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2026 Schedule of Events

2026 ACA Annual Conference

September 28 to October 1, 2026 at Valhalla Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe

  • September 28, 2026 to October 1, 2026Dates
  • Valhalla TahoeSouth Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Opens June 1, 2026Registration
Day 01

Monday, September 28, 2026

Mon · Sep 28, 2026
8:00 AM - 11:30 AM

ACA Board Member Retreat

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
11:30 AM

Lunch provided for Board Members and Leasing Workshop Attendees

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Airport Business Management Workshop: The Essentials

Presenters: Curt Castagna, CM, President/CEO, Ascension Group Partners; Paula Jordan-Foster, AAE, Business Practice Leader, Pape-Dawson Company; Margaret Martin, Partner, Thompson Burton, LLC; Robert Trimborn, CM, Senior Consultant, AMCG.

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
6:00 PM

ACA Board Member Retreat Working Dinner

By invitation.

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Day 02

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Tue · Sep 29, 2026
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Open Registration

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
11:45 AM

Shuttle departs Station House Inn for Valhalla Tahoe

  • Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
12:45 PM

Opening Remarks

Presented by Linnea Edmeier, CAL FIRE.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Session 1: FAA Panel: Western-Pacific Regional Airports Division

Panelists: Faviola Garcia, Acting Director, Airports Division; Michael Price, Manager, Airports Compliance Division; Amy Choi, Manager, San Francisco ADO; Cathryn Cason, Manager, Los Angeles ADO; and Matthew Robertson, Lead Planner.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Session 2: Caltrans Division of Aeronautics Update: How to Prepare for a Caltrans Airport Inspection

Presented by Tarek Tabshouri, Division Chief, Caltrans Division of Aeronautics, and Christopher Brooks, Aviation Safety Officer, Caltrans Division of Aeronautics.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Break and Networking Time

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Session 3: Reducing Litigation Risk and Enhancing Customer Experience

Presented by Erica Ledesma, Property Manager, City of Livermore.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Airport Meetings with FAA ADO Staff

20-minute meetings per airport, with no more than 10 airport staff participating.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Session 4: Unleaded Fuel Industry Update

Presented by George Braly, GAMI; Chris D'Acosta, Swift Fuels; and Mark Walls, VP Racing Fuels.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
5:15 PM

Shuttle departs Valhalla Tahoe

Returns attendees to Station House Inn.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
6:00 PM

Welcome Reception

Toulouse, next to Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA.

  • Toulouse, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Day 03

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Wed · Sep 30, 2026
7:15 AM

Shuttle departs Station House Inn for Valhalla Tahoe

  • Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
7:45 AM

Continental Breakfast

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

General Membership Meeting

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Break and Networking Time

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Session 5: Airport Rates and Fee Studies

Presented by Ryan Leick, Ascension Group Partners / Utah Valley University.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Open Registration

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Airport Meetings with FAA ADO Staff

20-minute meetings per airport, with no more than 10 airport staff participating.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Session 6: State of the General Aviation Industry

Presented by Niki Britton, AOPA; Phil Derner, NBAA; and Curt Castagna, NATA.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch Provided

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Session 7: FAA Compliance: Current Trends in CA and the NAS

Presented by Michael Price, Manager, Airports Compliance Division.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

Session 8: How to Be a Good Neighbor: Case Study with Lessons Learned

Presented by Matt Liknaitzky, Sling Pilot Academy.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Break and Networking Time

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Session 9: Building the AAM Workforce: Partnerships That Make It Possible

Presented by Vincent Schaefer, Director of Business Development, and Juliet Jordan, Head of Commercial Regulatory, Poseidon Aerospace.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
4:10 PM

Shuttle departs Valhalla Tahoe

Returns attendees to Station House Inn after the final session.

  • Valhalla Tahoe, 1 Valhalla Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
4:25 PM

Shuttle arrives at Station House Inn

  • Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
4:45 PM

Cruise shuttle departs Station House Inn for Zephyr Cove

  • Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Evening Dinner Cruise aboard the M.S Dixie II

Sponsored by Egis, formerly Lochner. Boards at Zephyr Cove. Details pending.

  • Zephyr Cove
Day 04

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Thu · Oct 1, 2026
7:45 AM

Light Breakfast

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Opening Remarks by ACA President

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
8:45 AM - 11:30 AM

Session 10: Roundtable/Town Hall

  • City of South Lake Tahoe City Hall, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Important Notes

  • Schedule is subject to change. Check back for updates.
  • Casual dress code recommended

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