AUVSI Engages Michael Robbins of The Moak Group to Transform Advocacy and Government Affairs

June 22, 2020

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2020Contact: Michael Wilbur, mwilbur@auvsi.org, 571-255-7774

AUVSI Engages Michael Robbins of The Moak Group to Transform Advocacy and Government Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. –The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) today announced the engagement of Michael Robbins, co-founder and chief operating officer of The Moak Group, to advance and restructure AUVSI’s advocacy and communications efforts to evolve and meet the needs of the current environment. Robbins joins AUVSI as a consultant to fulfill a new role at the association of Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs to execute on AUVSI’s strategic goal to streamline efficiencies and enhance the association’s advocacy efforts. Working under the direction of AUVSI’s president and CEO, Brian Wynne, Robbins will restructure and oversee AUVSI’s air, land, and maritime unmanned systems’ state, federal, and international advocacy efforts.

“AUVSI is the clear leader in unmanned systems advocacy across all domains – air, land, and sea – and bringing Michael Robbins into the team will enhance our effectiveness and ensures our advocacy dominance,” said Wynne. “As we move into a new era of unmanned systems with rapid technological development and widespread deployment, ensuring government regulations allow for the full potential of unmanned systems is paramount. Equally important is public acceptance of unmanned systems, and Robbins will ensure that AUVSI remains the tip of the spear for the unmanned industry’s advocacy and public affairs efforts.”

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About Michael Robbins

Michael Robbins is a proven strategist with executive-level management experience with unique crossover work in government, communications, and corporate leadership. He has extensive experience in both advocacy and corporate and non-profit transformation leading to enhanced proficiency. In 2019, Robbins worked with AUVSI in its partnership with Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) as the staff director for their Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports. The Task Force published a report last October that serves as a playbook for airports to plan for UAS incursion responses and provides clear steps forward to keep the skies around airports secure while still allowing the UAS industry to flourish. Robbins co-founded The Moak Group in 2015, with its president Lee Moak, after serving as Managing Director of Government and Public Affairs at the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), during Moak’s tenure as president of ALPA. Prior to joining ALPA in 2011, Robbins was Chief of Staff to the late Congressman John Dingell of Michigan. Robbins serves on the board of the Greater Washington Aviation Open and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Georgetown University. He is a commissioned Officer in the United States Navy Reserve.

About AUVSI

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics — represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org.