Photos courtesy of CHA Consulting, Inc.

NYSDOT COMMISIONER DOMINGUEZ, GOVERNOR HOCHUL'S TRANSPORTATION TEAM HEADLINE NYAMA AVIATION ADVOCACY DAY

LEGISLATIVE AVIATON CAUCUS CO-CHAIRS HON. DONNA LUPARDO & HON. JOHN BROOKS MODERATE AVIATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WEBINAR

MEMBERS CONDUCT NEARLY 50 MEETINGS TO ADVOCATE FOR AVIATION IN NYS 

President’s Welcome

NYAMA President Mike Hall opened this year’s Advocacy Day program that, due to the limitations on visitors to the Capitol and Legislative Office Building, was modified to accommodate both in-person and virtual participants and speakers. Hall spoke about NYAMA—the Voice of Aviation in New York—the benefits of belonging to a strong statewide organization, and the importance of cultivating trusting relationships with state government officials. Together, we advance the interests of airports and the related aviation industries to connect people with one another and help drive economic development.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez welcomed NYAMA members in attendance both in-person and virtually. Commissioner Dominguez highlighted the vital role that airports play in the state, national and global transportation network. The Commissioner also reported on Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget that includes critical infrastructure funding for airports throughout the state.

Nivardo Lopez, who was recently appointed by Governor Hochul as Deputy Secretary for Transportation, was joined by Assistant Secretaries for Transportation Blaise DiBarnardo and Lauren Melendez. Secretary Lopez spoke about the importance of working together to achieve our common objectives and he encouraged NYAMA to continue the constructive dialogue with him and the Governor’s transportation team.

President Hall expressed his appreciation to the Commissioner and Secretary Lopez as they joined with NYAMA to celebrate aviation in New York.

State Capital Update

The program continued with an update from John DelBalso, Chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Day Committee and Assistant Airport Manager at Albany International Airport. He spoke about the importance of state advocacy and of making sure the Voice of NY Aviation is heard by state elected officials. Bruce Geiger of Bruce W. Geiger & Associates, Inc., NYAMA’s Legislative Representative in Albany, presented the Association’s legislative and budgetary agenda for 2022. which included instructions on how to effectively meet with senators and assembly members throughout the state on matters important to airports and the aviation industries in New York.

NYAMA teams representing ten regions across the state conducted a total of 45 meetings with legislators and staff to advocate for several budget and legislative initiatives including:

• $150 million in Round II funding for the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Initiative in the Executive Budget proposed by Governor Hochul. This appropriation is to be combined with the current State Budget appropriation of $100 million for Round II total of $250 million;
• an increase in the Aviation Capital Grant Program from $12.5M to $40M annually;
• a raised cap of the maximum award level above the current $2.5 million to meet demand if the Aviation Capital Grant Program were to be substantially increased; and
• legislation to legalize certain wildlife management activities to enhance protection efforts in and around the state’s airports.

Workforce Development Challenges Facing Today’s Aviation Industry Webinar 

The opening-day program also featured Legislative Aviation Caucus Co-Chairs Assemblymember Donna Lupardo and Senator John Brooks, who moderated three distinguished panels of experts to discuss the state of the aviation workforce.

Panel I on Academic Recruitment included Mark Heefner, Commissioner of Aviation, Greater Binghamton Airport, Sharon B. DeVivo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vaughn College, and Jeremy Martelle, CHA Associate Vice President and Adjunct Professor Schenectady County Community College.

Panel II on Human Resources/Casting a Wider Net consisted of Christina Callahan, Deputy General Manager, LaGuardia Airport, and Gerardo Mendoza, retired from NYS DOT Aviation Bureau.

Panel III on Non-Traditional Careers in Aviation: Rewarding and Fun! was led by Greg Topping, McFarland Johnson, Tracy Sink, President & CEO, Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, and Leah Segerlin, Aviation Staff Engineer, Passero Associates.

The panels explored issues such as:

• accessibility to and diversity of academic and training opportunities, especially for young people;
• how to match displaced workers with jobs and career paths in aviation;
• creating mentorships; and
• promoting interest in the rapidly developing drone industry.

The co-chairs kept the conversation lively, asked probing questions and offered ideas on meeting the staffing needs of airports in the challenging labor supply climate. They also discussed ways to address the local and worldwide pilot shortages.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND HELPED MAKE

ADVOCACY DAY 2022 A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS!

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