NATA Industry Awards Continued from page 29 AIRPORT EXECUTIVE PARTNERSHIP AWARD: Juan E. Rivera selves on being “W e pride our- business-friendly and working closely with the 26 businesses here at the airport, includ- ing three FBOs—Dulles Aviation and APP Jet Center, and a third, Chantilly Aviation, that is set to open in 2019—so being recognized spe- cifically for that partnership is especially an honor,” says Juan E. Rivera, Airport Director at Manassas Regional Airport (HEF) in Virginia and winner of the NATA Airport Executive Partnership Award. The award recognizes an airport manager for his or her efforts to foster relationships between aviation businesses and airport operators. “My staff and I are always looking for ways big and small to help the businesses here be success- ful and profitable, because it’s a win for everybody, and for our entire community, when we’re all work- ing together. As I always like to say: show me an airport with a few great FBOs, and I’ll show you a great airport. And that’s not just in the abstract. One of the things we’ve been able to tout, according to our latest economic impact report, is that our airport and its businesses contribute $375 million annu- ally in economic activity and provide 1,351 jobs with total wages of $117 million to the local economy.” Rivera dreamed of being a pilot when he was a kid, and got his private pilot’s license when he was in college, but found himself even more drawn to avia- tion administration as he pursued his college degree. “It was a great choice for me because I enjoy com- ing to work every day,” Rivera says. “I was just speak- ing to a group of high school students here the other day, and I had to laugh when somebody asked me, ‘What’s a typical day like in your job?’ There are no typical days! I think that’s what’s great about the job: you have to know a little about everything, and every day is different. I wouldn’t have been doing this for 27 years if I didn’t really like it and find it enjoyable. I find new ways to learn and improve every day.” Rivera has previously worked at Leesburg Executive Airport and Hanover County Municipal Airport, both in Virginia, and the William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, California. He’s now been at Manassas Regional Airport for 17 years. Echoing a common theme among this year’s Industry Excellence Awards recipients (and every year’s recipients, for that matter), Rivera is quick to share credit for his recognition. “We have seven employees here, including myself and our senior operations specialist, our airport special- ist, maintenance supervisors and maintenance workers, and an administrative assistant. Together, we run the busiest general aviation airport in the Commonwealth of Virginia, so really I see this award as a recognition for the entire team,” Rivera says. “I also report to the deputy city manager, who encourages me to think outside the box and be creative, and we have an air- port commission that’s made up of 10 city and county residents who are charged with overseeing and develop- ing the airport. I contribute a lot of our success to the airport commission who promotes a business-friendly environment. We are also fortunate to have a City Council that is very supportive of the airport and under- stands its importance to the community. When I came here 17 years ago, the airport had a reputation as a bit of a good old boy network, where it was all about who you knew. We’ve tried really hard to change that and open up a lot of opportunity for exciting new partners.” Underlying all of that, Rivera says he believes the secret to his airport’s success is Continued on page 32 Aviation Business Journal | 2nd Quarter 2018 31
