The Runway stand is hard to miss at the Air and Space Power Conference 2026 with its eye catching banners and sought after notebooks.
David Grant, an Australian Public Servant and the Officer in Charge of The Runway, a professional development portal that supports Program Wirraway - the Air Force's professional military education (PME) program, is excited to be part of this excellent knowledge-sharing event.
"Participating in events like the Air and Space Power Conference is a valuable opportunity to step outside my day-to-day and engage with the broader Defence Force," David said.
"It allows me to share ideas and communicate the purpose and value of initiatives like The Runway with genuine passion which can be hard to convey through emails or skype calls.
"I am able to have conversations with members from across Defence and build working relationships that often lead to further collaboration and engagement."
David has been working in the Australian Public Service since 2004. He has been with the National Health & Medical Research Council and the Department of Health working on large-scale digital health communications projects before joining The Runway PME platform in 2019.
This all happened while he completed a Bachelor of Web Design & Media Production at Canberra University between 2018 and 2022.
He is also a husband, father of two daughters and a Groodle called Bonnie. He is a basketballer, a wannabe scratch golfer, mountain bike rider, beach goer, gardener and traveller with a personal connection to the Air Force through his family.
"My dad was a Wing Commander in the Air Force, serving for over 25 years. Our family moved from Adelaide to Malaysia, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra.
"Because of this, I have been around the Air Force community for most of my life so I have a good appreciation of the lifestyle, including the frequent postings and environments," David said.
David works remotely from Canberra for The School of Postgraduate Studies (SPS) at Wagga Wagga in NSW, travelling between the two places every so often to ensure that he can have "corridor conversations" and to stay connected with what is happening.
"The level of trust and flexibility provided by the executive team at SPS is something I truly appreciate," David said.
"SPS is such a fantastic place to work. The staff and facilitators I work with have such a strong passion for sharing their knowledge with members coming through on courses and that commitment to professional development is something I'm very proud to be part of.
"I have really enjoyed my time working on The Runway because it allows me to operate in a creative space, particularly in shaping the user experience and tailoring the platform to better support members' learning."
This includes the development and launch of The Runway App in 2025.
David works with a small, dedicated team of member editors. Their extensive experience in Defence allows them to break down the huge volume of complex content available online into digestible, easy to understand pieces of information that Defence members can learn from.
The editorial team brings deep knowledge from their respective fields, providing valuable oversight and ensuring that the content shared through The Runway is both relevant and meaningful for the Defence community.
David says that The Runway is important because it is hard to find time in our busy day-to-day schedules to keep learning.
"Everyone has five minutes in their day to learn something new, whether that is reading a short article, picking up a new idea or seeing a different perspective.
"This is especially important in the current environment we find ourselves in where things are changing quickly and members are expected to keep adapting and thinking differently."
The Runway supports the mission of the SPS to deliver PME that enhances aviators' ability to innovate and excel, helping members grow and adapt in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving Defence environment.
Aligned with Program Wirraway, the Air Force's PME framework, The Runway brings together content across key topics including Air & Space Power, leadership, military management, technology and wellbeing along with emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
To read, register for updates or sign up for the monthly newsletter please visit The Runway.
