Gregory S. McNeal, JD/PhD
Co-founder, AirMap

Gregory S. McNeal, JD/PhD, is a nationally recognized expert on drones and topics related to technology, law and policy. As co-founder of airspace information and services provider AirMap, Dr. McNeal is aligning his expertise and research to help AirMap create products and services that give drone operators, manufacturers and government agencies reliable tools to understand and navigate the complexities of the national airspace. In addition to co-founding AirMap, Dr. McNeal is an Associate Professor of Law and Public Policy at Pepperdine University and frequently lends his expertise on drones and drone policy to national media, including Forbes where he is a regular contributor.

As one of the foremost experts in regulation and public policy surrounding unmanned aircraft, Dr. McNeal has testified before Congress and state legislatures about legal and policy issues associated with drones and has aided government bodies across local, state and national levels in drafting legislation and ordinances related to drones. Notably, he is one of a handful of people outside of government to have met with and provided advice to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget about the FAA’s pending drone regulations. Adding to that, the Secretary of Transportation named him to the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee, Registration Task Force for Unmanned Aircraft.

Dr. McNeal is a voting member of the ASTM technical committee that is creating scientific standards to govern unmanned aircraft and their operation. He is also a member of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) technical advisory and advocacy committees.

Jon works on DJI’s policy efforts in Washington DC with a focus on promoting best practices and effective regulations. His work focuses on issues related to operator and aircraft standards, airspace access and management, privacy and aviation R&D policy, and he serves on the boards of the Small UAV Coalition and Drone Advocates for Public Safety (DAPS) and is chair of the Consumer Technology Association’s Drone Policy Working Group. Prior to joining DJI, Jon had a 20-year career in broadcast journalism, most recently at the Associated Press where he spearheaded the news agency’s program to incorporate drones into professional news gathering operations.