Presenters CV’s Event Symposium

Scott Appelman is President/CEO Rainbow Ryders, Inc. providing balloon rides and corporate promotion. In its 36th year and is the largest balloon ride business in the , we operate 29 balloons year-round doing over 2800 flights per year flying over 25,000 passengers. Rainbow Ryders has been the official Hot Air Balloon Ride Concession for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® (AIBF) since 1999. Scott, in conjunction with Hot Apple Productions, organizes the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off Balloon event attracting 165,000 spectators, 70+ balloons, entertainment, concerts and concessions. Scott served on the Board of Directors of the AIBF from 1986 to 1991 and was its originator and organizer of AIBF’s “BALLOON GLOW” 1987- 1992 .

Andy Baird has been involved in ballooning for over 40 years including 20 years in balloon manufacturing, and 20+ years as an active competitor. He works with the FAA and NTSB on many levels including accident investigation. He’s been an event director at a handful of events, plus safety officer and weather officer – but he prefers to spend his time as a competitor, including National and World competition. He has served as Team Manager for the US Team at various World Championships. He chairs the CIA’s Competitor’s Subcommittee, and is a member and contributor to other committees, including rule-making. Andy was on the BFA board for 6 years (President for 2 years) and was an active Board member of the HACD. In his spare time, he has also written software for competitive flying, including software to collect and share wind data in real time.

Gary Britton has served as the Chief Scoring Officer or as a Jury Member for 18 National, North American, and World Championships. He holds a Senior Level ranking for CIA Jury Members and since 2009 has been the Jury President for the US National Championship. In addition to serving as the Event Director, Safety Officer, or Debriefer for several regional events, he was a Steward at the World Air Games events in Turkey and . Gary is a member of the HACD Board of Directors and recently has been representing the Board at a National Conference which builds relationships between CVB Sports Commissions and Sports Events Planners such as the BFA. He holds FAA certificates for both fixed wing and lighter than air and has competed in several Hot Air Balloon National Championships.

Kathleen Gallagher-Burton has been at RPS for 10 years and is experienced in all lines of insurance. She has worked the majority of her career in the Excess and Surplus Lines, but also has worked for a national carrier and as a retail agent. Kathy has worked on many national specialty programs including Animal Mortality, Hot Air Balloons, Jewelers Block and Fine Arts, Special Events and Liquor Liability. She has underwritten many local, regional and national special events including the Super Bowl Half Time performances.

Bill Bussey is the Event Coordinator and 3-year chairman of Great Balloon Race now in its 42nd year. Bill has accumulated 3455 hours in balloons and also holds a Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Commercial and Instrument Rating. A long-time innovator in the business of balloon events, Bill is credited for ‘inventing’ the Balloon Glow a staple at all balloon events. He is currently developing his concept of Young Guns that promotes competitive ballooning amongst our younger pilots.

Bill has led or organized ballooning events and served as safety officer and assistant Balloonmeister at US National Championships. Well recognized for his contributions to ballooning Bill has the following in his long list of achievements. • 15 World Records • 30 United States National Records • Texas Aviation Hall of Fame (only balloonist) • United States Hot Air Balloon Hall of Fame • ArkLaTex Sports Hall of fame (only balloonist) • Two Shields Trauger Awards • Montgolfier Diploma • One of 10 Most Significant Flights • Ed Yost Master Pilot Award • BFA President's Award • Spirit of Albuquerque Award

Dean Carlton is a commercially-rated balloon pilot from Danville, Illinois. He along with 2 other pilots restarted a 35-balloon rally in his home town after a 15-year absence. In its third year now, the Balloons Over Vermilion event draws over 20,000 people to this fun weekend event, with over 400 volunteers to make it happen. Dean currently oversees the BFA's On Line Seminar project and is involved in managing the online content for the organization. Dean is a past president of the BFA Board of Directors and currently serves as the Great Lakes Region Director.

Patrick Cannon has been involved in ballooning for over 37 years and is the owner of Mission Air Service, located in Lewisville, Texas. Mission Air has been involved in the operations of commercial ballooning including both corporate sponsorship events and balloon rides. Pat has been a certified pilot for 51 years and has over 22000 hour of flight time in everything from hot air balloons to corporate jet aircraft. Pat has also been a Designated Pilot Examiner in airplanes and lighter than air for over 37 years and Accident Prevention Counselor and FAAST Team Lead Rep for over 40 years. He has organized and served as event director in over 70 events to include Plano, Texas, which attracted up to 90 balloons and attracts well over 100,000 participants, Highland village, Tulsa Gateway, Gainesville, Texas and San Angelo, Texas and has served as safety officer in numerous events around the country. Pat is involved deeply in competitive flying events and is a two-time U.S. National Champion and three times Senior National Champion. Pat has been involved with the BFA in the past as an accident investigator and is currently involved in the FAA Call to Action committee, FAA FSIMS re-write and is the current BFA Government Liaison.

Mike Gilligan’s notable recognition includes the Spirit of Annie Award 2013, BFA HACD Board member and BFA Director’s Award 2015. Mike has been involved with ballooning since 1989 and has served the hot air ballooning community in the following:

• BFA HACD At Large Director Officials 2007 – Current • Author/Developer of the BFA Scoring Program • Author/Developer of the BFA Declarations App (Android and iPhone) • Author/Developer of the Teams Scoring Program • Chief Scorer World Air Games 2009 – Mondovi, • Chief Scorer World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2010 – Debrecen, • Chief Scorer World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2012 – Battle Creek, MI • Chief Scorer U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship 2007 – 2011, 2016 – 2018 • Chief Scorer U.S. National Women’s Hot Air Balloon Championship 2016 • Jury Member Tochigi, 2013 • Assistant to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Scoring Officer - 2014 – current

Barbara A. Haluszka has been the Executive Director for the Battle Creek Hot-Air Balloon Championships, Inc., organizers of the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival since 1988. She had additionally been involved with every event held by this organization since 1980. This event started as basically a “hot-air balloon” event and in 1988, Haluszka added another team to the tier of committees called “air show.” By adding the air show, it took the Battle Creek Field of Flight to a whole new level of success! 2018 marks 30 consecutive years for this huge community event. Laura Johnson (T.H.E. Insurance Company.) has been with T.H.E. Insurance Company for 6 years and is experienced in all lines of insurance. She has worked the majority of her career in the Excess and Surplus Lines, but also has worked for a national carrier and as a retail agent. Laura specializes in Hot Air Balloon Underwriting for individuals and commercial operators, Hot Air balloon Festival General Liability and Non-Owned Balloon Liability, Racetrack Liability, including stock racing, drag racing and snowmobile racing. She has underwritten many national events including the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair.

Scott McClinton is the owner and operator of SkyCab Balloon Promotions, Inc. based in Louisville, Kentucky. SkyCab operates 17 balloons across the U.S. including corporate balloons, small ride balloons and special shapes. SkyCab also offers event organizer services and has organized over 108 events over the last 14 years with fields ranging from 6 balloons to 70. In 2008 Scott organized and led the first Balloon Federation of America National Convention held since 1993. He holds a Lighter-than-air free balloon certificate as well as a SEL fixed wing certificate and has logged over 2300 hours in the past 30 years.

Patrick Smith (Aviation Insurance Resources) attributes his love of all thing’s aviation to his grandfather who was a crewman on a PBY Catalina in the Pacific during WWII. After has had his eyes set skyward since childhood being introduced to ballooning in the early 1990s at a balloon event in Maryland. Patrick received a BS in Aviation from Liberty University in 2008, has logged over 4,000 hours of flight time, and holds a Commercial Lighter than Air, Airplane Single and Multi-Engine, Instrument, CFI and CFI-I ratings. He has been a pilot and regulatory information specialist for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), a sales and service underwriter for AVEMCO insurance company and a Property Casualty insurance agent for Aviation Insurance Resources. Patrick is the program manager for the Lighter Than Air Insurance Program offered by Aviation Insurance Resources, offering Hot Air Balloon insurance for individuals and commercial operators, Hot Air balloon Festival General Liability and Non-Owned Balloon Liability. Aside from his desk-work life Patrick owns and operates the largest balloon operation in Maryland and has logged over 950 hours of time in hot air balloons. Patrick holds a non-resident property and casualty insurance license in the state of Texas.

Debbie Spaeth is an experienced event organizer and balloon official on local, national and international levels. She has been Balloonmeister at local events and Deputy Event Director at World Hot Air Balloon Championships in the USA and Japan. She began her “balloon career” as a Scoring officer but quickly became involved in all aspects for Hot Air Balloon, Gas Balloon and Airship events. She is ranked at Senior level for CIA Jury Members. In 2018, she was inducted into the US Ballooning Hall of Fame for her ballooning activities, including event organization.

Maury Sullivan has organized hot air balloon events and served as an Event Director at over fifty events since 1985 including six US National Championships and two International events in and . He served as chairman of the 2012 World Hot Air Balloon Championship organizing committee as well as its Deputy Director. He chaired the BFA committee and served as its editor to produce the publication Balloon Event Guidelines -- the first comprehensive guide to organizing and implementing safe balloon events. Most recently, Maury chaired the BFA committee to provide critical input to assist the FAA in its soon to be released re-write of the Flight Standards Information Management System (FSIMS).

Brad Temeyer has served as an official at balloon events for over two decades. Being a degreed meteorologist and commercial pilot, he has the background to bridge the science and aviation communities. He has served as a chief weather officer at over 50 national and International events including: the BFA Nationals, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and seven FAI World Championships. Brad is a FAA Safety Team (FAAST) representative. Brad has also served as an assistant Balloonmeister and safety officer. Jo Via is the current Executive Director of the Plano Balloon Festival, a position she has held for 27+ years. Plano Balloon Festival, Inc is a non-profit organization with Jo serving as the Executive Director of the Festival. Her responsibilities include soliciting marketing sponsors, advertising, event and operation logistics, emergency management, along with media relations. As a Certified Festival Professional, Jo’s event skills and professionalism have helped create a strong and well-respected Festival within the community and event industry. She was presented with the Hall of Honor Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Festivals and Events Association in 2015. The Plano Balloon Festival was awarded, by the Plano Chamber of Commerce, Community Partner of the Year in 2016 for providing exemplary service and commitment to the Plano Community.

Cheri White is the current President and Southwest Regional Director of the BFA. She is the chief pilot and COO of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Balloon Team for the past 20 years. Cheri has been flying balloons for almost 40 years and has logged over 2800 hours. She is the current and 2-time US Women's Hot Air Champion and finished 7th in the Women's World Hot Air Championship in 2018. She is also an avid gas balloon pilot competing in both the Gordon Bennett and the America's Challenge. She is a recipient of the FAI Diplome Montgolfier Award and the BFA Shields-Trauger Award.

Ted Watts serves as a Director at Large of the BFA and Liaison to Hot Air Competition Division. He earned his private hot air balloon Private pilot certificate in 1995 and his Commercial pilot certificate in 2007. He has over 650 hours as a pilot in command of a hot air balloon. Ted also has 10 hours experience in a hydrogen gas balloon. He co-founded the Thurston Classic, Hot Air Balloon Event in Meadville Pa, in 1988. Since then he has served as the Chairman of the event, which has just celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

Ted has served as an event official at numerous events including: the Thurston Classic, 1988 –Present, Flag City Balloon Fest, Findlay Ohio 2009-2010, U.S.A Nationals, Battle Creek MI. 2011, FAI World Championship 2012, US Nationals, Shreveport LA. 2016-2018.

Ted participated in discussions with the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) regarding the Lockhart Texas hot air balloon tragedy and its potential impact on commercial ballooning. He assisted in drafting the position statement of the BFA that was presented to the NTSB investigators and he continues to be involved in discussions with the key members of the BFA Board regarding its communication with the NTSB and the FAA.

Frequently, Ted is in contact with the BFA Board President regarding the potential legal impact of Board decisions and on matters that arise on a day-to-day basis. He has drafted Board policy regarding a number of issues and has advised the Board on the appropriate procedure for amendment of the BFA Bylaws. He has over forty-eight years of legal experience. During those years he has honorably served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corp of the United States Army and has been a trial lawyer in both civil and criminal cases. He has appeared and argued successfully before all the appellate courts of Pennsylvania and the Federal Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania. In addition, he has represented clients before numerous Pennsylvania and United States regulatory agencies.

He has also delivered several legal presentations in balloon safety seminars for the Northeastern Ohio Balloon Pilots Association. He has also presented in Cheyenne, Wyoming and at the Des Moines, National Convention.

Ted was presented with the Spirit of Annie award in 2016. This award is presented annually by the BFA to an observer, organizer, official or event volunteer who most typifies the dedication, hard work and love of ballooning and ballooning people exemplified by the legendary Annie Pryne, after whom the award was named.

Robert Wise is a seasoned Theodolite Operator on local, regional and national levels. He has been running the Theodolite off and on for the U.S. Nationals since 2001. He is currently running the Theodolite for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and other weather support for their weather team. He has served as a Safety officer, Chief Measurer, Debriefer, Observer, and Scoring Team leader for several events each year since the late 1990’s. His start in Hot Air Ballooning was with the National Balloon Rally in Statesville, NC in 1978 as volunteer crew person and since evolved into all areas of Hot Air and Gas Ballooning. His involvement with the Statesville balloon event also led to a career at Balloon Works for 10 years. His goal is to make for a safe event for all those evolved.