2026 ACA Annual Conference Agenda
September 28, 2026 - October 1, 2026 | Valhalla Tahoe
Monday, September 28, 2026
8:00 AM - 11:30 AM
ACA Board Member Retreat
11:30 AM
Lunch provided for Board Members and Leasing Workshop Attendees
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.
6:00 PM
ACA Board Member Retreat Working Dinner - By invitation.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Open Registration
11:45 AM
Shuttle departs Station House Inn for Valhalla Tahoe
12:45 PM
Opening Remarks - Presented by Linnea Edmeier, CAL FIRE.
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.
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.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Break and Networking Time
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Session 3: Reducing Litigation Risk and Enhancing Customer Experience - Presented by Erica Ledesma, Property Manager, City of Livermore.
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.
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.
5:15 PM
Shuttle departs Valhalla Tahoe - Returns attendees to Station House Inn.
6:00 PM
Welcome Reception - Toulouse, next to Station House Inn, 901 Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
7:15 AM
Shuttle departs Station House Inn for Valhalla Tahoe
7:45 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
General Membership Meeting
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Break and Networking Time
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Session 5: Airport Rates and Fee Studies - Presented by Ryan Leick, Ascension Group Partners / Utah Valley University.
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Open Registration
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.
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.
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch Provided
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.
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.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Break and Networking Time
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.
4:10 PM
Shuttle departs Valhalla Tahoe - Returns attendees to Station House Inn after the final session.
4:25 PM
Shuttle arrives at Station House Inn
4:45 PM
Cruise shuttle departs Station House Inn for Zephyr Cove
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.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
7:45 AM
Light Breakfast
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM
Opening Remarks by ACA President
8:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Session 10: Roundtable/Town Hall
Important Notes
- All meals complimentary • Business casual dress
- Conference details are subject to change • Comfortable shoes recommended