Chapters are the heart of AUVSI and provide opportunities for networking with other industry professionals, involvement in community activities, opportunities for STEM outreach, and more. 

AUVSI's Chapter Council recently held elections, with Renee Shelton elected as Chairwoman and Lamar Ellis as Vice Chair. Their goal is to strengthen Association and Chapter relationships through open communication, technology, support, and recognition. 

About Renee and Lamar 

Renee Shelton is a Commercialization Specialist at UND Center for Innovation, joining the university in 2018. As President of the AUVSI Great Plains Chapter, she says: “I want to help members grow and flourish in the uncrewed industry.”  

Her focus is on advocacy and collaboration throughout the chapter and AUVSI national. Renee supports economic development and corporate relationship in the UAS sector and autonomous systems:  

Lamar Ellis serves as President of the AUVSI Georgia Chapter and is the President of Drone Education Services. His goal and passion is to open minds to the benefits of drone technology. He has been part of the Commercial and Residential Real Estate Appraisal industry in Atlanta for over 30 years.  

Lamar currently serves as a Federal Aviation Administration FAASTeam (FAA Safety Team) Representative and DronePro for the State of Georgia. Along with providing aerial data for various real estate industries he also provides training and education for pilots and clients. Lamar’s work has led him to travel the country, presenting in over 41 states in addition to presenting numerous webinars and written seminars on drone technology. 

Educate – Advocate – Connect – Cultivate 

Renee and Lamar agree that their role is to cultivate a community and drive awareness and recognition for AUVSI. They will provide local support and facilitate personal interaction and engagement opportunities, with four guiding pillars: educate, advocate, connect, and cultivate. 

Renee and Lamar are excited about what the future holds for AUVSI chapters. Lamar said: “We want to be the conduit for everything that’s uncrewed... We are at a juncture where we can make this great. I see a lot of collaboration across the industry right now.” Renee added: “Chapters are AUVSI’s grassroots advocates... collectively, we are making a difference in this space.”  

Their perspective emphasizes that each chapter is unique and has its own approach. “What we are trying to do is help all chapters across the AUVSI family to be able to help each other,” Renee said. “It’s all about improving membership and bringing value to our local chapters. “What we’re doing is to help chapters achieve these pillars, knowing that they’re different and may achieve them in different ways.” 

Lamar agreed: “We’re all in different regions so we are all having to figure out how we can best serve the communities where we are located. There will be differences and similarities between what the various chapter leaders are doing.” 

Get Involved 

Find and join your local AUVSI chapter here and check for upcoming chapter-hosted events in your area here. Contact Scott Shtofman, Grassroots Advocacy & Chapter Manager, at sshtofman@auvsi.org to learn more.