A YP’s Take on the Planning & Environmental Track

As the Young Professional Host for this year’s Planning & Environmental Track, I’ve been exposed to many avenues of professional development including meeting industry experts and learning of new opportunities within aviation. Supporting the organization of this event has improved my professional skills correspondence with leading experts from across the country. Further, learning about their work experiences has increased my understanding of the multi-faceted nature of aviation and provided insight into the types of work I may get to participate in the future.

For other young professionals (YP), I think this conference is a unique opportunity to gain both technical and management experience. The sessions are presented by experts with backgrounds in planning, environmental science, government, technology, airport operations, and construction. The plethora of topics provides great learning and networking opportunities for people who are earlier in their career or are interested in hearing about areas they could contribute to in the future. Throughout the conference, there are also YP-specific activities, which allow for further introductions to the industry and the ability to network with others who are just starting their careers. These activities, and the range of workshops at Symposium, are well set up for YPs to develop their knowledge of the industry and to expand their field of work. I am looking forward to learning more from this group of experts and building my knowledge of the industry.