Polk State College Aerospace Alumni

08/16/2026

Slade Rosamond (’22) is an Air Traffic Control Specialist at Oakland County International Airport/Pontiac Tower (KPTK) in Waterford, Michigan. He earned his Control Tower Operator (CTO) certification in April 2026.

Previously, Slade worked for the Seaplane Pilots Association in Winter Haven, Florida for four years, running their daily and event operations.

His current airport, KPTK, is a Class Delta with more than 150,000 operations a year. It includes 4 fixed-wing primary training flight schools & 2 helicopter flight schools. His tower territory includes Michigan Seaplane Base (41D) underneath its Class Delta airspace that he uses his previous expertise to control. Coincidentally, he knows some of the pilots based at his airport from his previous position with SPA.

Oakland County International also services many private jets and charters, including the flight departments for Kid Rock and Penske Truck Rentals. It is the second-busiest airport in Michigan behind Detroit Metropolitan (KDTW).

Slade began his ATC training in March 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was placed at Pontiac Tower in June 2025. He trained for 9 months to earn his CTO.

He graduated from Polk State College with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences – Aerospace Administration. While at Polk, he also earned his Instrument Rating. He previously earned his Private Pilot Certificate at Kingsky Flight Academy (Polk State College - Aerospace's flight training partner) and later added his Seaplane Rating.

Slade was also involved with the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) in Lakeland and Triple Tree Aerodrome (SC00) in Woodruff, South Carolina.

We’re incredibly proud to see Slade thriving in such a position of need in our industry! We can’t wait to see where your Air Traffic Control journey takes you.

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06/30/2026

Great to see Da'Nyra Richardson ('24) representing our Polk State College - Aerospace program as a member of the inaugural Polk State Presidential Ambassador Program!

The program recognizes outstanding students who will serve as official representatives of Polk State College at presidential events, District Board of Trustees meetings, donor engagements, community functions and other signature activities.

Prior to assuming their duties, ambassadors complete the Presidential Leadership Academy, which provides training in servant leadership, professional communication, civic engagement and event protocol.

Da'Nyra holds an A.S. in Aerospace Administration and a certificate in Airline Management. She is President of the Aerospace Safety and Leadership Team and was a recipient of the prestigious James C. Ray Scholarship, earning her Private Pilot Certificate. She plans to commission as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Armed Forces and ultimately aspires to a career with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

A native of Winter Haven, Fla., she also played for the Polk State women's soccer team in 2023.

Way to go, Da'Nyra – always inspiring and soaring!

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Polk State College officially welcomed its inaugural Presidential Ambassador cohort on June 19, 2026, during a special Red Blazer Ceremony hosted by Interim President Dr. Anne Kerr and incoming President Anastasios ‘Stasi’ Kamoutsas. The Presidential…

06/04/2026

Welcome, President Kamoutsas!

The Polk State College District Board of Trustees named Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas as the institution’s sixth president on Wednesday with a 5-0 vote. Kamoutsas, currently Florida’s Commissioner of Education, will join Polk State on July…

05/08/2026

Congratulations to David Smith (’21) on joining American Airlines as a First Officer flying the Airbus A320 series at just 24 years old! He is projected to eventually reach No. 2 on the seniority list at American – a list which currently includes more than 16,000 pilots.

David previously was a Captain & First Officer for Republic Airways, flying the Embraer 175 since 2022. He also flew the Pilatus PC-12 for PlaneSense as a corporate pilot. Additionally, he was a contract corporate pilot flying Citation jets & a flight instructor for Polk State College - Aerospace & Globe Aero.

He earned an A.S. in Professional Pilot Science from Polk State College & a B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida.

David will be based in Los Angeles (LAX) initially before transitioning to Miami (MIA). He joins fellow Polk State Aerospace alumni Chad Albury (’21), Ying Liu (’22), Kevan Nanton (’14) & Jacob Wingate (’21) flying mainline for American Airlines.

We couldn’t be prouder of your continued success!

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05/05/2026

04/30/2026

Welcome all Spring 2026 graduates to our alumni base! We’re proud of you & a resource to each of you. Enjoy celebrating a major accomplishment! 🎓

With big flight dreams, Polk State College Aerospace student Marissa Vereb has already spent a lot of time in the air – but not just in airplanes. She was the youngest pilot to participate in…

02/12/2026

02/04/2026

Sarah Giaccio (’18, ’19) recently was elevated to Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Government Affairs at Delta Air Lines in Washington, D.C. She supports her and other leaders through administrative work and event engagement.

Previously, Sarah worked as a lead in the Delta Sky Club & in reservations as a mentor. She also served on their Employee Engagement Committee in Tampa, Florida.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s & associate degrees from Polk State College in Aerospace Sciences & Aerospace Administration. She made a significant impact on our program as the Operations Director & Lead Flight Scheduler, working in conjunction with Polk State College - Aerospace.

Her husband, Christian Giaccio (’21), is a Captain for PSA Airlines. He has flown with PSA since 2022 & was an accomplished flight instructor for Polk State Aerospace beforehand.

The Giaccios reside in D.C. with their son & daughter.

Congratulations on your promotion, Sarah!

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01/28/2026

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Kyle Davis, Director of Commercial Vehicle Sales for Kelley Automotive Group, to the Polk State College District Board of Trustees on January 13, 2026. He will serve alongside Chair Ann Barnhart,…

01/26/2026

Stella Nawyn graduated high school with an impressive resume and no shortage of options as an aviation enthusiast from South Florida. When choosing her next school, however, it was Polk State College’s Aerospace Program that…