For Immediate Release: July 3, 2019
Contact: Tom McMahon, tmcmahon@auvsi.org, (571) 255-7786

Federal Highway Administrator Nicole R. Nason to Deliver Keynote at

Automated Vehicles Symposium in Orlando

Nason joins other high-ranking government officials and senior industry executives who will address issues that influence the future of automated vehicles.

 
ARLINGTON, Va. — Nicole R. Nason, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, will deliver a keynote address at the Automated Vehicles Symposium on Wednesday, July 17 at 8:10 a.m. EDT. The symposium, hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB), will take place at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL, on July 15 to 18, 2019.

Nason joins Raymond P. Martinez, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Chris Urmson, the co-founder and CEO of autonomous technology developer Aurora and former chief technology officer for self-driving cars at Alphabet, in speaking at the conference of leading researchers, regulators, technologists and decision makers who will converge to discuss the future of automated vehicles

The symposium’s program includes other subject matter experts from industry, government and academia who will address technology, operations and policy issues that influence the future of automated vehicles.

The symposium will also feature a plenary panel, “Steps Toward Putting Public Safety Community at Ease with Advanced Vehicle Technologies,” arranged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday, July 18 from 10:20 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. EDT. The public safety community (firefighters, emergency medical services and law enforcement) has expressed a need for assurance that the testing and operation of advance vehicle technologies in their jurisdictions are performed safely, especially as operations relate to the safety of on-scene first responders. The session will be a “kitchen table” conversation between public safety representatives and companies that have done testing and demonstration projects in local communities. Attendees can expect to explore what processes are needed and leave with actionable insight from these experienced professionals across occupations and organizations

• Derek Barrs, Chief of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol
• Dr. Hezedean A. Smith, Assistant Chief, Orlando Fire Department, EMS Operations, City of Orlando
• Al Prescott, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Regulatory Affairs, Tesla
• Matt Schwall, Head of Field Safety, Waymo

In addition, there will be a recruitment fair for recent or soon-to-be college graduates looking for jobs in the autonomous vehicle industry, and ride-along demonstrations by seven companies that will showcase automated vehicle technology.

The full symposium program is available on the Automated Vehicles Symposium website.

Please also visit the symposium website for media registration or contact Tom McMahon at tmcmahon@auvsi.org.

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About AUVSI

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics — represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org.

About TRB

The Transportation Research Board (TRB), part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, promotes innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, TRB facilitates the sharing of information on leading transportation practices and policies for researchers and practitioners.