Russell Hedrick
Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Regen Mills
Former Firefighter, Russell Hedrick, is a first-generation farmer in the foothills of Hickory, North Carolina, where he farms JRH Grain Farms, LLC. Russell is known as one of the most progressive young farmers in the country. Russell has been a featured producer in Top Producer Magazine, Furrow Magazine, and on RFD TV, Ag PhD, and National No-till Farmer for profitably farming by reducing fertilizer inputs and using soil health practices on cash crops . In 2017 he won the North Carolina Corn Yield contest, the first person to win in the state using regenerative practices. Russell's operation focuses on maximizing profits and direct consumer marketing for all their products, including corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, pastures beef and pork. He is the co-founder of Regen Mills and Heritage Ground, co-owner of Soil Regen, LLC. Most recently he and fellow farmers utilized their drones, including Agras and Flycart, to locate trapped victims of Hurricane Helene and then deliver food, water and medicine to them.
Jeff Clementi
Operations Manager of StormPoint
Former Tennessee Firefighter, Jeff Clementi, has been in the drone industry for many years and currently volunteers as the Operations Manager at StormPoint, a 501c3 non profit. StormPoint has responded hundreds of Hurricanes, Tornados, wild fires and other emergency incidents to provide incident support to include aerial imaging, mapping, ISR, and search and rescue support as well as other technologies. Most recently Jeff assisted with disaster response in Eastern Tennessee during Hurricane Helene providing drone resources to some of the hardest hit communities.involved in enterprise drone dock integration and the support needed to sustain a thriving drone fleet program.
“Chief” Wayne Baker
Director of Stakeholder Engagement at DJI
“Chief” Wayne Baker is a retired North Texas Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator who, in his current role as Director of Stakeholder Engagement at DJI, remains dedicated to promoting the benefits and diverse applications of drone technology. Whether it is enhancing emergency response capabilities, workplace safety, or facilitating in wildlife conservation efforts, Wayne's unwavering commitment to advocating for the implementation and responsible use of drones underscores his vision for a future where technology serves as a cornerstone in fostering safer, more resilient communities and helps enrich our lives and the world we live in.
Brandon Karr
Solutions Engineer Team Lead at DroneSense
Brandon Karr is an internationally recognized SME for UAS operations for public safety with a specialization in law enforcement and disaster response. Brandon is currently a Drone as First Responder Solutions Engineer for DroneSense. He is from Pearland, Texas and is the former Chief Pilot, UAS Integrations Coordinator, and night shift patrolmen for the Pearland Police Department. He used his aviation knowledge and experience to start the Pearland Police Department’s UAS program and since has assisted over 600 other agencies start or develop their programs across the nation. He has developed Pearland PD’s UAS program to be integrated into patrol, K9, SWAT, crash reconstruction, and crime scene functions. Brandon also started their Drone as First Responder program and was granted the first completely BVLOS waiver in the nation. Brandon is the co-founder of Unmanned Tactical Group and a committee member of the Law Enforcement Drone Association. Most recently Brandon deployed to Asheville, North Carolina to assist with disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
