Walter Marchbanks
Customer Relations Manager
Port of Portland
Age: 37
- Alma Mater: University of California, Los Angeles; Georgetown University
- Favorite Aircraft: 747-800
- Favorite Book: The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway
- Favorite TV Show: The Goldbergs
- Favorite Movie: Jurassic Park
- Favorite Hobbies: Fishing, golfing, surfing and mountain biking
Walter Marchbanks’s love for aviation is rooted in his family.
Growing up, his uncle was a bush pilot flying from Fairbanks to Nome, Alaska. Marchbanks would hear about the travels and the people his uncle would meet. Hearing about such an interesting profession drew him into aviation.
“I like that the industry is always changing. It’s not a static environment,” Marchbanks said. “Everything is always evolving. It’s always improving and transitioning from something that may not be perfect now into something that is.”
As the customer relations manager at Portland International Airport (PDX), Marchbanks has played a crucial role in the airport’s title as Best Airport by Travel & Leisure magazine.
“In my relatively short time in the airport industry, I’ve seen a meteoric rise in the importance of providing exceptional customer service at airports,” he said. “I think we’ll continue to see technology driving the overall experience.
In 2016, he spearheaded four separate employee engagement events in one day to celebrate the award.
In 2017, he hosted daily events form 3 a.m. to Midnight daily during a five-day period encompassing 75 tenants. Donned in a blue wig and cape, Marchbanks passed out Blue Star Doughnuts, Salt and Straw Ice Cream, Cookies and $5 vouchers good for anything in the airport.
In February, Marchbanks raised the bar for the PDX Annual Banquet, an event that recognizes the best of the best employees at PDX who go above and beyond to make the passenger experience the best it can be. More than 300 employees and supervisors attended the event.
“I get to make a difference,” he said. “My current role allows to make changes and make a positive difference not just in our airport.”
Marchbanks made great strides in the A&E program by expanding the rotating art program into the rental car lobby, updating the music branding and improving signage, tables and performance guidelines used by entertainers.
He also expanded membership on the Make the Connection committee to increase underrepresented industries like ground transportation and support service providers.
Marchbanks is currently on a committee to ensure that considerations of people with disabilities are factored into $2 billion planned new construction projects and designs over the next seven years.
