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PrintCOLUMBIA — Don Elliott was appointed manager of Columbia Regional Airport on Friday.
Elliott has served as interim airport manager since October, when he replaced Andrew Schneider.
Elliott has worked for Columbia Regional Airport for the last 29 years, according to a previous Missourian article.
"I think it [the appointment] means to me that working hard, going by the rules or playing by the rules — and you have to be willing to sacrifice personal time for the overall goal of the airport to succeed — pays off in the end," Elliott said.
According to a news release from the Columbia Public Works Department, there are several capital improvements in the works for the airport, including:
- A new terminal
- A $34 million runway renovation
- The addition of new airlines
"I won’t be able to do that by myself; it's going to take a team effort," Elliott said. "We have to get the community on board, work with consultants, exchange ideas, build a consensus and move forward."
Elliott said Columbia Regional Airport is making improvements all of the time, even with snow removal.
"In the past years, a small amount of snow would possibly close the airport, but with a new broom truck and new technology, the airport has remained open during snowfall this year," Elliott said. "We don't have trouble with the snow and ice bonding to the pavements anymore."
Elliott's personal goal as Columbia Regional Airport manager is to "build a good operational foundation that we can grow on."
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He'd better get to organizing the bake-sale they're gonna need to pay for all of these impoverishments.