Scholarships and industry support aim to encourage the next generation of women in public safety drone operations
At the 2026 DRONERESPONDERS National Public Safety UAS Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, a reception hosted by WOMENDRONERESPONDERS brought together industry leaders, students, and public safety professionals to celebrate and support the growing role of women in drone operations. DRONERESPONDERS is a global non-profit program advancing public safety UAS, counter-UAS, and Advanced Air Mobility, and the conference serves as one of the organization’s primary gatherings for collaboration and education.
WOMENDRONERESPONDERS is a working group within DRONERESPONDERS designed to promote women first responder pilots and to provide visible role models for young women interested in STEM careers and the drone industry.
The event highlighted both the progress already made in expanding opportunities for women and the continued effort needed to build a future workforce for public safety aviation technologies.
Supporting the Next Generation
This year’s WOMENDRONERESPONDERS program included scholarships that enabled several students to attend the conference. Recipients included a group of Civil Air Patrol students as well as three young women studying Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and Emergency Response at Elizabeth City State University, an institution known for its aviation and business programs.
By bringing students directly into the professional environment of the conference, organizers hope to expose them to real-world career paths in public safety drone operations, emergency response technology, and aviation.
The initiative reflects the group’s broader mission to encourage participation in both public safety operations and STEM-related careers.
Building Representation in Public Safety UAS
WOMENDRONERESPONDERS was founded by DRONERESPONDERS Chief Charles Werner and Program Manager Chuck Moran. Their goal was to ensure that women working in public safety drone programs receive recognition, mentorship, and opportunities to share their expertise.
“As the world’s biggest advocacy group for public safety drone users, it’s our job to foreground the talents and skills of everyone in the community,” Moran said. “We felt that the women in the industry were underrepresented.”
The reception itself drew a large audience, reflecting growing interest in both the initiative and the broader conversation about representation in aviation and technology fields.
Amy Wiegand, cohost of the WOMENDRONERESPONDERS Interview Series, says that the group and the Interview Series were founded to create awareness of the contributions of women in the sector across the public safety and aviation technology community, particularly for the next generation workforce.
Industry Support for Workforce Development
This year’s scholarships and reception were sponsored by AX Enterprize™, a women-owned aviation innovation company working across several areas of advanced aviation technology. In addition to operating one of only seven FAA-sanctioned UAS test sites, the company is involved in research and development in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), unmanned traffic management (UTM), and situational awareness technologies. AX Enterprize is developing innovative tools such as a crowd-sourced Remote ID finder designed to help public aviation stakeholders and government agencies better understand drone activity in complex airspace environments.
AX Enterprize CEO Pat Baskinger said the company’s sponsorship reflects a personal and professional commitment to encouraging women in technical fields.
“Being the only woman in my engineering classes, I want to promote women in the STEM fields because I know we can make great contributions,” Baskinger said.
Company leaders say that supporting initiatives such as WOMENDRONERESPONDERS helps strengthen the broader workforce pipeline for aviation technology. AX Enterprize COO and longtime drone industry professional Abby Smith emphasized that a diverse workforce will be critical as the sector continues to grow.
“It’s going to take everyone,” Smith said. “Diversity is critical for innovation.”
A Growing Role for Women in Public Safety Drone Programs
Public safety agencies around the world increasingly rely on drone technology for search and rescue, disaster response, fire assessment, and law enforcement operations. As these programs expand, organizations such as DRONERESPONDERS are working to ensure that training, leadership opportunities, and career pathways are accessible to a broad and diverse group of professionals.
Initiatives like WOMENDRONERESPONDERS aim to help address longstanding gender gaps in aviation and engineering by providing visibility, mentorship, and tangible opportunities for young professionals entering the field. By connecting students, public safety practitioners, and industry partners, the program continues to build a community focused on both operational excellence and workforce development.
At the Williamsburg conference, that mission was clearly visible. Experienced professionals shared insights from the field, while students met mentors and explored potential career paths.
The message from organizers and sponsors was consistent: the future of public safety drone operations will depend on a strong and diverse workforce ready to meet the challenges ahead.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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