USI Advisory Board | Unmanned Safety Institute

Built with Industry

Guidance that keeps learning relevant.

UAS technology, regulation and employer expectations are changing quickly. The USI Advisory Board creates a direct feedback loop with leaders who understand how unmanned systems are being deployed today—and what the workforce will need tomorrow.

Industry-led perspective

Insights from leaders responsible for building, operating and scaling UAS programs.

Credentials with meaning

Clearer alignment between what learners earn and what employers need.

Safety that scales

A disciplined focus on judgment, standards and accountable operations.

Inaugural Members

Meet the USI Advisory Board

One additional headshot is still to come and will be added as soon as it is received.

Andrew Spiegel

Senior Vice President & Head of Unmanned Aircraft Underwriting, USAIG

Andrew Spiegel is Senior Vice President and Head of Unmanned Aircraft Underwriting at United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG), specializing in aviation risk, unmanned aircraft systems, and emerging aviation technologies. With extensive experience across aviation, insurance, safety, and flight operations, he brings a unique perspective on managing risk as unmanned aviation continues to evolve. Andrew is an FAA-certified Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, and Remote Pilot, and holds a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Calvin Rieb

Senior Director, Cargill

Calvin Rieb is a Senior Director and Global Remotely Operated Systems Leader at Cargill, specializing in drone program strategy, safety, and operations. With more than 25 years of aviation experience, he has led Cargill’s global drone program for seven years and serves on the NBAA Emerging Tech Committee and Flyability’s Product Advisory Board.

Drew Talley

Head of Flight Operations, Skyways

Drew Talley is the Head of Flight Operations at Skyways, where he leads the team flying the company’s autonomous cargo aircraft and oversees operator hiring and training. He joined Skyways as a Senior Flight Operator in November 2025 and was named Head of Flight Operations in June 2026. He is building out the operating foundation for the company’s one-to-many flight operations, so that a single operator can supervise several aircraft at once. He has flown unmanned aircraft commercially since 2017, with years of UAS operations over pipelines and energy infrastructure, most recently before Skyways as U.S. Oil Gas and Marine Manager at Cyberhawk. He is a U.S. Army veteran and trained as a commercial helicopter pilot.

JOPhoto coming soon

Jim Ogletree

Chief Pilot, Amazon Prime Air

Jim Ogletree is Chief Pilot at Amazon Prime Air, where he is involved in the flight operations supporting Amazon’s commercial drone delivery program. His experience provides a unique perspective on the operational, safety, and workforce considerations involved in deploying autonomous UAS at scale and integrating drone delivery into the broader aviation ecosystem.

Joseph Keck

Safety & Drone Manager, MGM Resorts International®

An accomplished aviation professional and safety leader, Joseph Keck is a Certified Helicopter Instructor with Commercial and Instrument Airplane Ratings and an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. As the Aviation Safety and Drone Manager at MGM Resorts International, Joseph brings extensive experience in aviation operations, safety, training, and emerging drone technologies. Passionate about advancing aviation safety and innovation, Joseph combines hands-on flight experience with a strong commitment to operational excellence.

Kyle Miller

Head of Infrastructure Markets, Censys Technologies

Kyle Miller is Head of Infrastructure Markets at Censys Technologies, where he focuses on applying long-range UAS technology to infrastructure and industrial applications. With extensive experience in the commercial drone industry, Miller brings expertise in BVLOS operations, remote drone operations, utility infrastructure, and the practical deployment of UAS technology for enterprise customers.

Matt Gulsvig

Program Manager, Hardware Solutions — American Tower

Matt Gulsvig is a technology innovator, UAS aviation leader, and co-patent holder who pioneered the use of drones within American Tower’s operations. As the founder and Chief Pilot of the company’s UAS Program, he built and scaled one of the telecommunications industry’s leading enterprise drone operations, establishing safe, repeatable, and scalable standards for nationwide deployment. Now serving as Program Manager for Hardware Solutions, Matt continues to drive innovation at the intersection of aviation, robotics, and telecommunications, advancing next-generation technologies that improve safety, efficiency, and operational excellence across critical infrastructure.

Nate Robie

Unmanned Systems Lead, Dominion Energy

Nate Robie leads unmanned systems strategy and operations at Dominion Energy, specializing in deployment, safety, regulatory operations, and complex airspace environments. With more than 17 years of experience across commercial and defense aviation, he built Dominion Energy’s unmanned systems program from the ground up and currently oversees operations across 16 states. Nate has also served on the FAA’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee and holds an MBA in Aviation & Finance from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Rita Castonguay

Pilot & Project Manager, ArgenTech Solutions

Rita Castonguay-Hunt is a pilot and program director specializing in crewed and uncrewed aviation operations, standardization, procedures, training, and safety. A certified commercial pilot, flight instructor, and Part 107 remote pilot, she has extensive experience in aviation safety and regulatory operations and currently teaches FEMA’s NDPTC UAS in Disaster Management course.

Toni Drummond

Founder & President, Future Flight Global

Toni Drummond is the Founder and Managing Director of Future Flight Global, where she leads efforts to advance electric, hybrid, and unmanned aviation and the broader advanced air mobility ecosystem. With more than two decades of experience in global flight operations, air charter, logistics, regulatory compliance, fleet management, and strategic business development, she brings extensive expertise in integrating emerging aviation technologies into real-world operations.

Will Dawson

Founder, Agricultural Drone Initiative

Will Dawson is the Founder of the Agricultural Drone Initiative, an organization focused on advancing the use and development of agricultural drones in the United States. His work centers on agricultural UAS policy, regulatory reform, domestic drone development, and creating a stronger pathway for American farmers and operators to adopt drone technology.

Will Wheeler

Principal, UAS, Southern Company

Will Wheeler is the Principal, UAS for Southern Company, where he helps lead enterprise uncrewed aircraft strategy, operational governance, and advanced aviation integration across one of the nation’s largest energy companies. He has spent years securing and executing complex FAA approvals for utility and critical infrastructure missions, moving advanced UAS operations from regulatory concept into repeatable field work across transmission, distribution, pipeline, generation, and storm-response environments.

How the Board Contributes

A standing challenge to keep getting better.

The board will provide strategic guidance and constructive challenge as USI evaluates existing programs and builds new workforce pathways.

Listen to the field

Bring current employer, operator and technology perspectives into program decisions.

Pressure-test learning

Examine whether learning outcomes reflect real responsibilities and operating conditions.

See around corners

Identify emerging roles, capabilities and workforce gaps before they become urgent.

Protect the standard

Challenge growth plans to maintain safety, rigor and meaningful assessment.

What This Means for You

A stronger connection between learning and opportunity.

For educators

Greater confidence that UAS programs reflect the direction of industry and give students relevant foundations for continued learning and work.

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For employers

A clearer connection between workforce development, credible credentials and the capabilities needed to operate UAS programs safely.

Build your workforce

For learners

Training shaped by the people closest to the work—and pathways designed around where unmanned aviation is going next.

Explore career pathways

Preparing for Advanced Operations

The operating environment is changing. Workforce preparation has to change with it.

As the industry moves toward routine beyond visual line of sight operations and the proposed FAA Part 108 framework, organizations will need more than qualified pilots. They will need professionals prepared to manage safety, aircraft, data, fleets, systems and increasingly complex missions.

The Advisory Board will help USI keep those emerging demands visible as programs and credentials evolve.

Safety Elevated

Prepare your organization for what comes next.

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