Speaker Bio

Romulo “Romy” Gallegos brings over three decades of international aviation and air traffic management experience to his role as Assistant Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, where he has served for the past three years. Prior to entering academia, he spent 25 years with the Federal Aviation Administration, holding a variety of leadership and operational roles that spanned both domestic and international airspace initiatives. Professor Gallegos has represented the United States on two secondments to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), serving in Mexico City and at ICAO headquarters in Montreal.
Professor Gallegos began his career as a U.S. Air Force Air Traffic Controller, later expanding his global perspective through six years of service with the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service. His diverse background, including 100 private pilot flight hours, provides a unique blend of technical, operational, regulatory, diplomatic and instructional expertise in the areas of airspace management, civil-military coordination, safety management, crisis response, and international aviation policy. He is well positioned to be a key voice in advancing global air traffic management and aviation education.
Professor Gallegos was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Puerto Rico, and has strong roots in Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and earned his master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the proud father of two daughters.
Professor Gallegos continues to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals through teaching, mentorship, and service while advancing strategic solutions for the evolving challenges of global air traffic systems.