Midwest Flyer Magazine

State Aviation Conferences
(L/R) Shaun Germolus, President of the Minnesota Council of Airports and Executive Director of
Range Regional Airport, Hibbing, Minn., welcomes representatives of the Minnesota Department
of Transportation to the Minnesota Airports Conference: Cassandra Isackson, newly appointed
Director of Aeronautics; Tim Henkel, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of
Transportation Modal Programs; and Jay Hietpas, Assistant Director of Aeronautics.
St. Cloud, Brainerd, Albert Lea, Blue Earth & Leqve
Recognized At Minnesota Airports Conference
ALEXANDRIA, MINN. – Since 1988,
the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) and the Minnesota DOT
Office of Aeronautics have partnered
in recognizing airports for their
accomplishments in airport
management, vision and innovation
with the presentation of the “FAA/
Governor’s Award.” This year's award
was presented to St. Cloud Regional
Airport during the Minnesota Airports
Conference, May 3-5, 2013, in
Alexandria, Minnesota.
The City of St. Cloud chose
the current location for St. Cloud
Dave Weiman
Municipal Airport
in 1969. Since
1990 when St.
Cloud received
its first FAA
Governor’s Award,
the airport has
continued to
flourish. In 1993,
Bill Towle
scheduled air
service began. In
1995, the airport became St. Cloud
Regional Airport and expanded its role
to meet air transportation needs in the
region.
Dave Weiman
Today, the City of St. Cloud works
cooperatively with Benton, Stearns, and
Sherborn Counties whose borders are
all within the operational area of the
airport.
In recent years the airport has
completed numerous bituminous
projects, acquired land for airport
expansion, installed runway guard lights
for airport safety, and has become the
home of a Minnesota Air National
Guard helicopter unit.
In the spring of 2009, the
airport completed the expansion of
the terminal building with its first
passenger boarding bridge. Within
a year of opening the new terminal,
the community lost its commercial
air service with the departure of Delta
Airlines. Through the will of city
leaders and the perseverance of airport
director, Bill Towle, the airport was
successful in attracting Allegiant Air to
replace Delta.
The airport is now working
with consultant Mead and Hunt
in completing a master plan,
reconstructing the crosswind runway,
and constructing a large fixed base
operation facility.
Accepting the award on behalf of the
City of St. Cloud was airport director,
Bill Towle.
Jeff Hamiel, Executive Director of the
Metropolitan Airports Commission in
Minneapolis/St. Paul, gave conference
participants an update on activity at
Minneapolis/St. Paul International
Airport and MAC reliever airports.
Dave Weiman
24 JUNE/JULY 2013 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE
“Airport Projects of the Year”
presented during the conference on
behalf of the Minnesota Council of
Airports were Brainerd Lakes Regional
Airport in the commercial service