Hunter Cole
Innovation and Operational Technology Manager
Brasfield & Gorrie
Hunter Cole is Innovation and Operational Technology Manager at Brasfield & Gorrie, the group that manages the company's Unmanned Aircraft Systems and other emerging technology initiatives. Cole graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Since joining Brasfield & Gorrie in 2015, Cole has applied his previous experience working in design and development for a major automaker to the Virtual Design + Construction process. He is passionate about understanding how emerging technologies can help solve real-world construction problems. He worked to establish the company as one of the first organizations in Alabama to be Federal Aviation Administration exempt to operate unmanned aircraft systems commercially in 2015. He led Brasfield & Gorrie’s collaboration with Boston Dynamics and Drone Deploy, which produced a unique way to use the agile robot Spot for a new progress documentation workflow. Hunter and his team continue to pilot emerging technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of jobsites.
Ryan Hittie
Innovation Specialist
Brasfield & Gorrie
Ryan Hittie joined the Innovation and Operational Technology Department at Brasfield & Gorrie in 2018 Hittie graduated from Auburn University in 2012 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Prior to joining Brasfield & Gorrie, Hittie was director of operations for a large regional drone services provider. He is working to scale Brasfield & Gorrie’s drone operations by applying his experience to training and daily operations across the southeast.
Jake Lovelace
Innovation Specialist
Brasfield & Gorrie
Jake Lovelace recently joined the Innovation and Operational Technology Department at Brasfield & Gorrie after gaining experience in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC). Jake graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a degree in civil engineering. While serving as a VDC Coordinator, Jake learned to code to solve real problems his department faced everyday. He now specializes in robotics applications and custom software development to further advance Brasfield & Gorrie's technology frontier. Jake was instrumental in Brasfield & Gorrie’s collaboration with Boston Dynamics and Drone Deploy, which produced a unique way to use the agile robot Spot for a new progress documentation workflow.
Katie O'Leary
Director Product Marketing
DroneDeploy
Katie O’Leary is the Director of Product Marketing at DroneDeploy, driving go to market strategy and customer engagement. With 10 years of digital marketing experience, Katie has supported DroneDeploy’s international expansion while helping the company reach the 5,000 customer milestone. Katie grew up in the Bay Area where she currently lives with her husband and two children. Katie has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Bentley University.
Scott Seltz
Moderator/Publisher
Engineering News-Record