SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The City of San Angelo announced on Oct. 15 that San Angelo Regional Airport Director Jeremy Valgardson will leave his role to pursue a new career opportunity in Corpus Cristi. We spoke with Valgardson to learn more about what he's left behind and what's next for him.

According to the City's announcement, Valgardson has worked with the City since 2019 and has been "instrumental in numerous airport economic development projects." He has "also helped raise more than $20 million in grant money for airport improvements."

"I'm the middleman between all the tenants on the airport and the FAA and TSA ... I'm also the middleman between all the tenants and the City," Valgardson said. "My major duty is just to make sure that we are in safety and standard compliance with the FAA and with TSA."

The City stated that Valgardson would leave at "the end of the month" to serve as the assistant airport director of the Corpus Cristi International Airport. Valgardson gave a specific date, though, saying that his departure is effective Oct. 31.

"It's just a new opportunity," Valgardson said. "It's a bigger airport, international airport, with bigger playground, with more opportunity."

He also shared that the prospect of being employed at the Corpus Cristi International Airport was first presented to him in June when he met with the airport's director. Valgardson said that after going through the interview process, he would be formally offered the assistant airport director job in mid-September.

"It was really hard to make this decision to leave," Valgardson said. "The City's treated me very well, the tenants have treated me well. We got a lot of good momentum going with this airport, there's a lot of exciting things to come, so it was a very hard decision when Corpus offered me the position."

He stated that two of the largest challenges he has faced during his tenure as airport director are Federal Aviation Administration staffing and finding contractors capable of providing services at the airport.

"FAA approach control services are down, and they have been due to FAA staffing, so that's one of our biggest challenges, is trying to keep traffic coming into the airport where approach control is closed and it's difficult to get them here," Valgardson said. "Second, trying to get contractors to work on the airport has been difficult. There's not a lot of contractors in West Texas that can make FAA-specced material."

Despite the challenges he has faced in his position, Valgardson remarked that the airport has grown during his time as its director. He stated that since his arrival in 2019, airport traffic increased from 60,000 take-off and landing operations to approximately 100,000 operations.

"Seeing the evolution of the Angelo State University flight training program has really helped with those operations as well as our military relations for the transient military aircraft that like to use our facilities," Valgardson said.

Though he's leaving the cockpit of the airport, Valgardson said that there are already plans to fill the pilot's seat. He shared that the City has opened itself to applications for the role of airport director and that individuals such as Deputy Airport Administrator Keith Muncey and Assistant City Manager Michael Dane will help run the airport while a new director is being sought.

"I think that the next director ... should have an easy time stepping into this role because of the support role that he has from all the elected officials," Valgardson said.

With his time as director of the San Angelo Regional Airport coming to a close, Valgardson said that he hopes he let the airport's tenants know that their business is appreciated.

"When I first got here, I wanted to be known throughout the airport world with all the tenants, so I made it a point to go to each tenant and learn their names and get to know them and make myself visible and available to them," Valgardson said. "Hopefully the impact I made here is that they know that I'm on their side and I want what's best for the airport and what's best for them so that their business can be sustainable and they can make as much money as possible here."

News Source : https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/local-news/san-angelo-airport-director-to-depart-for-new-position/