Nov. 28—CHEYENNE — Cheyenne Regional Airport will have a new director of aviation Dec. 1, and he said he hopes to make the Capital City a regional destination for commercial air service.
Timothy Bradshaw will take over the role following the retirement of current Director of Aviation Tim Barth. Bradshaw has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, most recently serving as executive director of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia. In this role, Bradshaw increased the number of plane passengers every year for five years, according to a news release announcing his hiring.
Bradshaw previously served as the airport director for the Eastern Iowa Airport and held management roles with the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport and Bowling Green-Warren County Airport.
Barth, who spent seven years as director of the airport, will stay on through December to help with the transition.
Bradshaw said his love of the outdoors was one thing that attracted him to Wyoming. He also complimented Barth's leadership and said the Cheyenne Regional Airport Board had been very welcoming.
"It's one of the easiest jobs I'll probably ever take over," he said.
Bradshaw will be responsible for the oversight and administration of all airport-owned facilities, including day-to-day operations of the airport and fixed-base operator Legend AeroServe, the news release said.
"I look forward to opportunities that will continue to make (the Cheyenne airport) a regional catalyst for air service, cargo, general aviation and economic growth. With several projects in process and slated for this year, I'm excited at the opportunity to help position (the airport) for success into the future," Bradshaw said in the release. "My goal will be to provide exceptional airport facilities and services for southern Wyoming and the region."
Bradshaw's appointment as Cheyenne's airport director follows his resignation as executive director at the Roanoke-Blacksburg airport. In November 2020, Bradshaw and another senior executive were put on leave after a "serious allegation," according to the Roanoke Times. Bradshaw resigned from his position in January.
Though the nature of the allegation was not officially announced by the airport, the Roanoke Times reported Jan. 15 that a federal lawsuit claimed an airport employee had leaked company secrets during a fixed-base operator bidding process.
In an interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Bradshaw said the incident had involved "a new employee that made a mistake."
"Even though I had no part in it, when that happens on your watch, you take responsibility for the things that happen, and I thought it was best that I resign to move past that," he said.
As for Barth, he said he plans to stay in Cheyenne and will continue serving on local community boards. Having worked in aviation since 1985, Barth said he's ready for a change. He'll teach an airport planning and management class at Metro State University in Denver, continue as a high school basketball referee and do a lot of skiing.
"I want to take the next 20 years and do all the things that I haven't done for the last 37," he said.
During Barth's tenure with Cheyenne Regional Airport, a new terminal was built, an airline was secured and a runway project was completed. Still, he feels his greatest accomplishment has been the connections he's made with people in the community.
"The terminal would've gotten built whether I was here or not," Barth said. "But to meet all these new, great people here in Wyoming and have these relationships with all these external agencies, and to be able to help foster some of our younger kids in the community so they'll go on to have great careers — that's the stuff that means more to me than the tangible stuff."
Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.
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