![The 2023 Women in Aviation International Conference features keynote speakers at its general sessions. [Credit: Julie Boatman]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/IMG-5291-scaled-e1676910537143.jpg?width=1200&height=539)
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is one of the featured speakers who will be part of the 37th annual Women in Aviation International conference slated for March 19-21, 2026, in Dallas.
Homendy is the 15th chairperson of the NTSB, having held the position since November 2021, and has been a member of the NTSB since 2018. She has presided over multiple public hearings that scrutinized transportation accidents, including aviation, rail, nautical transport, and ground operations, all with the intent of identifying risk factors and reducing them to make transportation safer.
Other invited keynote speakers include
•Nicole Malachowski—Former U.S. Air Force officer, fighter pilot, Thunderbird pilot, and presidential appointee.
Malachowski has over 21 years of experience as an officer and leader in the aviation world. She was a member of the Civil Air Patrol before being accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
After graduation she trained in North Carolina with the 4th Fighter Wing on the F-15E Strike Eagle and had multiple deployments, including four months in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where she flew 26 combat missions. Returning from that deployment, she applied to the Thunderbirds, was accepted, and flew over 100 demonstrations. In 2010 she was part of the White House ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), delivering remarks from a wheelchair during the ceremony due to a broken leg.
•Alex Marren—Air New Zealand COO and United and Hertz C-suite leader.
She joined Air New Zealand as chief operating officer in 2022. Her resume includes 36 years of airline operations and customer service leadership roles at United Airlines, ABM Aviation, and Hertz Corporation. During her tenure as president of ABM Aviation, she led over 20,000 team members from 75 airlines across the world, helping them navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
•Stephanie Chung—Private aviation executive, author, speaker, and leadership trainer.
Chung’s career includes executive positions at Bombardier Aerospace, Flexjet, and SkyJet Airlines. In August 2018, Chung became president of JetSuite, making her the first African American to serve as president of a private aviation company. In 2020 she became the first chief growth officer of Wheels Up, the largest “on demand” private aviation company in the U.S.
Sarah Kalmeta, known for “the art of the pivot,” will emcee the WAI 2026 general sessions. Kalmeta is known as a dynamic speaker and international leadership strategist who has moved through the world of aviation and aerospace, helping others develop leadership skills.
About WAI
The conference will be held at the Gaylord Texas Resort and Convention Center.
Women in Aviation International has more than 20,000 members with chapters all over the world. The organization is open to all facets of aviation, including pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, flight attendants, engineers, designers, STEM educators, and agency members such as the NTSB and FAA.
For more information about the annual conference, visit www.wai.org.
