February 10, 2022, Indianapolis, IN — Pierce Aerospace announced a new formal Board of Advisors as a part of the company’s ongoing growth as a leading proider of Remote ID technologies. The board brings fresh perspectives to the company from a variety of diverse backgrounds and decades of experience covering the finance, legal, commercial, government, and defense sectors.
“We are very honored to announce the formation of our formal advisory board and the depth of talent and experiences that they bring to Pierce Aerospace,” said Aaron Pierce, CEO of Pierce Aerospace. “These advisors bring a wealth of knowledge to our team and we count ourselves lucky to have them all on our side. Their impact is apparent in both our strategic development as well as our day to day operations.”
The new advisors include:
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Dr. Rebecca Decker | Advisor - Business & Defense. Dr. Decker serves as COO of Bluestaq, an enterprise software company specializing in secure data management platforms for the DOD and IC with contracts in excess of $300 million. Dr. Decker is operationally focused on culture, team development, and partnerships at Bluestaq. She previously launched the first tech accelerator in southern Colorado concentrated on space tech with the USAF. She was an Executive Director of the Catalyst Campus and previously served in program management, engineering, & BD roles with companies such as Boeing, BAE, and General Atomics.
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Jerome Ferguson | Advisor - Business & Technology. Mr. Ferguson recently retired as the Director of Advanced Technologies at UPS where he was responsible for coordinating the exploration of Emerging Technology. He was the founder of the UPS Flight Forward UAV subsidiary. UPS Flight Forward Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS, focused on drone delivery. The company was formally launched in July 2019, and on October 1, 2019, became the first company to receive the FAA’s full Part 135 Standard certification, allowing the company to operate an unlimited remote-controlled drone delivery network in the United States.
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David Kervin | Advisor - Business, Capital, & Defense. Mr. Kervin is a technology executive with significant experience in buy and sell side private equity and venture capital. David holds executive and Board of Directors positions at space startup Proteus Space & leading AI company Torch.AI. He led the public sector at Kymeta, a Bill Gates portfolio software driven metamaterials startup. At SRI International David oversaw $350M in advanced technology solutions for mission focused customers like DARPA, IARPA, DoD and DHS. He formerly served in the US Marine Corps in Infantry, SOF, IC and joint duty roles.
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John Pistole | Advisor - US Government & Law Enforcement. Mr. Pistole was placed in charge of the FBI’s counter terrorism program after 9/11 and was later promoted to Deputy Director for the FBI, serving for nearly six years under Director Robert Mueller. In 2010 President Obama nominated Pistole as the Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration and he was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate. He helped transform the TSA into a risk-based and intelligence-driven agency. He holds a juris doctor degree in law from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University and currently serves as President of Anderson University, IN.
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Charles Stotler | Advisor - Global Policy & Law. Mr. Stotler is Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He teaches LL.M. courses on International Space Law, Cybersecurity Law and U.S. National Aviation Law. His research focuses on the effects of the fragmentation of international law on aerospace governance and on rule law for outer space activities. Charles also advises on law, policy and regulatory issues. He focuses on activities and technologies that push policy and regulatory boundaries. He’s followed Pierce Aerospace since 2017.
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Dr. Starnes Walker | Advisor - Science, Cyber, & US Government. Dr. Walker was the founding director of the University of Delaware Cyber Security Initiative, as well as former CTO and Technical Director for Cyber for the US Navy. He served in the senior executive service billet to standup the US Fleet Cyber Command and US 10th Fleet. He previously served as the DHS Director of Research with responsibility for the Office of National Laboratories, Office of University Programs, and DHS Centers of Excellence; including the department’s senior S&T leadership executive. Previously he served as the Office of Naval Research’s Executive Director overseeing ONR & NRL and earlier as the Associate Director for National Security at Argonne National Laboratory.
"I admire Pierce Aerospace’s commitment to building a safer UAS ecosystem through their Remote ID services and technology," said Rebecca Decker. "I look forward to working with the other board members to support Pierce Aerospace as it transitions from a startup to a premier aerospace innovator."
"It is an exciting and humbling opportunity to work with such sophisticated leading edge technology and bright people steering its future,” said Jerome Fergueson.
“I’m excited to join the distinguished Board of Advisors for Pierce Aerospace and look forward to helping the Pierce team deliver the promise of their technology to important public and private users around the world,” said David Kervin.
“I’m honored to join this esteemed group of subject matter experts assisting Pierce Aerospace in their groundbreaking efforts to provide the latest technology to those responsible for protecting public and private assets,” said John Pistole.
“I’ve been following Pierce Aerospace from its earliest days and am convinced that the technologies developed by the Pierce team will be the backbone of a safe and secure UAS operating environment,” said Charles Stotler. “It’s my privilege to join the Board of Advisors and I look forward to assisting Pierce Aerospace unlock the potential of this nascent industry.”
“I am pleased to serve on the Pierce Aerospace Advisory Board,” said Starnes Walker. “During my career I have seen many emerging technologies and the identification technology that Pierce Aerospace is providing is an important and timely capability that will enhance security with defense and commercial sector applications.
“I am very honored and excited to have this great group of distinguished and experienced professionals join Pierce Aerospace,” said Pierce. “Their continued inputs and valuable insights are greatly appreciated and instrumental as we look forward to continued growth in 2022 and beyond.”
About Pierce Aerospace Inc.
Pierce Aerospace, a Techstars backed company, is a Remote ID service provider focused on practical and robust integration of Remote ID services into the UAS ecosystem. Pierce Aerospace serves on the Drone Safety Team, ASTM F38 Committee on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and the FAA’s Remote ID Cohort as an industry leader. Funds from the US Air Force and the State of Indiana support Pierce Aerospace’s Remote ID technology - previously nominated as Indiana’s Innovation of the Year by Techpoint and awarded first place in Remote ID technology at AUVSI’s Xcellence Awards. Pierce Aerospace is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Racing Capital of the World. Visit www.pierceaerospace.net.
