ARLINGTON, VA — Sabrina Saunders-Hodge has joined Crown Innovations as the Senior Director of Programs and Engineering. In this role, Saunders-Hodge oversees the practice’s technical engagements while directing the growth and diversification of a business portfolio that supplies software development and systems engineering services to enhance aviation safety and performance.
“Sabrina brings decades of experience, technical knowledge and a track record of success in aviation technology and systems,” said Afzal (“Al”) Khan, President and CEO of Crown Innovations. “Her knowledge of U.S. and international aviation and her pioneering experience with advanced air mobility technologies will keep Crown’s clients on the leading edge of innovative, safe, and efficient air mobility programs.”
Saunders-Hodge has 30-plus years of experience leading FAA initiatives to adopt innovative communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) technologies and paving the way for integrating new entrants into the national airspace (NAS).
In her early career, she helped define the future role of satellite communications in air traffic control and developed the International Civil Aviation Organization’s global plan for transitioning civil aviation to future CNS systems. She co-managed oversight of FAA/European cooperative R&D initiatives and helped to craft operational concepts for technology enhancements within the NAS. Saunders-Hodge also served as program manager in standing up and directing the FAA’s first Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence: ASSURE.
At the FAA, Saunders-Hodge served nine years as Director of the Research, Engineering and Analysis Division of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office. She served as the FAA’s focal point for UAS and advanced air mobility integration research, spearheading agency efforts to build a strategic planning framework to guide research to promote integration of emerging entrants into the NAS. She helped forge collaborative relationships with industry, U.S. federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders, as well as international civil aviation authorities. She also managed the FAA’s UAS Test Site and UAS Broad Agency Announcement Programs.
Saunders-Hodge has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, respectively. She is a certified Project Management Professional and a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute. In 2023, she was one of 12 women from around the world inducted by the prestigious Women and Drones organization into the inaugural class of Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame.
About Crown Innovations
Founded in 1989, Crown (www.crownci.com) applies engineering, information solutions, analytics, and infrastructure services to assist government and industry in enhancing performance and planning for future challenges. Specializing in the field of aviation, Crown brings a national reputation for forging practical systems and service solutions based on real-world perspectives. Crown supports federal agencies, state and local governments, and commercial clients in adopting emerging aviation and air traffic technologies.