2026 Vaughn College Gala

Honoring Debbie Coffey, Evita Garces ’02, Icema D. Gibbs, Patricia Ornst and Monica Slater Stokes

On April 16, 2026, Vaughn College held its annual Gala—marking a historic first as the event recognized five honorees in a single evening. The College celebrated five distinguished leaders in aviation: The honorees were Debbie Coffey, chief communications officer for Atlas Air Worldwide, Evita Garces ’02, vice president of line operations at American Airlines and a Vaughn College alumna; Icema D. Gibbs, vice president of corporate social responsibility and impact at JetBlue Airways; Patricia Ornst, managing director and New York State and local government affairs for Delta Air Lines and Monica Slater Stokes, managing director corporate and government affairs for United Airlines. 

The evening featured a dynamic panel discussion, moderated by Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president for legislative and regulatory policy at Airlines for America, in which the honorees spoke about workforce development, the vital role of industry-college partnerships, and the collective effort to bring more young people—particularly those from underrepresented communities—into the aviation industry. NBC News Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent Anne Thompson served as emcee for the evening.

Vaughn College President and CEO Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo expressed the College’s deep gratitude for the honorees’ sponsorship and commitment to the next generation of aviation and aerospace professionals. The Gala grossed more than $420,000 to support student activities, made possible by generous contributions from Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Atlas Air, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Aviation Week, Airlines for America, GE Aerospace and many others.

Photos from the 2026 Gala are below, and watch the 2026 Gala video featuring Vaughn students.