Steven A. Gould Jr, C.M.
Airport Director
Rock Hill – York County Airport
Age: 35
- Alma Mater: Florida Institute of Technology
- Favorite Aircraft: Bombardier Global Express (my lottery jet)
- Favorite TV Show: The Office
- Favorite Movie: The Sandlot
- Favorite Hobbies: Playing any type of organized sport, i.e. slow pitch softball and soccer
Spending the first decade of his life in Brevard County, Florida, Steven Gould Jr. had a lot of exposure to the aerospace industry.
Gould said he was fascinated with NASA as a kid and his father’s side of the family had a tradition in the Air Force. The familiarity with aviation drew him into the field and Gould knew it’s something he wanted to do for a career.
“I originally enrolled at Florida Institute of Technology with the goal of graduating with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Calculus said ‘this isn’t for you,’” he said. “I knew still I wanted to have a career in the aerospace/aviation industry so the logical solution was to shift gears and do something that didn’t require advanced math skills.
“That’s how I ended up in aviation management. I now hire engineers to do the math for me.”
Gould is airport director at Rock Hill-York County Airport (UZA). He joined the airport in 2013, having previously served as airport director of operations at Collin County Regional Airport (TKI) and as an airport certification specialist at Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR).
In his duties, Gould is responsible with maintaining operations at the airport while securing a well-defined future path. He prepares and manages strategic annual operating budget of more than $400,000 to support airport operations; actively recruits, develops, negotiates and coordinates business proposals for potential industry investors and developers for recommendation to the airport commission and city council to promote increased tax base and airport revenue; develops and coordinates policies to provide aviation safety; and promotes positive internal and external relationships through meeting and speaking with tenants and public groups regarding airport issues.
“I’m always focused on trying to do what’s best for our community from the standpoint of how important having an airport is for a community, especially on the economic development side of things,” he said.
Since joining the airport, Gould has developed and implemented an innovative airport noise abatement program called “Flying Friendly in Rock Hill,” including a 24 hour noise hotline; he develop and implement strategies for airport expansion, including land acquisition, airport master plan and layout plan updates, capital improvement projects, grant funding, private investment, and increasing airport revenue; he secured federal, state and local funding in excess of $7 million for capital improvement projects including the most expensive project in the airport’s history a $4.1 million taxiway rehabilitation and fillet widening project.; he successfully orchestrated and negotiated with private developers and commercial operators to construct a 19,000 square foot multiple hangar complex and a 12,000 square foot corporate hangar.
