The Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), an independent 501c6 non-profit organization led by key members of the commercial drone industry, announced recently the appointment of a new slate of officers to lead the CDA in 2023.
These industry leaders will work collectively with federal policymakers and industry stakeholders to reduce barriers and enable the expansion of the commercial uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS or drone) and advanced air mobility (AAM) industries.
The 2023 Officers of the CDA are:
- Co-Chair Margaret Nagle, Head of Policy and Government Affairs of Wing
- Co-Chair Brendan Groves, Vice President of Regulatory and Policy Affairs of Skydio, Inc.
- Vice Chair Okeoma Moronu, Head of Aviation Regulatory and Legal Affairs of Zipline
- President Ken Stewart, President and CEO of NUAIR
- Vice President Neta Gliksman, Vice President Policy & Government Affairs of Percepto
- Treasurer James Grimsley, Executive Director for Advanced Technology Initiatives of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
“There is an incredible amount of enthusiasm surrounding commercial drone technology – and for a good reason,” said Ms. Nagle. “This technology can bring a lot of benefits to communities, and CDA is playing a critical part in ensuring a regulatory and policy framework is in place to accelerate its implementation.”
“CDA has long been the leading voice of the U.S. drone industry,” said Mr. Groves. “As our membership grows, our voice will be stronger and louder than ever. We look forward to partnering with policy makers to unlock the value of drones and enable U.S. leadership in a new era of aviation.”
“Commercial drones offer significant lifesaving, economic and societal benefits-from creating jobs and enhancing worker safety, to protecting the environment and revolutionizing inspections of critical infrastructure, to expanding equitable and efficient access to medicines, to generating tremendous economic value and facilitating commercial deliveries, to enhancing public safety and fighting wildfires,” stated Lisa Ellman, CDA’s Executive Director. “Now more than ever, full integration of drones safely and securely into the National Airspace System is critical to unlocking these crucial benefits for all Americans. We are grateful to the CDA Executive Officers for their expertise and assistance in shaping the future of the commercial drone industry.”
CDA’s Officers serve on the Board together with CDA’s other Directors: Matt McCardle (Amazon Prime Air), Aaditya Devarakonda (Dedrone), Eric Schwartz (Florida Power & Light), Grant Jordan (Skysafe), Jeff Cole (Hidden Level), and Dean Allen Barefield (Southern Company).
Influential industry leaders will advocate for policies that enable drone operations in the United States to scale safely and securely
