{
    "title": "4th Annual Aerium Innovation Summit Returns to Johnstown",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-23 20:55:31",
    "published_at": "2026-05-22 13:43:00",
    "url": "https://aerium-conference.prezly.com/4th-annual-aerium-innovation-summit-returns-to-johnstown",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/qtHd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, NASA veteran Raul Blanco, Lockheed Martin, and leading voices across aviation and aerospace gather May 27\u201328 at the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport to shape the careers and technologies defining flight's future.",
    "slug": "4th-annual-aerium-innovation-summit-returns-to-johnstown",
    "body": "<p><strong>PRESS ADVISORY<br>\u200bFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p><blockquote><strong>Media Contact:</strong> Matt Crocco, Communications Director, Aerium<br>\u200b<strong>Phone:</strong> 412.592.7061<br>\u200b<strong>Email:</strong> Matt@aerium.org</blockquote><p><strong>JOHNSTOWN, PA &mdash; Aerium, Pennsylvania&rsquo;s nonprofit hub for aviation, aerospace, and drone workforce development, will host the Fourth Annual Innovation Summit on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, 2026 at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. Bringing together industry leaders, policy makers, educators, and innovators, the two-day summit showcases Pennsylvania&rsquo;s growing role as a national leader in aviation technology and industry workforce development.</strong></p><h4 id=\"what-to-expect\" ><strong>WHAT TO EXPECT</strong></h4><p>The 2026 Summit is a two-day immersive experience hosted inside the working hangars of Johnstown&ndash;Cambria County Airport. This year&rsquo;s program emphasizes aviation and aerospace innovation and the workforce opportunities those innovations demand. Attendees can expect:</p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>U.S. Senator Dave McCormick headlining Day 2: Senator McCormick closes the Summit with the headline plenary on Thursday, May 28 &mdash; bringing a federal perspective on Pennsylvania&rsquo;s aviation future and the policy landscape shaping it.</span></li><li><span>Business leaders speaking directly to industry: Hear from David Taylor of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers&rsquo; Association and Bill Miller of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry on what aerospace growth actually requires at ground level &mdash; workforce pipelines, competitive policy, and the urgency of action now.</span></li><li><span>Real-world use cases in the room: Denver Hopkins, CEO of Horizon Aerobotics, will detail how his company chose Pennsylvania over competing states for a major UAS investment. The Summit will also spotlight Drone814, Aerium&rsquo;s emergency response drone program delivering EpiPens and Narcan to rural communities, and the AARCHIEE Project, a cutting-edge initiative advancing autonomous aerial systems and their real-world applications.</span></li><li><span>Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) &amp; eVTOL integration: Real-world use cases and regulatory pathways for the next generation of flight.</span></li><li><span>Workforce pipeline development: Connecting students, career and technical centers, and universities to high-demand aviation careers across the Commonwealth.</span></li><li><span>Public-private partnerships: Building the investment and infrastructure frameworks Pennsylvania needs to compete nationally and internationally.</span></li></ul><h4 id=\"when\" ><strong>WHEN</strong></h4><p><strong>Wednesday, May 27 &ndash; Thursday, May 28, 2026</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span><strong>Day 1 (Wednesday, May 27): </strong>Opening General Session at 10:00 AM | Looping transportation: 8:00 AM &ndash; 5:00 PMDay </span></li><li><span><strong>2 (May 28): </strong>Breakfast begins at 8:00 AM | Closing session (Pitch Summit) concludes at 3:30 PM | Looping transportation: 7:45 AM &ndash; 4:00 PM</span></li></ul><h4 id=\"where\" ><strong>WHERE</strong></h4><p><strong>John Murtha Johnstown&ndash;Cambria County Airport</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>479 Airport Rd<br>\u200bJohnstown, PA 15904</span></li></ul><h4 id=\"who-will-be-in-the-room\" ><strong>WHO WILL BE IN THE ROOM?</strong></h4><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span><strong>Government &amp; Legislative-</strong> Federal (U.S. Senate, U.S. House), NASA, Pennsylvania state legislature, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Community &amp; Economic Development, Cambria County government</span></li><li><span><strong>Aviation, Aerospace, Defense &amp; UAS-</strong> Horizon Aerobotics, MatrixSpace, Near Earth Autonomy, Electra (eVTOL), AMS, Lockheed Martin, SAAB, Aerial Applications</span></li><li><span><strong>Healthcare &amp; Emergency Response- </strong>Conemaugh Health System, UPMC, EMA Directors, First Responders </span></li><li><span><strong>Education &amp; Workforce Development</strong> Saint Francis University, Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State, Penn College of Technology, Greater Johnstown Career &amp; Technology Center, UBCTC, LTCI, Somerset Career &amp; Technology Center</span></li><li><span><strong>Business, Industry and Innovation Advocates-</strong> Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Pennsylvania Manufacturers&rsquo; Association, American Petroleum Institute, Veregy</span></li><li><span><strong>Robotics &amp; Autonomy-</strong> KEF Robotics, Near Earth Autonomy, CMU </span></li></ul><h4 id=\"speaker-highlights\" ><strong>SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS:</strong></h4><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span><strong>Sen. Dave McCormick &ndash;</strong> U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania; Headline Speaker, Closing Plenary, Day 2</span></li><li><span><strong>Sen. Wayne Langerholc &ndash; </strong>Pennsylvania State Senator, Majority Whip (R-35); Opening General Session, Day 1</span></li><li><span><strong>Rep. Jim Rigby &ndash; </strong>Pennsylvania State Representative, Minority Whip (R-71); Opening General Session, Day 1</span></li><li><span><strong>Raul Blanco &ndash; </strong>15-Year Veteran of NASA; Lunch Keynote: &ldquo;From Space to Workforce&rdquo;</span></li><li><span><strong>Denver Hopkins &ndash; </strong>CEO, Horizon Aerobotics; panelist on UAS enterprise use cases - Bringing ~ 250 jobs to the region</span></li><li><span><strong>Jennifer Leinbach &ndash;</strong> Executive Director &ndash; Office of Technology Investment,<strong> </strong>Pennsylvania Department of Community &amp; Economic Development </span></li><li><span><strong>Judd Pittman &ndash;</strong> Director - Bureau of Career &amp; Technical Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education</span></li><li><span><strong>Glenn Ponas &ndash; </strong>CEO, Aerium; FAA Certified Pilot</span></li><li><span><strong>Larry Nulton, PhD. &ndash; </strong>Chairman, Aerium</span></li><li><span><strong>David Taylor -</strong> President of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers&rsquo; Association</span></li><li><span><strong>Bill Miller &ndash; </strong>Vice President, External Relations, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry</span></li><li><span><strong>Pat McCann &ndash;</strong> Lockheed Martin ; workforce session panelist</span></li><li><span><strong>Brianna Pavkovich &ndash; </strong>Director, Aviation Maintenance Technician Program, Saint Francis University</span></li><li><span><strong>Dr. John Augustine &ndash;</strong> Director, Greater Johnstown Career &amp; Technology Center</span></li><li><span><strong>James Tigner &ndash; </strong>Director of Aviation &amp; Marketing at Hosanna House, Inc and Aerium West Director</span></li><li><span><strong>Commissioners Hunt, Rager &amp; Chernisky &ndash; </strong>Cambria County Board of Commissioners</span></li><li><span>Plus 20+ additional speakers from government, academia, healthcare, and aerospace</span></li></ul><h4 id=\"about-aerium\" ><strong>About Aerium</strong></h4><p><em><strong>Aerium is a national leader dedicated to accelerating aviation innovation and expanding the workforce needed to sustain it. Through collaborative partnerships that leverage the strength of the entire aviation ecosystem - industry, education, government, and community organizations - Aerium drives forward solutions that make flight safer, smarter, and more accessible. At the same time, Aerium strengthens talent pipelines by preparing students, educators, and workers for high-demand careers across aerospace and advanced technology fields. By uniting innovation with workforce development, Aerium ensures both businesses and communities are ready for the opportunities of a rapidly evolving aviation economy.</strong></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
    "header": {
        "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4a0d7fd6-5bcf-4af8-9f38-e3b690a8d3ea/-/preview/1200x1200/-/format/auto/",
        "release": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4a0d7fd6-5bcf-4af8-9f38-e3b690a8d3ea/-/preview/1200x1200/-/format/auto/"
    },
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Matt",
        "last_name": "Crocco"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}