Speakers

Clint Harper

AAM Community Integration Advocate
Vertiport & Infrastructure Planning
Aviation Policy & Land Use

Clint Harper is an aviation expert with more than 25 years of experience in both military and civilian sectors. As an Air Force veteran, he specialized in aircraft dispatch, airport operations, planning, heliport design, and unmanned aerial systems, gaining deep insight into aviation logistics and infrastructure.

After his military career, Clint pursued his passion for urban development, earning a Master's in City and Metropolitan Planning and a graduate certificate in Urban Design. His work explores how aviation infrastructure shapes cities and how emerging technologies can be integrated into transportation networks.

Clint was one of the first advocates for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration. He has worked with the Utah Division of Aeronautics, NASA, and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, where he served as AAM Fellow. He has also testified before the U.S. Congress on AAM.

Today, he focuses on making sure AAM complements existing transportation systems rather than replacing them. Through strategic planning, policy development, and stakeholder engagement, Clint is dedicated to making AAM a seamless part of modern cities, improving mobility and accessibility for all.

Jerome Woodard is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. He sets the vision, strategy, and execution for the airport's physical operations. He oversees the Departments of Public Safety and Environmental Affairs, the Integrated Operations Center, and Operations.

Jerome has more than 20 years of aviation leadership experience in operations, security, and executive roles at major U.S. airports. Before joining DFW in 2025, he was Chief Operating Officer at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where he led terminal, landside, and airside operations, emergency management, security, and the Joint Operations Center.

Before that, he was Assistant General Manager of Public Safety & Security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He also held earlier roles at Charlotte as security operations manager and assistant director of operations. Jerome has strong experience opening major new facilities. At Atlanta, he supported the $1.3 billion international terminal and the $600 million consolidated rental car facility, with a focus on readiness, activation, and transition. At Charlotte, he supported the opening of Concourse A North.

A former private pilot, Jerome holds a BS in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and an MBA from Walden University. He is a Certified Member (C.M.) and Airport Certified Employee (ACE) in both operations and security with the American Association of Airport Executives.

Jerome D. Woodard

Airport Chief Operating Officer
Public Safety & Emergency Management
Major Facility Activation

Jim Szczesniak

Airport System Leadership
Airport Planning & Operations
Commercial Pilot & Aircraft Mechanic

Jim Szczesniak, A.A.E. is the Director of Aviation for the Houston Airport System (HAS), one of North America’s largest publicly owned airport systems and a major international gateway.

Jim has more than two decades of management experience in both the public and private sector. He is responsible for the overall management of the Houston Airport System’s three aviation facilities: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD).

Previously, Mr. Szczesniak served as the Airport Director for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). ANC is the world’s fourth busiest air cargo airport and gateway to Alaska.

Jim also spent a decade at the Chicago Department of Aviation. Jim started in airport operations at O’Hare International Airport, became Director of Airport Planning and ultimately Deputy Commissioner of Aviation at O’Hare and Midway International Airport.

Mr. Szczesniak holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University. Jim is a licensed commercial pilot and aircraft mechanic. Jim is an Accredited Airport Executive by the American Association of Airport Executives.

Lisa Gahm is Vice President of Operations at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. She oversees airfield management, emergency preparedness, and operational resilience, including DFW's industry-leading winter weather response program.

Lisa's passion is safety and efficiency, especially airfield and airspace optimization. She helped lead the continued operational expansion of DFW's End-Around Taxiway system, the most extensive in the United States. The project cut aircraft taxi times by four minutes, improved safety through fewer runway crossings, lowered airline costs, and brought environmental benefits.

Its success depended on bringing airlines, senior leaders, the FAA, contractors, and ground teams together around shared goals.

Her current focus includes piloting AI technologies in highly regulated environments, such as FOD detection systems and drone-based LiDAR inspections of runway safety areas, as well as leading digital transformation.

Before DFW, Lisa spent 30 years at Denver International Airport. She became Denver's first female Vice President of Operations, and her weather management work earned her the nickname "The Snow Queen." She is an Accredited Airport Executive, serves on the Board of the Texas Commercial Airports Association, and is a committee leader with Airports Council International – North America. She holds a Master's in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver.

Lisa Gahm

Airfield Operations Leader
Runway Safety & Winter Operations
AI & Drone Technology Adoption

Olaf C.
Bünck

Dipl.-Ing., M.Sc. REM
Airport Masterplanning
AAM & Vertiport Concepts
Airport Electrification

Olaf C. Bünck is a Senior Consultant at airsight GmbH in Berlin, specialising in airport masterplanning, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), regional electric aviation and airport electrification.

Trained as an architect at the Technical University of Berlin, he also holds a master’s degree in Real Estate Management. He brings more than 30 years of experience across architecture, urban development, real estate and international airport planning.

Before joining airsight, Olaf worked in strategic international airport development within the Munich Airport International group, contributing to airport masterplans and early-stage AAM and vertiport concepts. His work connects airside and landside development, land-use strategy, airport operations and the implications of emerging aircraft and energy technologies.

He advocates an aircraft-manufacturer-neutral planning approach that starts with demand, connectivity, operations and business viability rather than individual aircraft or infrastructure products. His current focus is the Electric Regional Airport: a phased framework integrating existing regional airports, electric regional aircraft, eVTOL connections, passenger processes, charging infrastructure and energy systems.

Olaf also contributes to professional training and international industry discussions on airport planning and electrification.

Paul Drury is Vice President of Product Development & Innovation at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. He leads DFW's enterprise-wide digital modernization strategy, driving innovation, efficiency, and long-term growth.

He oversees product strategy, manages the innovation pipeline, and delivers technology solutions that improve both the passenger experience and operational performance.

Paul joined DFW in November 2025 after a career in aviation technology. He was previously Director of Technology Operations at San Francisco International Airport, Aviation Practice Leader at Pointr, and Chief Operating Officer at IPS, a SITA company. He also served as Digital Aviation Leader at Arup and held senior roles in global strategy and partnerships at Ultra Electronics Group. He began his aviation career at IBS Software and NIIT.

Paul describes himself as a leader, strategist, coach, and mentor. Alongside his DFW role, he is the Founder and CEO of TrueNorth.Works. He brings a practical, partnership-led approach to bringing new technology into complex airport environments, from airports and airlines to technology providers.

Paul holds an MSc in Enterprise Network Management from Sheffield Hallam University. Outside work, he enjoys learning to play padel.

Paul Drury

Airport Digital Transformation Leader
Product Strategy & Innovation
Aviation Technology Operations

Paul Puopolo

Airport Innovation Leader
Data & Analytics Strategy
Emerging Mobility & Technology

Paul Puopolo is Executive Vice President of Innovation, Enterprise Data & Analytics at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. He leads both functions, working with partners to find, assess, and develop new solutions and business models that create growth and competitive advantage for one of the world's busiest airports.

Paul joined DFW in 2018. He calls himself an "intrapreneur," someone who builds innovation from inside large, complex organizations. Over almost two decades, he has built and led corporate innovation teams in healthcare, financial services, and aviation.

His earlier roles include Vice President of Innovation at MetLife, Vice President of Business Innovation & Development at Highmark, and Director of Consumer Innovation at Humana. In each role he shaped innovation strategies and portfolios to grow the business, improve the customer experience, and build a culture of innovation.

Under his leadership, DFW's innovation team has won several industry awards, including recognition from Future Travel Experience and Innovation Leader. Before his corporate career, Paul served 22 years in the U.S. Navy as an active-duty officer and pilot. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Comprehensive Science from Villanova University and a Master's in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Sergio Cecutta is Founder and Partner at SMG Consulting, a boutique management consulting firm specializing in international business development, strategy, product marketing, and program management.

The firm also provides communications, competitive analysis, and Danaher Business System (DBS) expertise to clients ranging from mid-size companies to Fortune 100 corporations in the Aerospace, Defense, and AutoTech industries.

Sergio leads the firm's Advanced Air Mobility practice and has been part of the AAM industry since its early days. SMG Consulting created the AAM Reality Index, a widely referenced rating of eVTOL developers, and the AAM Infrastructure Readiness Index. Sergio regularly moderates industry panels and shares his market insights in aviation media.

Before founding SMG Consulting in 2012, Sergio was a senior executive at Honeywell and Danaher. He helped develop and introduce products such as the Airbus A380, the SmartView Synthetic Vision System, and the Gulfstream G500/G600, and led strategic due diligence on several M&A deals.

Sergio holds an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rome and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Sergio Cecutta

AAM Market Strategist
eVTOL Industry Analysis
Aerospace Product Strategy

Scott Shtofman

Drone & AAM Regulatory Policy
BVLOS & Counter-UAS Advocacy
Federal & State Engagement

Scott Shtofman is Vice President & Counsel for Regulatory Affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of autonomy and robotics.

He leads AUVSI’s regulatory advocacy at the federal and state levels, working with regulators, lawmakers, and member companies on the rules that govern autonomous systems.

His work covers Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, advanced air mobility (AAM), spectrum, supply chain security, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (counter-UAS), and industrial policy for air, ground, and maritime systems. He focuses on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Departments of Commerce and Transportation. Scott has testified at the local, state, and federal levels, and he served on the FAA’s BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).

Scott also supports state policy through AUVSI’s Drone Prepared and AAM Prepared initiatives, which offer industry-vetted model legislation to help states safely integrate advanced aviation technologies.

Scott previously founded and ran Quad Axis LLC, a drone services and consulting firm, for more than six years. He is a licensed attorney in Texas, a Part 107 certificated remote pilot, and an OSHA 30 certified professional. Scott holds a JD from The University of Texas School of Law and an MBA and BSBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

AAM Airport

AAM Airport Exchange

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport I November 17 - 19, 2026