ARLINGTON, Va., May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) Co-Founder and Vice President, Josh Olds, has been named as the 1^st place winner in the individual Airmanship and Contribution to the UAS Industry category of the XCELLENCE Awards by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI). Mr. Olds was selected from a pool of many accomplished applicants. Winners were announced during the awards ceremony at AUVSI XPONENTIAL on Tuesday, May 1 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

The Unmanned Safety Institute is dedicated to delivering world class UAS training and certification services to all sectors of the market, by leveraging the commitment and expertise of its team of industry leaders. Before co-founding USI, Mr. Olds served as an instructor operator with Textron Unmanned Systems and later worked as an assistant professor and the GAI UAS Program Coordinator at his alma mater, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In his four years as the Vice President of Operations at USI, Mr. Olds has led the development of both industry and collegiate level content and curriculum for education and training as well as the ARGUS Organizational Unmanned Industry Standards. Mr. Olds further demonstrates his commitment to advancing the unmanned industry by serving as a member on the UAS FAA Safety Team (FAAST) and as an advisory board member for the Energy Drone Coalition.

"The unmanned systems industry is innovating at an incredible rate and creating tremendous benefits for our economy, lifestyle, and society," said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. "The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards recognize the companies and individuals who are propelling the industry into the future."

The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor innovators in the unmanned systems industry, including individuals and organizations, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing technology, leading and promoting safe operations, and developing programs that use unmanned systems to improve the human condition.

XPONENTIAL offers a broad-based and balanced educational program brimming with cutting-edge content and inspirational insights, ranging from policy implications and technical challenges to use cases and best practices across vertical markets and everything in between.

"USI has always been committed to offering industry-leading expertise through our growing base of subject matter experts and thought leaders, and Josh Olds is no exception.  With this award, Josh – as a co-founder and executive at the company, USI further demonstrates our commitment to delivering world-class expertise to the clients we serve," said Aaron Greenwald, USI President.  "No other organization in the world offers the true depth and breadth of unmanned aviation flight safety expertise as USI, and we are proud to have Josh's expertise recognized by the industry through AUVSI."

As the unmanned systems industry's largest trade show and conference, XPONENTIAL offers a broad-based and balanced educational program brimming with cutting-edge content and inspirational insights, ranging from policy implications and technical challenges to use cases and best practices across vertical markets and everything in between. For more information about the AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards and XPONENTIAL, visit xponential.org

About Unmanned Safety Institute

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industry's most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, enterprises, and organizations focused on integrating and operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for civil or commercial purposes. The Unmanned Safety Institute, widely recognized as "best-in-class" provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices.  With over 150 instructors and over 4,000 customers around the world, including several Fortune 500 enterprises, USI widely recognized as the global leader in UAS training and certification delivering the most highly-regarded training program of its kind.  USI is the only training and certification organization that is accepted by the FAA, endorsed by major aviation insurance providers, and whose training programs have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education.  Discover more at www.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org.

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.

Media Contact: Alexis Creedy, Unmanned Safety Institute, 802-733-5463, Email Contact

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE Unmanned Safety Institute (USI)