation Systems Engineering Company and president of AUVSI’s Florida Peninsula Chapter, will serve on the board to represent the association’s more than 30 local chapters.
Brooks will also lead a new executive committee that is comprised of Executive Vice Chairman Mark Gordon, Stratom; First Vice Chairman Suzy Young, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; Treasurer Bill Irby, Textron Systems; and Burke, who will serve as immediate past chairman.
“AUVSI is a member-driven organization that during its 45-year history has benefitted from the vision, dedication and leadership of our board directors,” said Brian Wynne, AUVSI’s president and CEO. “These new and returning board members represent all three unmanned systems domains – air, ground and maritime – and they will continue to lead AUVSI’s commitment to fostering, developing, and promoting our industry and the technology that powers it.”
The terms for the new board members start after the conclusion later today of XPONENTIAL 2017, AUVSI’s annual trade show and conference, which is being held this week in Dallas.
More than 7,000 industry leaders and professionals from over 55 countries are attending XPONENTIAL 2017. The exhibit hall is showcasing more than 650 cutting-edge companies, representing more than 20 industries.
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About AUVSI
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics — represents more than 7,500 members from more than 60 countries involved in the fields of government, industry and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.