Candidate for
Director; Indian Wells Valley Airport District

My four years as an incumbent on the Board of the Indian Wells Valley Airport District have given me a wealth of experience which will definitely enhance my service to the valley should I be elected to serve another term. I have a record of being a proactive board member, and have been influential on the board in several areas:

Safety: When an airport runway must be closed for repairs or other reasons, pilots are alerted by runway closure markers, or large "X's" visible from the air, telling them not to land on that particular runway. One of our runways at Inyokern Airport is fairly frequently closed for use by filming crews, and is marked by runway closure markers. As a new board member, I became aware that the markers used at Inyokern were difficult to see from the air, and were not of the size required by FAA standards. I was instrumental in having this situation changed, so that the markers now used are in accordance with standards, and thus much safer for pilots landing at Inyokern.

During my term of office, the Airport beacon has on several occasions been non-functioning for extended periods of time, posing a possible hazard to pilots landing at Inyokern at night. I've been proactive on this issue, encouraging staff to expedite the repair process. Fortunately, this beacon is scheduled for replacement in the near future, as we have an FAA grant pending for this purpose.

Budget Concerns: While on the board, I became aware of a company which helps local districts recover costs incurred due to the requirements of the Brown Act. Upon researching this possibility, I found that we might be able to recover at least some of these "mandated costs." I brought this matter to the board, and we have been able to save a fair amount of money through this action.

Encouragement of General Aviation Activity at Inyokern Airport: I served on an ad hoc committee exploring ways to bring food service to the airport, thus encouraging private pilots to come to Inyokern for their "$100 hamburger." The outcome of this short-lived committee was the establishment of a pilots' lounge with a comfortable area for pilots to gather, and microwavable frozen snacks and drinks available. If re-elected, I'd like to work on expanding this concept.