Additional Event Information & Acknowledgement of Industry Sponsor(s):
We would like to thank the San Diego DronePro's: Desi Ekstein, Jim Bonnardel, Tonie Smith, Ramon Aguirre and Wyatt Woosley
Desiree Ekstein is known better in the industry as Drone Diva Desi. Ms. Ekstein is an Adjunct Instructor of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), also known as Drones, at TCI MiraCosta College, in Carlsbad California. Desi has over 7 years of remote piloting experience, is an FAA Certified 107 Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC), Canadian Advanced Remote Pilot (RPAS), and an AUVSI TOP Level 3 pilot and instructor status. She is also a Lead Representative FAA UAS/Drone Safety in San Diego California, and a UAS Safety Advisor for Women and Drones. She is an international public speaker and a published author. Desi has commercial flight experience in a wide variety of UAS industry applications and provides educational instruction for the Remote Pilot Part 107 exam. She also teaches UAS Operations at Elementary Science Institute (EIS) for the "Girls Take Flight" as part of a young female STEM program. In her spare time, she enjoys off road adventures with her husband creating 3D models to preserve the history of the old mining era.
Jim Bonnardel is currently the Field Services Director for Hitec Commercial Drone Services serving Government, Industry and The Media Arts. He has been in the UAS industry for most of his professional career, with over 3000 flight hours, he has provided more than 5000 utility inspections, 3000 precision mapping missions, and countless special projects for clients such as: Hard Rock Hotel, NBC, CBS, History Channel, Discovery and more. His list of credentials is extensive and his expertise in handling any type of SUAS is well documented as the hired "Hit Man" of aerial imaging. His data imaging has been used in Video Games and Simulators, and he is the solo trainer for the Nevada DOE, NOAA and many more. He has created and implemented training programs for college level education, governmental agencies and more. He is also instructing for Drone Universities in their GIS division when the education is needed at a more than intermediate level. A member of the FAA FAASTeam for more than 6 years, he is always ready to help where needed. As the President of the Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego, Jim created the first dedicated "Rotorplex" multi-rotor park in the USA, within 1.5 miles from San Diego International Airport.
Jim also provides instruction to the "Good Neighbor Project" in San Diego, providing UAS education and experience to a large contingent of under-privileged youth in San Diego County. He brings a level of expertise that is hard to find in today's early SUAS applications. Always happy, always smiling and extremely passionate about the SUAS industry, he is one that truly cares for the industry.
Ramon Aguirre is the owner and operator of AguirreTech. Having 30+ years of experience in the Technology field with an emphasis on education. This experience and his Involvement in youth programs. Building experience in the UAV field while always looking to empower others, through education and a safety mindset.
Tonie Smith, CEO TS Aerial Media, LLC and Training & Recruiting Manager for Flying Lion, Inc. Tenacity, balance, and focus are essential elements in the formula that Tonie Smith uses to be effective in promoting the adoption of drone technology as a viable business solution. Her approach is to focus on people…process…and productivity…in that order. She’s enjoyed success training, coaching, and restructuring teams in a variety of industries, managing recruiting programs and events, and supporting operational restructuring and assisting with new process implementation.
Wyatt Woolsey, Lone Wolf Logistics, offers critical infrastructure training in UAS and their protocols and is an AUVSI TOP Operator Level 3 UAS service provider for the oil and gas industry. He is an ITC certified sUAS Thermographer and is Pix4D photogrammetry certified. Wyatt is also involved with outreach programs for UAS safety and education.
