Innovation Advisory Board

Maj. Gen. Charles “Corky” Corcoran, Ret., is an independent consultant on national security, defense, leadership and innovation. He also serves as a board member for the non-profit Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), an advisory board member for the non-profit Ukraine Freedom Fund and as a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Air and Space Studies.

Corcoran served over 31 years in the United States Air Force (USAF), culminating his career as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at USAF Headquarters (HQ) in Washington, D.C.

Klemen Ferjan is an accomplished professional with extensive expertise in steering transformative projects and implementing strategic improvements across the global aviation industry. He has a profound ability to guide complex operations towards substantial growth and enhanced efficiency. At iAero Airways, he established the Project Management Office (PMO), implemented a comprehensive project management framework and developed a robust governance structure. During his tenure at Amerijet International Airlines as the CEO's chief of staff, he led the company's transformation from a local carrier to a global airline, enhancing departure on-time performance (D15 OTP) by five to 10 points and reducing fuel-adjusted unit costs by approximately 5% annually. In addition to corporate roles, he served as an alternate representative on the council of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and revitalized the Airline Cost Management Group (ACMG) at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), achieving significant operational savings for member airlines.

Pedro de la Fuente is senior manager of External Affairs and Sustainability for the Americas, IATA. In this position, de la Fuente is responsible for environmental issues pertaining to the airline, ranging from managing international relations with governments and stakeholders to representing airlines in governmental regulatory matters affecting the industry in the region. Within his role, he is also responsible for promoting the advancement of global best practices and standards aimed at simplifying the process of doing business for IATA member airlines. He is a graduate of Florida International University in Finance and International Relations and has an MBA in Airspace and Sustainability and Business Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Pedro has extensive experience in international policy issues aimed at reducing aviation's carbon footprint. His work currently focuses on assisting governments across the Americas in developing policies that promote sustainable aviation fuels and implementing strategies to achieve aviation industry decarbonization by 2050.

Phil Stenstrom serves as the PDX Customer Experience & Innovation Manager for the Port of Portland. He is tasked with creating programs to deliver industry-leading processes and customer experiences at the Portland International Airport, Oregon’s largest commercial service airport. His prior experience includes leadership roles in airport operations, information technology management and ocean shipping. He has worked in the private and public sectors, in a tech startup and throughout Latin America and Canada.

Dr. Ramy A. Rahimi is a dynamic leader in technology development and commercialization, with two decades of experience in the innovation and technology industry. As a seasoned creative technologist, entrepreneur and educator, he specializes in driving innovation and entrepreneurship across diverse sectors. He is currently serving as the partnerships lead in the Strategic Partnerships Office at NASA Langley Research Center. Previously, Dr. Rahimi served as the director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a professor of innovation and entrepreneurship. He also served as a professor of Special Programs at the Defense Acquisition University, contributing to defense acquisition and innovation initiatives. Dr. Rahimi is honored to be recognized as a Fulbright Specialist in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Commercialization, a role that allows him to contribute globally to these critical fields. Dr. Rahimi’s extensive experience in founding and scaling startups and his deep understanding of technology commercialization positions him as a key figure in transforming industries. His work has consistently focused on mentoring the next generation of tech entrepreneurs, guiding them to navigate the complex world of startups and fostering innovation that creates lasting societal impact.

Ms. Lightbourne is a transformational executive renowned for her expertise in business, technology and operational strategy for defense, security and Fortune 500 entities. With a distinguished track record of leading and scaling complex, technology-driven portfolios valued at up to $500 million, she is a recognized leader in artificial intelligence and other technologies. Ms. Lightbourne has been at the forefront of next-generation business intelligence frameworks in aviation, pioneering several AI and technology-related inventions that are shaping the future of intelligent systems. She recently served as deputy executive leader at The Boeing Company, where she spearheaded high-impact market innovations and oversaw a global safety initiative focused on the data-driven design of aircraft. Ms. Lightbourne's corporate leadership currently extends to directing strategic, digital transformation and investment advisory services across the aviation, aerospace and related industries.

Beyond her corporate leadership, Ms. Lightbourne spearheads STEM-focused innovations in education and serves as an executive board officer and chief strategy officer for several nonprofit organizations where she leads public-private collaborations that advance aerospace, aviation and higher education. Her influence and commitment to industry excellence have earned her recognition as one of South Florida’s most powerful business leaders in 2023 and 2024.

Santiago Saltos is the regional safety director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Airbus. Santiago has been part of Airbus since June 2019 where he assists and coordinates different safety initiatives that impact Airbus customers and collaborates with other industry stakeholders to improve the safety record of the region. From 2006 to 2019, he served as the head of technology operations and safety for the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). At ALTA, Santiago developed solid skills addressing the issues affecting the region's airline industry, including maintenance & engineering, industry affairs and aviation safety.

He is an active member of the ICAO Regional Aviation Safety Group – Pan America (RASG-PA), where he’s currently the co-chairman for the Regional Aviation Safety Team (PA-RAST) in representation of the industry. He is the former chairman of the ALTA Pan-American Safety Summit, a position he held from 2011 to 2018. Santiago is the chairman of the Aviation Committee for Miami’s Beacon Council. He's also a board member and one of the founders of ICARO Aviator's Club in South Florida.