The Wyoming Airports Coalition recognized several individuals and airports that represent the very best in Wyoming aviation at its annual conference last week in Casper, Wyoming. Recognition included the Aviation Achievement Award, Project of the Year Award, Airport Executive of the Year Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Aviation Achievement Award is presented to individuals who have given substantial effort towards the promotion, operation, maintenance, and development of aviation in their community or across the state. This year, the board of directors selected two recipients who exemplified the merits of this award.
• The first Aviation Achievement was presented to Shawn Burke, air service development program manager for Wyoming Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division. Burke was recognized for his efforts to sustain and develop commercial air service across the State of Wyoming. His leadership in creating and/or managing the Air Service Enhancement Program and the Commercial Air Service Improvement Plan were critical to ensure air service remained in Wyoming’s rural communities throughout the pandemic.
• The second Aviation Achievement Award was presented to Marlon Holmquist, maintenance supervisor for the Casper/Natrona County International Airport. Holmquist was recognized for his nearly 44 years of service to the airport and its facilities. Holmquist’s contributions are evident in every nook and cranny of the airport's 5,165 acres through the performance of his 11-member team.
The Project of the Year Award is typically awarded to a single project that demonstrates innovative design, significant planning community involvement, a unique funding model, and/or a game-changing improvement to the airport. This year, two projects met these criteria and received a tie vote by the board of directors.
• The first was Wheatland’s Phifer Airfield Runway Reconstruction Project. This robust project included the acquisition of 84 acres of land and the full reconstruction of the airport’s only runway. It further included a full reconstruction of the existing runway, including a 90-foot shift along the existing alignment and a change in runway profile that generated extensive earthwork; new wildlife fencing; new LED runway lights, signs and NAVAIDS; a new taxiway connector between the apron and runway; relocation of irrigation structures, pipes, and channels; relocation of an existing road; and relocation of an existing water main.
• The second was the Rock Springs Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) Base at the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. The new 4-acre SEAT Base was the first of its kind and includes an aircraft apron, two aircraft loading positions, six aircraft parking positions, secondary containment structure for retardant tanks, detention pond and robust storm water system to meet the latest DEQ/EPA standards. The project also included the renovation of 5,000 square feet of office space to house a BLM Operations Center.
The Airport Executive of the Year Award is presented to an airport executive for his or her dedication and contribution to aviation through the operation and/or development of their airport, or for their significant participation in the aviation industry. This year’s award was presented to Devon Brubaker, AAE, airport director of the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. Brubaker was recognized by his peers for his efforts to support aviation in his community and beyond as his efforts have transcended the airport perimeter fence in ways that have befitted his community, other airports, and the Wyoming aviation system. His dedication to his airport, his community and the entire Wyoming Aviation System were highlighted in the nominations for the award.
In recognition of more than 27 years of aviation industry leadership, including 26 years with the Wyoming Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, Christy Yaffa, community planner for the Federal Aviation Administration Denver Airports District Office, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the Coalition’s highest level of recognition and is bestowed upon an individual who has spent a significant amount of their career pursuing the improvement of aviation throughout the State of Wyoming. This recognition requires 20-plus years of service in the Wyoming aviation industry and unanimous board of directors’ support. Yaffa’s nomination highlighted her “can do” attitude and her many years of dedication to each and every airport in the State of Wyoming. While her work is not yet done, her dedication and influence to date is more than enough to meet the high standards of this award.
