Los Alamos County Airport Manager Bobbi Huseman poses for a quick photo during a recent open house at the airport. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
After spending 28 years working for the City of Santa Fe, the last four of which were spent at the Santa Fe Regional Airport, Bobbi Huseman assumed management of the Los Alamos County Airport on March 27.
Moving from a regional airport to a smaller one where the manager is the sole employee is certainly a change of pace, but Huseman said the job is not without its challenges or perks.
In fact, the change of pace and the challenges were among the things that attracted her to take the job in the first place.
“It was going to be a new experience for me,” Huseman said. “…it seemed more slower paced but yet presented challenges.”
“I just think that Los Alamos County Airport is unique,” she added, “It sits on top of a mesa with canyons on either side, and it’s a one-way in / one-way out.”
The airport is under the Public Works Department’s umbrella and Public Works Manager Juan Rael said he is pleased to have Huseman on board.
“Los Alamos County is very fortunate to have hired Bobbi,” he said. “She not only brings a wealth of airport management experience, she also brings a tremendous amount of prior Public Works experience. Bobbi has really hit the ground running and has already been very effective at putting Los Alamos County in a position to be able to receive state and federal aviation funding. Bobbi has already made a positive impact on our County Municipal Airport.”
Huseman assumed the position from Geoff Rodgers, who is piloting for Classic Air Medical.
As the airport manager, Huseman said it is a one-employee show. Meaning, she is doing typical office work, grant oversight, determining the budget and working out in the field, inclusive of daily inspections and mowing as needed.
In addition to the day-to-day operations, Huseman is addressing several capital improvement projects at the airport.
These projects include reconstructing Taxiway F and developing the northwest corner of the airport, which would expand the taxiway from 18 feet to 25 feet to be compliant with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards. The project is anticipated to be funded 90 percent by the FAA Airport Improvement Program grant, 5 percent by the New Mexico Department of Transportation – Aviation Division (NMDOTAD), and another 5 percent by the County.
The cost will depend on which design option is selected.
Two other recent grant awards from NMDOTAD include additional funding for a fuel farm, which Huseman described as a self-service aviation fueling station.
Originally, there was $1.9 million for the project, but the airport was awarded an additional $1.4 million to bring the total grant amount to $3.3 million.
The other project, is anticipated to be funded through a legislative airport grant, in the amount of $1.5 million and will be used for the design, bid and construction of eight new t-hangars.
Huseman said she is excited for these capital improvement projects.
“I think with the projects we have we will have a great general aviation airport,” she said. “We might be a small airport, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be a gem.”
The local airport might be a one-person operation, but Huseman is not alone.
She said she really enjoys collaborating with and working with the rest of the county divisions, as well as the local aviation community. She said pilots generously share their knowledge and history of aviation in Los Alamos.
“They’re nice people,” Huseman said, adding that she has had many conversations with them about connecting with the schools to inspire an interest in aviation in young people.
“I would encourage any young people who are not sure of what they want to do in life to come out to the airport, check out the aviation scene,” Huseman added. “Our pilots are happy to share their knowledge and show off their aircraft.”
She said she is working with different entities on how to best collaborate with local businesses and she hopes to reach out to the schools on possibly doing field trips and invite different student clubs such as robotic clubs to the airport as well as host outreach events.
The local aviation community is robust; Huseman pointed out that currently there is a 32-person wait list for a hangar at the airport.
Having a career in aviation “just kind of fell in my lap,” she said.
She explained she was working in the administration division at the Santa Fe Regional Airport when the Operations Manager position opened, and her boss encouraged her to apply for the position.
She tested and received the certification needed for the job and was hired.
Once she got the job, Huseman said she thought, “This is really cool. There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t realize.”
While Huseman said she has a lot of interest in aviation, she does not have a desire to be a pilot herself.
As she continues to work for the County, Huseman said, “I’m excited to see what the future holds. I’m excited about the potential we have.”
Huseman lives in Santa Fe and has four children. Her youngest, a set of twins, recently graduated from high school, her oldest daughter works for the city of Santa Fe, and her oldest son is a C-5 pilot in the United States Air Force.
When not working, Huseman said she enjoys reading and traveling.