Young Professionals Committee
The AAAE Young Professionals (YoPro) Committee is committed to providing career development, networking and educational opportunities for the next generation of airport professionals and to bridge the gap between current and future aviation leaders.
The AAAE YoPro Committee is open to all current AAAE members 40 years of age or younger. The AAAE Young Professionals Committee is intended for those just entering the workforce or early in their career. There is no additional cost for members who wish to participate in the AAAE Young Professionals Committee.
Join the conversations:
Committee Leadership and Liaisons
Lindsey A. Brithinee, C.M.
Graham Ritz, C.M., C.A.E., ACE
Cameron Sidor, C.M., ACE
Get Involved
Recruitment, development and involvement of Young Professionals is critical to the future of AAAE. YoPro currently has two working groups that members can join and lend their voice and expertise:
Professional Development Working Group
The Professional Development Working Group is focused on fostering professional development, encouraging continued education through the Association’s trainings, events and programming, as well as promoting educational opportunities for members.
Focus areas can include but are not limited to:
- Promotion of professional development through trainings, events and programming
- Encourage and advance the MentorMatch program (e.g. MentorMatch Spotlight, other initiatives to strengthen the program)
- Develop and promote professional development programming (eg. Airport Management Webinar Series, Airport Profiles, Corporate Profiles, other programs , etc.)
- Leadership Development (Webinars, Lectures, etc.)
- General educational opportunities for members
Membership Engagement Working Group
The Membership Engagement Working Group is focused on recruitment and retention of the Committee’s members. The WG will look to promote opportunities for members to engage via the Hub, LinkedIn and other online forums. Networking within the committee, AAAE, and the aviation industry will be a key component of this WG.
Focus areas can include but are not limited to:
- Continued membership growth/engagement through strategic marketing planning (eg. the development of a Quarterly Newsletter, AAAE Magazine articles, Social Media content, LinkedIn page, AAAE Hub, etc.)
- Coordination with AAAE Regional Chapters to support their growing Young Professional memberships
- Outreach to IAAE and other aviation industry organizations to partner on programs providing membership benefits and to support industry initiatives
- Support Academic Relations in marketing the Young Professionals Committee to student members
- Networking Opportunities
Upcoming Events
The Young Professionals Aviation Coalition (YPAC) was established in 2023 with the mission of connecting young professionals’ groups across the aviation industry. YPAC aims to serve as a valuable resource for aviation professionals looking to advance their careers by uniting members from six distinct organizations. These organizations include the American Association of Airport Executives, Airports Council International - North America, Airport Consultants Council, Airport Minority Advisory Council, Transportation Research Board's Young Members Council in Aviation, and the National Business Aviation Association. YPAC focuses on fostering professional development, networking opportunities, and other career-enhancing activities for its members.