AUVSI Names Member, Chapter of the Year
NEW ORLEANS – The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International announced that Lauren McCollum of Lockheed Martin is AUVSI Member of the Year, and the Silicon Valley Chapter is AUVSI Chapter of the Year, during ceremonies today at XPONENTIAL 2016, the largest trade show for the unmanned systems and robotics industry.
McCollum is chair of AUVSI’s Advocacy Committee, which helps steer the association’s public policy engagement with lawmakers, regulators and industry stakeholders. Last year, she created a technical advisory subcommittee of top subject matter experts to form AUVSI’s response to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making on Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is expected to finalize the small UAS rule by late spring.
“Lauren personifies AUVSI’s goal to be the undisputed advocate and voice for the robotics and unmanned systems industry. This award recognizes her significant contributions and achievements toward accomplishing that objective for our members,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI.
McCollum is director of legislative affairs for Intelligence, Joint and Science and Technology Programs at Lockheed Martin.
The Silicon Valley Chapter was among AUVSI’s most active chapters in the last year. It supported the association’s advocacy efforts by hosting Capitol Day at the California Legislature in Sacramento for AUVSI members to discuss with state lawmakers the benefits of unmanned systems technology. The chapter also partnered with NASA to host the Unmanned Traffic Management conference at NASA Ames last July.
“The UTM conference was one of the most important events of the year for the UAS industry,” Wynne said. “It attracted more than 1,000 participants over three days to review and discuss research and innovation aimed at laying the groundwork for safely and efficiently integrating UAS into the nation’s airspace.”
Proceeds from the UTM conference enabled the chapter to start education programs for its members, and a scholarship for students studying unmanned systems and robotics.
More than 8,000 attendees from more than 55 countries are attending XPONENTIAL 2016 this week in New Orleans. The conference and trade show, which is organized by AUVSI, features the latest innovations in the unmanned systems market. The exhibit hall is showcasing over 600 cutting-edge companies, representing more than 20 industries. XPONENTIAL also offers over 200 educational sessions, providing information about the future of unmanned systems policy, regulations and technology.
