ICNS 2026 Committee Bios

Dr. Rainer Kölle, EUROCONTROL

Rainer Kölle serves as senior principal expert in the Operational Performance Review Service with EUROCONTROL, Aviation Transformation Directorate, Brussels. Prior to joining EUROCONTROL in 2005, he served as a career officer in the German Air Force with 18 years of service experience. His professional career saw him working as aviator, air traffic controller, and in the wider field of air traffic management.

Rainer represents EUROCONTROL in standardization activities and performance related R&D projects and policy working groups (e.g., ICAO’s performance expert group, multi-national performance benchmarking group). His research interests apply data science to operational air transport and air navigation performance and promoting higher levels of transparency using open data for operational performance measurement.

Rainer holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering (communication systems) from the University of the German Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg, 1994, and a doctorate from Lancaster University, United Kingdom, 2013.

Sherry Yang, The Boeing Company

Sherry Yang is senior manager of Airspace Operational Efficiency (AOE) at Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T). She is responsible for executing AOE’s missions and collaborating with government agencies and industry partners for advanced technology development in the areas of trajectory-based operations (TBO), artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), air traffic management (ATM), and advanced air mobility (AAM). Working across technologies and businesses, Yang facilitates public and private partnerships to develop and evaluate new technologies and operation concepts for the aviation ecosystem.

She is an associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a technical advisor to the ICC AIA Member of the ICAO Information Management Panel, and a member of AIA, ATCA, and CANSO.

Cristian Pradera, SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM)

Cristian Pradera is an aeronautical engineer specialized in rocket engines, graduated in the Polytechnic University of Madrid in 2008. He started his professional career as a consultant in ENAIRE, working for 5 years in the Planning and Strategy division, where he contributed to the development of ENAIRE’s business plan and to the elaboration of the European ATM Master Plan under the SJU. He then joined EUROCONTROL for 3 years, working in the ATM Master Plan Unit and then he moved to the SESAR Deployment Manager in 2017, where he became the planning manager, in charge of the planning activities related to the implementation of the Common Projects, DataLink Services and ADS-B Out.

Kathy Torrence, FAA

Kathy currently serves as director (A) of the National Airspace System (NAS) Systems Engineering and Integration Office (ANG-B). Previously, she served as group manager for AJM-34 and program manager for the Data Communications (Data Comm) Program at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She also served as lead system and test engineer on the Data Comm Program during the implementation and deployment of tower and en route services across the National Airspace System.

Kathy has more than 35 years of experience with the FAA as both a federal employee and a contractor. Her work includes managing a team of FAA engineers supporting a portfolio of air traffic and decision support automation systems, including En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP), Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) and Time-Based Flow Management (TBFM). She also served on the FAA’s Test Standards Board, providing testing oversight for the FAA’s NextGen programs.

Kathy earned a Master of Science in software engineering from Monmouth University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Rowan University, where she later served as an adjunct professor, teaching computer science and software engineering courses.

Heer Patel, U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center

Heer Patel is an operations research analyst in the Aviation Facilities and Business Services Division at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.

She specializes in aviation infrastructure and works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Terminal Facilities Program Office to provide subject matter expertise and conduct technical analyses supporting the replacement or modernization of FAA Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities across the United States. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and contracting officer’s representative (COR), she also manages projects and provides acquisition oversight for cross-cutting FAA initiatives.

Patel co-chairs the Volpe Center Artificial Intelligence Coordination Team. Convened by Volpe Center leadership, the team coordinates AI-related initiatives, fosters collaboration, and advances innovation across the center. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Paul Prisaznuk, ARINC (Retired), Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC)

Paul Prisaznuk is an aviation professional that has served ARINC, EUROCAE, RTCA, and ICAO in various technical capacities for over 35 years. Most recently Paul served as the head of standards development at ARINC. In that role Paul led the development of over 250 technical standards used in the design and construction of commercial air transport, large military aircraft, and other aircraft. These include many air/ground standards applied to communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) systems.

Paul is a contributing author to the CRC Press publication, Digital Avionics Handbook. His contributions describe the ARINC 429, Digital Information Transfer System, and the ARINC 653, Avionics Application Software Standard Interface. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from the University of Dayton.