November/December 2021

Matthew Nelson joined the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (BHM) Airport as his second job out of college and quickly rose through the ranks – becoming the Vice President...

Natalie Schraner went from the newsroom to the sky, transitioning from an intern at a local Indianapolis news station to a Flight Attendant to start her aviation career. “I started...

Scott Helms is the General Manager of Leading Edge Jet Center, located at Boeing Field – where Helms has worked on and off since 2005 for different FBOs around the airport. But...

Zachary Staff went to school for urban planning and geography, happening into aviation by luck. “It was a lot of luck,” said Staff. “I met the right people while I was doing internships...

A physicist by schooling, Rhea Hanrahan is using her expertise to help clients with noise and environmental consulting. Working for HMMH for the past twelve years, Hanrahan’s ...

Sri Kumar was “boots on the ground from the very first hour of the very first day” of his first job out of college, working on a runway reconstruction project at the Detroit Metropolita...

As Assistant Director, Project Delivery, Infrastructure, for the Houston Airport System, Nicole Owens and her team are responsible for successfully delivering over 100 Capital...

Aviation and construction run deep in Paul Swift's blood.“My great grandfather was in construction, building homes in the Detroit area and both of my grandfathers were in aviation...

Matthew Sornig is the controls development supervisor for Jervis B. Webb, a Daifuku company, and has been with the company for 12 years and in his current role for two. Sornig...

Matthew Brown grew up near an airport, leading him to develop an interest in aviation early on in his life. Planning to become a pilot, Brown enrolled in Vincennes University,...

Colin Bible’s sights weren’t set on aviation when he graduated. The industry wasn’t even on his radar, he recounts, only ever having flown once in his life to that point. But ...

Aviation has always been a part of Mitchell Hooper’s life. Born in New Zealand, Hooper’s grandfather was one of New Zealand’s first aerial crop dusters and had his own business...

“What kind of chocolate do they sell at the airport?” “Plane chocolate.” During the pandemic, people have had to get creative and find new ways to engage with one another. Denver...

David J. Schaumburg has served as the principal deputy director for the Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) since March 2017. He oversees all operations and maintenance...

Kristina Bennett-Holmes always wanted to be a pilot when she was growing up. While attending the University of Southern Mississippi, a professor learned of her dream when Gulfport...

When Justin Wortman got out of college in 2008, he got a job with a small local architecture firm in Los Angeles that did a lot of work with Los Angeles International Airport ...

David Delaney was always interested in aviation and airplanes when he was growing up.He got a job with a large technology company as an engineering intern while he was in college...

Dana Nelson is the first director of stakeholder engagement for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). She was promoted to this role in 2019 to maintain the regulatory responsibili...

Ashley M. Bruton, MSHR, SHRM-CP, PHR, loves aviation for some of the same reasons that she loves HR: “The landscape is ever-changing, so each day is unique and challenging, and...

Jeff Kadlec fell in love with aviation as a child. Growing up in the Chicago area, he would go to the annual air and water show downtown where he became fascinated with planes...

Chad Rosenstein, MBA, C.M., has become one of the main resources for Florida airports needing help with state and federal issues. Rosenstein serves on the Florida Airports Council...

Anastacia Michigan is not afraid of challenges – especially design challenges. That’s good because, as she says, “Every project offers a unique set of challenges. I enjoy determining...

Nicholas May has his hands on the technology of tomorrow. While working for Schneider Electric, May “worked with Airport Staff, Design Firms, and Construction Managers to help...

Jill Geboy’s love of aviation started when she would make model airplanes with her dad while she was growing up. Her first flight took place in high school when she went to Japan...

Ashley Udick would like to see more outreach to the younger generation about the numerous jobs and opportunities in the aviation field.Udick said there wasn't one specific experience...

2021 has been a good year for David Buritica. The director of sales and marketing at Sheltair Aviation is not only an Airport Business 40 Under 40 award winner. He is also a 2021...

Keaghon Stark was working as a line man when he moved to Wilmington, North Carolina with his family. He couldn’t find any job openings in the local market and ended up taking ...

Jamin Heldt likes to tell people he just happened to “land” in aviation during his career.While studying civil engineering at the University of Evansville, Heldt attended a career...

As the daughter of a French immigrant, Gloria Bouillon always envisioned flying her family to France instead of flying commercially when she was growing up. She knew she wanted...

Anthony W. Barnes is the chief operating officer at the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC), which is the only trade association dedicated to increasing diversity in airport...