Annual Conference

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Raw recordings of the 2022 Annual Conference Livestream are now available to attendees and accessible either via the Conference Digital Companion (for those who have not previous accessed the livestream) or by going directly to the page on which the livestream was presented during the event.

In-Person

All substantive and social activities will be hosted at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. Specific room assignments can be found in the Digital Companion, a password-protected webpage for participants to access the agenda, speaker information and presentation resources. In general, each day of the event will take place in the following rooms:

March 8 – Executive to Executive Briefings (Sponsors Only; thanks to Coopesa): Plaza A

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March 9 – Legislative Day (thanks to HAECO Americas) & the Evening Ice Breaker Reception (thanks to Moog Aircraft Group): The Diplomat Room

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March 10 – Annual Repair Symposium: The Grand Ballroom

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March 11 – Annual Member Meeting: The Grand Ballroom (Salon III) 

Livestream

The majority of conference events will be available to livestream registrants and "Conference Ambassadors" (free online access given to a contact identified by in-person participants) via a Vimeo web-player embedded into a page on ARSA.org. (Access provided via Digital Companion.) Special thanks to MRO Holdings for providing the online Conference experience. In general, the schedule is:

March 8 – Executive to Executive Briefings (Sponsors Only; thanks to Coopesa): No Livestream

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March 9 – Legislative Day (thanks to HAECO Americas) & the Evening Ice Breaker Reception (thanks to Moog Aircraft Group): All panels livestreamed from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No livestream for the Ice Breaker Reception.

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March 10 – Annual Repair Symposium: All panels livestreamed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No livestream for the Lunch with a Special Guest or the NORDAM Club Lounge Happy Hour.

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March 11 – Annual Member Meeting: Member meeting livestreamed from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Online participants may join a breakout session via Microsoft Teams (details provided directly).

Agenda specifics provided directly to attendees via the Digital Companion, a password-protected webpage for participants to access the agenda, speaker information and presentation resources. For general information regarding in-person locations or livestream availability, see the "2022 Attendance Options" tab above. (This agenda also highlights with a which elements of the Conference will be available via livestream.)

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Executive to Executive Briefings: Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Industry executives participate in meetings with senior executive branch officials organized by ARSA. Participation is limited to annual conference sponsors, with the number of slots available to each sponsoring organizations dependent on level of support.

9:00 a.m. | Introductory Briefing

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10:00 a.m. | U.S. Department of Labor

Michael Qualter, Deputy Administrator, Employment and Training Administration

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11:00 a.m. | U.S. Department of State

Richard Yoneoka, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation, U.S. Department of State

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12:00 p.m. | U.S. Department of Transportation

Annie Petsonk, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation

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12:45 p.m. | Lunch

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2:00 p.m. | U.S. Department of Commerce

Scott Kennedy, Director, Office of Transportation & Machinery, U.S. Department of Commerce

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3:00 p.m. | Break

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3:15 p.m. | Roundtable Wrap-up

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Legislative Day: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

After a morning of briefings and policy updates. Legislative Day participants meet with members of Congress as well as office and committee staffers to connect the impact of the maintenance community to each state and congressional district. The day will include ARSA's release of its Annual Global Fleet & MRO Market Assessment, produced by Oliver Wyman, as well as the presentation of the association's Legislative Leadership Award.

8:15 a.m. | It's All About Your Industry and Your Company

Find out what’s at stake in Washington for your company and your industry, where things stand, and what you can do to impact the process.

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9:00 a.m. | Senate Aviation Subcommittee Staff Briefing

Senior congressional staffers share insights about the Senate’s aviation priorities.

Ronce Almond, Senior Counsel, Senate Aviation Subcommittee

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Michael Reynolds, Deputy Policy Director, Senate Aviation Subcommittee

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10:00 a.m. | Panel Discussion: Maintenance Data Advocacy

Industry leaders discuss efforts to improve access to instructions for continued airworthiness. 

Daniel Kanter, Assistant General Counsel and Chief Global Antitrust Counsel, International Air Transport Association 

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Josh Krotec, Senior Vice President, First Aviation 

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11:00 a.m. | House Aviation Subcommittee Staff Briefing

Senior congressional staffers share insights about the House's aviation priorities.

Hunter Presti, Republican Staff Director, House Aviation Subcommittee

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Lauren Dudley, Democratic Counsel, House Aviation Subcommittee

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12:00 p.m. | Release of the 2022 Global Fleet & MRO Market Report, produced by Oliver Wyman

Anthony DiNota, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Aviation, Aerospace & Defense, Oliver Wyman

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Oksana Bardygula, Vice President, Oliver Wyman CAVOK

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Carlo Franzoni, Technical Specialist, Oliver Wyman CAVOK

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1:00 p.m. | Congressional Meetings Begin

Attendees schedule independent meetings with representatives, senators, and key staff.

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Presentation of the 2022 ARSA Legislative Leadership Award to U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen

Special invitation only

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4:00 p.m. | Symposium Registration Opens (for non-Legislative Day attendees)

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5:30 p.m. | Ice Breaker Reception

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Annual Repair Symposium: Thursday, March 10, 2022

The centerpiece of Conference week, ARSA convenes a full day of substantive panel discussions covering key regulatory compliance and business issues.

8:00 a.m. | Welcome & Introductory Remarks

Find out how the association is advocating for your interests with legislators, regulators, and the media. Information on how you can help advance the industry’s collective interests.

Sarah MacLeod, Executive Director, ARSA

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8:30 a.m. | Keynote Address

An industry veteran and fresh face in the halls of the FAA visits ARSA to share his new insight on the agency’s direction in the context of his own journey from the cockpit to the front office.

Billy Nolen, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, FAA

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9:15 a.m | Opening Salvo – Conversations with the Regulators

International agencies will provide updates on the regulations, policies and procedures governing the maintenance industry.

Ludovic Aron, Washington Representative, EASA

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Dan Elgas, Manager, Certification Procedures Branch, Aircraft Certification Service, FAA

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Ralf Erckman, Deputy Director, Flight Standards, EASA

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João Garcia, Head, Department of Flight Standards, ANAC Brazil

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Li Heping, Director, Continuous Airworthiness & Maintenance, CAAC (China)

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David Malins, Head, Airworthiness, UK CAA

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Jeffrey Phipps, Chief, Operational Airworthiness, TCCA (Canada)

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Robert Ruiz, Acting Deputy Executive Director, Flight Standards Service, FAA

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Neil Williams, Safety Policy Manager, Operations, UK CAA

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Shijun Xue, Deputy Director General, Flight Standards, CAAC (China)

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12:30 p.m. | Lunch with Special Guest

A member focused update on industry developments and needs, including pandemic recovery, recruitment and talent development, and business issues.

Bill Collins, President of Airframe Services, HAECO Americas

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2:00 p.m. | Building Ourselves

A discussion about non-aviation workforce development strategies, programs and experiences for investing in skill and professional development to explore how those lessons can benefit our industry.

Gardner Carrick, Vice President, Workforce Solutions, The Manufacturing Institute

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3:00 p.m. | ARSA Quiz Show

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4:00 p.m. | Easing Voluntary SMS

The FAA will share information and (more importantly) gather feedback about agency initiatives and industry experience related to voluntary safety management systems. The presentation will cover the simplification of SMS guidance and provide an update on training opportunities and resources. The FAA panel will encourage feedback on industry activities, international aviation safety requirements, third-party standards, and other issues that do not impact current rulemaking activities.

Tom Hillesland, Aviation Safety Inspector, SMS Program Office, FAA (Confirmed)

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Tiffany LaTour, Assistant Manager, SMS Program Office, FAA (Confirmed)

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5:00 p.m. | Club Lounge Happy Hour

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Member Day: Friday, March 11, 2022

ARSA's leadership briefs members on the state of the association as well as goals and priorities for the coming year. The ARSA team then closes out the event by walking through a series of key initiatives and updates from the association's work on behalf of the industry.

8:00 a.m. | Annual Membership Meeting & Breakfast

• Call to Order
• State of the Association
• Questions
• Adjournment

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10:00 a.m. | Breakout Sessions Online participants may join via Microsoft Teams.

The ARSA Workshop – Updates on the association's work and guidance for maximizing member engagement and support of the industry.

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The Workforce Workshop –  Discussion of key issues in aviation (and general technical) career development.

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12:00 p.m. | Conference Ends

The ARSA team encourages all Annual Conference in-person participants to take measures appropriate to their personal comfort, medical risk and other needs related to COVID safety. The following resources are available for attendee reference:

The Ritz-Carlton

The site of all substantive and social gatherings related to the ARSA Conference. The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City follows the Marriott International "Commitment to Clean." The guidance includes protocols and elevated practices and can be found at whattoexpect.marriott.com/waspc. Effective March 5, Marriott International does not require fully-vaccinated associates to wear face masks.

Virginia

With the exception of any Legislative Day meetings held on Capitol Hill (scheduled individually by participants), the entirety of the Annual Conference takes place in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Guidance related coronavirus protocols can be found at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/protect-yourself. Masks are no longer mandated by state order, but still must be worn while using public transportation (per federal order) and where required by local businesses.

Washington, D.C.

No Annual Conference activities open to general participation take place in Washington, D.C. Conference attendees going into the city for business or personal reasons should consult coronavirus.dc.gov for policy and guidance related to the pandemic. Beginning Feb. 15, indoor venues in D.C. are not required to verify vaccination status, but individual businesses may choose to keep such requirements in place. On March 1, the district greatly reduced its indoor masking requirements.

U.S. CDC

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both Arlington County (the location of the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City) and Washington, D.C. are classified as "low" for community transmission and hospitalization. See county-by-county assessments and guidance at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Going Livestream

If any in-person registrant wishes to opt out of participation because of personal health concerns (including illness) they may switch to livestream access at any time. Access to the livestream is available to all participants via the Digital Companion, a password-protected webpage for participants to access the agenda, speaker information and presentation resources.

A block of rooms is available at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. The hotel will host most of the activities related to the ARSA Conference and is convenient to the Metro as well as Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA).

Room Block Closed. Contact the Ritz-Directly for Assistance.

The Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Government Service

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First bestowed on Leo Weston himself in 2005, the Weston award honors an instrumental figure in ARSA's birth by recognizing individuals who embody his commitment to the industry's safety and success. The symposium provides a venue for association members and invited guests from around the world to network and discuss issues that matter to the aviation maintenance industry. It is the perfect time to respect the history of the repair station community and honor the good works of those who support it. “His dedication was matched with exceptional insight,” ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod said after Weston's death in 2020, remembering the incentive he provided in the formation of the association. “Not only did he set the foundation for the eventual international recognition of repair stations by spawning the ‘joint airworthiness regulations,’ but he also actively encouraged ARSA to become the repository of knowledge on the history, intent and plain language of aviation safety requirements. While Leo always had an opinion, it never outweighed an applicant, certificate holder, or female lawyer’s approach to showing compliance. He was as willing to learn as he was to educate; he embodied the ‘critical thinking’ sought, but so rarely found in government or industry.”

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Click here to learn more about the award.

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For information about the 2022 Weston Award honoree David Latimer, click here.