UND UAS director Al Palmer appointed to Grand Forks Economic Development Corp. advisory board

Alan (Al) Palmer, director of the UND Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence, recently was appointed to the Grand Forks Economic Development Corp. Advisory Board. The Center is part of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.

“This was a great surprise—I wasn’t expecting to be asked to join this prestigious group,” said Palmer. “For sure, it’s recognition of the great educational and economic development opportunities related to unmanned aerial systems. It’s also a recognition that UND is a leader in helping to develop this vital industry. I’ve read that UAS spending in North America in the next five years will total $65 billion. I expect that this expansion will bring a lot of new, high-tech jobs to the region.”

The GF EDC Advisory Board comprises 19 members, including community, business, and UND leaders and industry experts, according to Keith Lund, EDC vice president. The group’s 11-member board of directors also is part of the advisory board.

“The Advisory Board functions to provide feedback and advice to the EDC on projects and initiatives, and it’s also about helping us to access networks,” Lund said. “We asked Al to join this group because of his expertise on aviation and UAS. We want to work collectively to capture opportunities for the region and for the state of North Dakota.”

UAS is one of the EDC’s key future points of focus, Lund said.

“The mission of the EDC is support for primary sector businesses, that is, businesses that sell goods and services outside our trade area,” Lund said. “We also want help the region to import new wealth—and that means a lot of opportunities for the University.”

Palmer was also recently appointed to an open-ended term on the 13-member North Dakota Governor’s Military Task Force. He is a UND alum and retired Air Force brigadier general and former chief of staff of the North Dakota Air National Guard.

Palmer is a founding member of the North Dakota Pilots Association. He began his military career with U.S. Air Force in 1972 and retired after 38 years. He is a rated airline transport pilot with more than 9,400 flight hours, including nearly 6,000 as an instructor pilot. He earned several commendations and awards during his service, including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and Air Force Achievement Medal. He served as director of operations at UND Aerospace from 1978 until his retirement earlier this year; Smith called Palmer back into service to run the University’s UAS program.

— Juan Miguel Pedraza, University Relations, 777-6571, juanpedraza@mail.und.edu.