The Young Professionals (YP) Challenge is back again at the upcoming 2025 ACC/AAAE Airport Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) Symposium. Activities will kick-off on Tuesday, March 11th with the YP Networking Reception at Be Kind & Rewind from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The first hour of the reception will be for YPs, Mentors, and Sponsors only, with the second hour being open to all Symposium attendees. Our venue is 80s, 90s, 00s themed, so come dressed in your favorite of these three decades to be entered to win prizes. The Reception will be a great opportunity for YPs to get to know the YP Mentors and other conference YPs.
Thank you to this year’s sponsors!
Wednesday, March 12th will start with a YP Program Orientation from 10:00-11:00 a.m., during which time ACC YP Forum leadership will give an overview of the ACC YP Forum and annual Innovation Competition. Then, YP Program Coordinator Loren Boyd of Faith Group will go over the annual YP Challenge format and rules. This year’s YP Challenge will be a Scavenger Hunt competition, which will provide each Team of YP’s with a unique opportunity to engage in conference sessions, exhibitor booths, and with fellow industry professionals. Each YP Team will work under the guidance of a seasoned industry Mentor who will assist them with networking and completing the YP Challenge during the conference week.
Thank you to this year’s volunteer Mentors, to include:
• Ben Bunge – The Weitz Company
• Bob Keller – C&S Companies
• Cathryn Stephens – Eugene Airport
• Charles Goedken – Port of Seattle
• Cody Meyer – Landrum & Brown
• Enrique Melendez – The JW Group
• Greg Wheeler – United Airlines
• Ken Ibold – Pensacola International Airport
• Laura Grayson – Walker Consultants
• Leah Whitfield – The Aviation Planning Group
• Matt DeBuse – AECOM
• Nathan Sims – Studdiford Technical Solutions
• Rebecca Collins – Kimley Horn
• Wayne Campbell – Webcor
• Wilbur Mathurin – Hoyle Tanner
YP Challenge Awards will be held on Friday, March 14th from 11:15-11:30 a.m. during the closing session. The top scoring team(s) will have their names entered into a drawing for a variety of giveaways including complimentary 2026 conference registrations and other prizes. A prize will also be awarded for Most Creative Photo taken with a Mystery Person during the Scavenger Hunt!
For more information on how to get involved in the Symposium Conference YP Program, contact Loren Boyd at loren@faithgroupllc.com or 314-991-2228.
For more information on the ACC YP Forum and how to get involved or join, please visit https://dev.acconline.org/ACC/Get_Involved/YP_Forum_Overview.aspx.
For more information on the Conference, please visit https://aaae.org/pdcs.
The YP activities provided during the ACC/AAAE Airport PDC Symposium are part of the larger ACC YP Forum started more than 15 years ago. The purpose of the YP Forum is to engage members in airport development, industry trends, and mentoring/career growth opportunities; provide educational webinars and networking events; and organize a yearly Innovation Competition.