It's a bird! It's a plane! It's everything that Donna Fraser
handles in her work as an airport manager. She describes her job as anything
but boring. For her, variety is the spice of life. And she gets plenty of
it when she passes the terminal's threshold each day.
"You deal with bird and mammal control, you deal with security, you deal
with airport flight regulations, you deal with everything that goes on in
an airport," she says.
It sounds like a lot for one person to tackle, but Fraser says that the
pressures of her job are better than stress. "You never know what you're
going to be faced with. It's more enjoyable than stress because you're
not bored."
Fraser completed her formal education with a high school diploma. She then
began working with a government body that regulates the transportation system.
Now, with various courses and eight years of experience under her belt,
Fraser has climbed her way into a management position. She attributes her
success solely to practical education. "I've learned through on-the-job
experience," she says.
One of the most valuable things Fraser has learned is how to work and communicate
successfully with others. "The biggest part is human resources, handling your
staff," says Fraser.
"At a smaller airport, that's what most of your time is spent on.
The communication skills, personal skills, dealing with people in the airport...these
things are very important."
According to Fraser, change is also part of daily routine in the airport
management business.
"[Regulations] keep changing under our noses from day to day," says Fraser,
about government airport policies. She suspects that a lot of the stress endured
by her employees is a result of having to deal with change in general. "I
think in this day and age a lot of the stresses...come from change -- especially
in the airport business."
Not only does Fraser have to deal with these changes herself, but she must
be able to help others do the same.
Fraser suggests that flexibility and a diversity of skills are important
for anyone facing change. "The whole terminology of an airport worker is changing.
They're no longer specific-job employees. They're multi-task employees.
It's hard for them to grasp that area of change because they're
used to doing one task and you must change their way of thinking into 'now
I have to do everything.'"
Larry Adams agrees. "The thing that you really, absolutely have to do,
or you're not going to be able to survive, is adapt to change. [Know]
how to be flexible."
Adams started out as a pilot for the navy. But in the end, it wasn't
flying that amazed him. It was the airport. "You're in and out of airports
all the time and it kind of makes you wonder, 'How do they keep this
going? How do they keep the snow off the runway and what kinds of things do
they do?'"
After 14 years of experience, Adams says that certain skills are simply
imperative for successful airport management. "Listening. Communication. Leadership.
Problem solving. Time management."
Adams also has to be a whiz with the public, since he is the main ambassador
for his international airport. Public support and funding depends largely
on how well Adams is able to present the airport.
"One of the things that we do all the time...is public relations for the
entire airport. We're constantly being scrutinized and we're constantly
trying to put our best foot forward in the best interest of the airport. You
have to kind of be out there all the time."
Clearly, airport management is not for the bashful type. You have to be
willing and able to speak with everyone and anyone. "Interpersonal relations
are really important because we deal with people from all walks of life,"
says Adams.
Adams is clear about the amount of hard work and developed skills it takes
to run an airport. He has rewarding days, and he has tough days. Soon, he
will enjoy his retirement and hand his position to a new airport manager with
fresh new ideas.
Looking back, Adams will probably say that he was very satisfied with his
professional life. "I just love it. I love coming into work every morning.
There are some terribly frustrating times, but all in all when the day is
done, you feel good about your job."