Former President and CEO for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Presenting at The Tech Garden June 7

Central New York has become one of the most attractive locations for businesses involved in unmanned systems to grow. The region is emerging as a global hub for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and related applications thanks to the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI), FAA Test Center, GENIUS NY, and local companies focused on these systems. But what does this mean for the future of CNY and its businesses?

Michael Toscano, former President and CEO for AUVSI will be presenting at The Tech Garden on June 7 from 4 to 5 p.m. 

​Toscano will discuss the future of the unmanned systems market in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. He will provide opportunities and examples to demonstrate how a company can get involved and then open the discussion for a short Q/A session. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Toscano will also be meeting one-on-one with the GENIUS NY teams to assist in mentoring and networking. Some of the teams had the chance to meet Toscano at the AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2017 Conference this past May in Dallas, Texas. The conference attracted more than 7,000 attendees in the unmanned systems ecosystem. New York State, CenterState CEO, NUAIR and GENIUS NY were all in attendance.  

About Michael Toscano:

Since January 2015, Michael Toscano has provided consulting services as a strategic advisor for a wide variety of clients involved in the unmanned systems community, which include FAA, NASA, the State of New York, and other private companies.
 
From October 2008 to January 2015, Toscano was President and CEO for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). As the world's largest non-profit organization devoted exclusively to advancing the unmanned systems community, AUVSI fosters, develops, and promotes unmanned systems and related technologies. AUVSI's 600-plus corporate members and 7,500-plus individual members worldwide represent government organizations, industry, and academia. During his tenure, AUVSI tripled the number of corporate members, doubled its operating budget, and more than doubled its staff.

Prior to that, Toscano coordinated three DoD Joint programs as a member of the Under Secretary of Defense staff. He served as the Coordinator for the Joint Robotics Program (JRP), the Chairman of the Physical Security Equipment Action Group and he provided DoD oversight responsibility for the Joint Unexploded Ordnance Coordination Office.
 
As the JRP Coordinator, Toscano was responsible for the day-to-day oversight of research budgets exceeding $90 million annually.
 
Toscano holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island.