City of Fort Worth
Aviation Director​
Mackenzie Eason & Associates has been retained by the City of Fort Worth to recruit the next Aviation Director.  Reporting to the Assistant City Manager, the Aviation Director will provide leadership over the Aviation Department's operations and activities that oversee three airports: Alliance, Spinks, and Meacham International. Meacham and Spinks provide regional aviation services for air charter, corporate, business, and recreational aircraft.  While Alliance Air Services manages Alliance, the City owns the airport.  The position was vacated due to the recent departure of the previous Aviation Director. 

The Aviation Department is a financially autonomous enterprise department supported through the collection of hangar and ground lease revenue, fuel flowage fees, Alliance revenue percentage, and administration building revenue.  Aviation Department Administration is responsible for accounts payable/receivable, grants management, human resources, leasing, accounting, and budgeting for all three Fort Worth airports to varying degrees. The Operations Division is responsible for each airport's day-to-day operations and inspects the airport to identify deficiencies and implement appropriate corrective action. The Maintenance Division is responsible for maintaining airfields and airport facilities.
The Aviation Department’s mission is to provide high-quality, cost-effective facilities to meet North Texas's General Aviation needs.  The Aviation Department will collaborate with FBO’s, tenants, and citizens to ensure safe and sustainable development, airport safety, and security while providing exceptional customer service.  The Department will also work with neighborhoods, businesses, and other public partners to enhance our community's economic prosperity and vitality and shape the Aviation Department into an intermodal economic development engine for the City.
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The vision for the Aviation Department is to directly support the City of Fort Worth in its continuing vision to be “the most livable and best-managed city in the country” by creating great places for people to live, work, and play.  The City of Fort Worth aspires to become an organization of national prominence, being recognized for taking holistic and innovative approaches towards enhancing the quality of life for Fort Worth’s residents. 

The Opportunity
The Aviation Director will monitor and evaluate the day-to-day activities of airside and landside operations and strategize and oversee capital construction projects at the City of Fort Worth airports.  The Director will also manage relationships with the FBOs, tenants, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, Texas Department of Transportation and other agencies to ensure compliance with governing regulations, lease provisions, policies, and procedures and that the airports and the department are operating efficiently, effectively, and safely. 

The next Aviation Director will be the City’s representative in all matters related to Aviation and make decisions and negotiations in the City's best interest.  He/ she will be politically astute at navigating relationships with various personalities, agendas, and business interests.  He/ she will represent the department in meetings with elected and appointed officials and other city entities, serve as the city representative with a variety of public, business, and community organizations, and foster collaborative relationships to benefit the City and department.  The Director will work closely with the City of Fort Worth Economic Development Department to identify opportunities that promote and bring new commerce, business, and jobs to the Fort Worth Community.  They will also have managerial courage to speak up to airport stakeholders and business leaders on issues that affect and impact the airports, City, or community. 

The role requires a visionary leader to assist with developing and implementing short- and long-term plans to meet strategic, performance management, and economic development goals and objectives for the City.  Strategic thinking will be critical to identify opportunities and make data-driven decisions to develop innovative approaches and ideas that adapt to changing needs and conditions, both internally and externally. 
The Aviation Director will be particularly focused on creating a customer service mindset and creating customer feedback loops that help inform and energize the airports’ process improvements.  He/ she will place a high value and motivation on bringing a customer-centric, customer service approach to airports and department operations. 

The best candidate will be able to demonstrate their suitability for this role by quantifying how they can lead the department in addressing the following responsibilities: 
  • Improving perceptions of Fort Worth Aviation by regaining trust, streamlining processes, and reinforcing a customer service culture and outward mindset. This includes addressing public relations, as well as operations, technology, and culture.
  • Responsibility managing the Municipal Airports Fund administered as an enterprise fund that does not receive subsidies from the City and generates its own revenues for operations and capital improvements. 
  • Working through the issues that arise with a global pandemic, compiling data to make recommendations for alternative operating methods or procedures. 
  • Resolves sensitive, controversial issues by making decisions that are inclusive of multiple perspectives.
  • Developing goals, documents performance, provides performance feedback, and formally evaluates the employees’ work; training and developing staff to achieve performance goals and identify opportunities for continual improvement to performance standards.
  • Change management that builds commitment, overcomes resistance, and promotes a customer-centric, customer service-focused mindset within the department. 
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The Aviation Director will unify the teams and reinforce the culture of transparency, compliance, customer service, and shared responsibility for achieving the department and City visions.  It will be important that the next Aviation Director operates with high standards of ethics, values, transparency, and accountability to regain trust, both internally and externally.  He/ she will also bring new perspectives to the department and foster an environment that listens and values others' opinions. 

Some challenges that the Aviation Director will face over the next 3-5 years include:​
  • Employ fiscal discipline and effective cost control of the Municipal Airports Fund, identifying changes to operating costs that accommodate the negative financial impact of COVID-19.
  • Relying on the Federal Aviation Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation grants to fund airport capital improvements.  
  • Assessing the current talent and making changes where necessary to build a strong team, reestablishing trust and morale among a fractured department

About the Airports

The Aviation Department promotes economic activity through aeronautical and non-aeronautical spending generated by businesses and aircraft operators at the three Fort Worth Airports: Alliance Airport (Alliance), Meacham International Airport (Meacham), and Spinks Airport (Spinks). Meacham and Spinks are operated by Aviation Department staff, whereas the Department contracts with Alliance Air Services to manage Alliance.  Owned by the City of Fort Worth, each airport offers a diverse industrial base, which makes it an attractive location for a variety of businesses.

Fort Worth Meacham International Airport

The airport covers 745 acres and has 72 hangars ranging in size from 1,200 square feet to 70,000 square feet with narrow and wide-body aircraft capacity.  Meacham’s current facilities include three full-service FBOs, aircraft maintenance facilities, flight schools, ASOS, and onsite rental car facilities.  In addition to these facilities, Meacham is the only general aviation airport in the D/FW Metroplex with a parallel runway for pattern work and flight training, making it the perfect flight-training airport.
Its most recent and significant accomplishment is the renovation of the terminal/administration building (completion December 2016). In looking ahead, improvements will encompass the rehabilitation and replacement of a significant amount of pavement, mainly within aircraft ramp areas.

Meacham International Airport is a strong supporter of helicopter operations and encourages airport use by all helicopter users. Meacham provides two helipad landing surfaces on the airport’s west side for helicopter practice.
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Military aircraft use this field for training regularly.  The Civil Air Patrol operates two squadrons at Meacham, the Fort Worth Senior Squadron and the Phoenix Composite Squadron.

Fort Worth Alliance Airport

Fort Worth Alliance Airport covers an area of 1,198 acres and has two concrete runways.  Billed as the world's first purely industrial airport, it was developed in a joint venture between the City of Fort Worth, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Hillwood Development Company, a real estate development company owned by Ross Perot Jr.  Alliance handles all types of civilian, military and cargo aircraft while offering world-class service and state of the art facilities to pilots, passengers, and military personnel.
 
A landmark achievement for the region, the airport has proven instrumental in attracting pioneering corporations and growing businesses to Alliance, Texas. It has propelled prosperity by connecting the area to the country’s major cities. It supports global logistics companies and government personnel in their complex cargo, aviation, and executive travel needs. The airport is the core of a growing development that’s transforming the region, North Texas, and beyond.

A $260 million runway and taxiway extension project was completed in April of 2018 to allow heavily loaded cargo aircraft to take off from either runway in hot and high Texas summer weather conditions and reach Europe unrefueled.  Going forward, the Alliance CIP will focus on maintenance and improvements which are directly related to the runway expansion project – airfield lighting and improvements to shoulders, taxiways, aprons, and drainage. Other typical CIP investments include replacement of vehicles and equipment and on-going pavement repairs and replacement.
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Complete aviation services are available to corporate executives traveling to and from the Alliance, Texas region.  In addition to customer service and concierge services, Alliance supplies routine aircraft support services for corporate aircraft and travelers, including hot refueling, aircraft and lavatory cleaning, luggage assistance, hangar space, and office rental, as well as a fitness center, catering, crew lounge, and aircraft maintenance.  Additionally, Alliance Aviation Services’ contracts with the Department of Defense to conduct mission support duties for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, as well as other federal and civilian agencies.

Spinks Airport

Spinks Airport, opened in 1988, is owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth and is home to a unique combination of corporate, general aviation, and recreational pilots. Located 13 miles south of downtown Fort Worth, it is the newest of the three airports owned by the City of Fort Worth and serves the cities of Fort Worth, Burleson, and Mansfield.  The airport serves as a reliever airport for Fort Worth Meacham International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.  It was one of few airports in the country to have Class E airspace and a control tower.  However, its airspace now has Class D designation.  A paved 6,002-foot runway coupled with a 3,660-foot turf runway provides flexible options suitable for small props, small, medium, and long-range jets, as well as regional aircraft.
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In an effort to continue to provide an excellent facility, a noise abatement program has been developed with the participation of the airport operators, neighborhood representatives, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the City of Fort Worth.  Significant initiatives include improving taxiway and roadway access to the airport's east side, airfield lighting upgrades, construction and/or acquisition of box and T-hangars to increase airport revenue and sustainability.

Aviation Department Organizational Chart

City of Fort Worth Executive Team

David Cooke- City Manager
David Cooke- City Manager
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Jay Chapa, Assistant City Manager
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Fernando Costa
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Valerie Washington
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Dana Burghdoff
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Kevin Gunn

2020 Initiatives & City Manager Focus
EXPECTATIONS AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE CITY
  • We have a shared responsibility for managing the city/ corporation.  We establish organization-wide principles, priorities, and values.  Department heads run departments as long as they don’t violate the previous statements. 
  • We represent the customer; we represent and protect the taxpayer; we represent our employees.  In all our decisions, we must balance these groups.
  • There’s always a plan.  Nothing just shows up.  Surprises are the exception.
  • For a plan to be successful, process and inclusion are important.  Having the right process and including the right people will save time (in the end).  Include others that do not think like you.
  • ​We can question and challenge each other; we support each other.
  • We are accountable to each other for our commitments.
  • Our responsibility is to provide the best service at the lowest cost . . . regardless of who provides it.  Cost equals total costs.
  • Our responsibility is to recommend the best “business decision for the city.”  These recommendations are supported by thorough evaluation of options using data and objective criteria.
  
WHAT DO WE WANT CITIZENS, CUSTOMERS, VISITORS, TAXPAYERS TO SAY ABOUT THE CITY OF FORT WORTH?
  • Great customer service:  responsive, respectful, attentive, friendly
  • Business-like, professionally managed
  • Creative problem solvers; solutions-oriented
  • Tight; fiscally conservative
  • Open and transparent:  nothing to hide and everything to share
  • Optimistic and future oriented

Employees at the City of Fort Worth provide municipal services to over 900,000 residents.  Each day, these employees are moving about the city, doing work that helps make Fort Worth a strong community and a great place to live.  There are six values that guide our employees as they go about this work.  They are:
As Fort Worth continues to grow and change, these principles help keep employees on point, providing the best service to citizens, businesses and fellow employees.

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of and experience with airport operations, financials, services, and facility management.  He/ she will identify essential needs for each airport and those initiatives that optimize operational capacity, enhance safety, and strengthen and enhance the economic aspects of each airport and the Aviation Department as a whole.  As the City of Fort Worth’s primary liaison for aviation matters, new technologies, and services, the successful candidate will work with internal and external stakeholders to coordinate major strategic airport and aviation initiatives and innovations to provide high-quality, cost-effective facilities that accommodate the needs of general aviation within Fort Worth.  The Aviation Director should also be able to use performance metrics effectively in assessing the need for process improvements and in communicating the City’s progress toward providing consistently exceptional customer experiences. Essential qualities and competencies necessary to succeed as the Aviation Director include:

  • Thinking Strategically - Thinks strategically and promotes best practices and leading-edge ideas.
  • Deciding and Initiating Action - Takes responsibility for actions, projects, and people; makes quick, clear decisions that may include tough choices after considering risks.
  • Delivering Results - Sets high standards for quality, performance, and integrity.  Focuses on consistency, customer needs, and satisfaction.
  • Persuading and Political Influence - Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing, and negotiating. Makes effective use of political processes to influence others.
  • Coaching - Provides others with clear direction, motivates, and empowers. Recruits staff of a high caliber and provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.

The ideal candidate will be an innovative, visionary leader that has the ability to monitor and adjust operating techniques to provide more efficient operations while adhering to regulatory compliance.  The ideal candidate will be able to modernize processes in which the department collects, manages, and synthesizes data into action.  Articulate communication is essential to obtain buy-in from various audiences, from elected officials to field workers.  She/he will be an effective change agent that can quickly implement innovative strategies and processes that streamline efficiency and instill modern industry trends. 

The next Director must be a collaborative, innovative, astute professional who is adept at operating in a fast-paced environment.  The successful candidate should exhibit strong personal leadership skills that can mentor a young and talented team and increase department performance.  They should have a passion for working with the aviation facilities and community balanced with objectivity and pragmatism.  Lastly, they must be able to build consensus among multiple and very diverse constituencies, both internally and externally.

Leadership and business acumen are fundamental, and the capacity to influence and impact our City and community, as well as be a catalyst and a strategist is critical to success.  It requires leadership, judgment, management, mentorship, and results-orientation, as well as provides important partnerships and cooperation with internal departments and external stakeholders of the aviation community.

The ideal candidate will possess experience, knowledge, and skills in the following areas:

  • Aviation industry, including airport facilities, operations, maintenance, leasing, human resources, grants management, and financial management. 
  • Outward mindset and furthering customer service culture
  • Lean process improvements and change management
  • Adaptable and strong supervisory experience that can boost and maintain positive employee morale and inspire them to maximize their performance and consistently provide the highest level of internal/ external customer service
  • Principles and practices of municipal budget preparation, financial reporting, and administration
  • Robust track record of collaboration and building strong partnerships with tenants, airport investors, business stakeholders, neighborhood groups, City departments, and other governmental agencies
  • Interpret and apply applicable State, Federal, and local aviation laws, compliance, regulations, and policies
  • Solid negotiation skills in a broad range of project-related and administrative functions
  • Managing organizational change through the development and implementation of departmental goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each assigned area
  • Methods and techniques of data collection and analysis for performance and process improvements
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate big ideas, sell a vision and influence others, and easily convey how to execute it

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in airport management, public administration, business administration, or a related field and eight years responsible experience in directing, operating, marketing, and maintaining aviation facilities, including four years of administrative and supervisory experience.