On Feb. 26, the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority board of directors voted unanimously to make Interim General Manager Ed Rose the permanent general manager of the airport.
Having applied to work at Sedona Airport three times before landing a position, the adage “the third time’s the charm” could apply to Rose, a native of Poughkeepsie, New York who spent 10 years managing the Hudson Valley Regional Airport [formerly Duchess County Airport].
But Rose’s time as Interim General Manager of Sedona Airport has many thinking it was the airport that got lucky when he applied for the third time.
Everybody the Sedona Red Rock News spoke to about Rose was glad — relieved even — to have Rose in the figurative pilot’s seat.
Landing the top job turned out to be a baptism by fire, airport said Rose handled with a characteristically calm approach — just what was needed when he came on board.
Rose was hired by the previous general manager, Deborah Abingdon, to assist her as the airport’s operations manager. He reported for work on Sept. 23.
Three days later, the airport board of directors terminated Abingdon’s contract. Nine days later, the airport was scheduled to host Airport Family Fun Day, the airport’s busiest event of the year.
Rose was called on to manage the event.
It wasn’t the largest Airport Day ever, but the event went smoothly, giving Rose an auspicious start.
“The management of the event was very disciplined, very structured,” Al Comelo, an Airport Day organizer, said of Rose’s work.
In a statement, the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority’s board of directors echoed those sentiments, stating that Rose managed Airport Day “with aplomb, highlighting his great management, organizational and communication skills.”
In managing the event, Rose benefited from previous experience running large aviation events, including the Autumn Warbird Air Show and the Great Hudson Valley Balloon Race and Airshow, which Rose’s resume states that he founded and co-founded, respectively.
Comelo described Rose’s personal style as “casual and relaxed. He’s very confident in what he’s doing.”
Besides his calm, soft-spoken style, Rose received praise from multiple sources for being communicative and outward-facing in regards to the community, including from city councilman Scott Jablow, who serves as a liaison between the airport and city.
“He’s open to the concerns of the community. He makes himself available on issues, and I think that he will be a great partner moving forward,” Jablow said.
Jim Hergert, of the Sedona Airport Hangar Owners group, also praised Rose’s performance.
“[Rose becoming general manager] is the best thing that’s happened to the airport in a long time. Absolutely. We’re going to be a better community partner, and we’re going to have a better airport,” Hergert said.
When asked what it felt like to arrive as a deputy to the manager and then be thrown into the top job soon after, Rose said, “Comfortable.”
“I’ve been around airports for a while, been in management for 33 years plus — there’s nothing I haven’t seen,” Rose said. “So while I was disappointed that my then-boss was terminated, the staff — all the staff — jumped in to make sure I was knowledgeable, comfortable … and everybody’s been supportive, and we were able to get things done.”
In Rose’s short-time on the job he has made progress on several “long-stalemated projects,” including a water master plan and plans to upgrade to the airport’s fuel storage, the SOCAA board wrote in a statement.
So far Rose has earned universal praise, but past general managers have run into headwinds, and four recent managers have not stayed longer than a couple years.
These headwinds may stem from the fact that the airport is not directly managed by a local government, like a city or county, as many airports are, but by a private entity, the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority, which leases the airport from Yavapai County to run in the public interest.
The arrangement has benefits for Yavapai County: The county government is insulated from liability, and the lease requires the airport to be financially self-sufficient. So, the county gets an additional airport in its domain at no cost to the county.
And in-spite of costly litigation in recent years, the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority has maintained a financially self-sufficient operation.
But the arrangement also means that the airport looks more like a homeowner’s association than a municipal airport because it is governed, for the most part, by the people who rent or own hangar space at the airport.
Rose theoretically answers only to the seven-person board of directors [which is currently comprised of hangar renters and owners], but in practice a much larger network of local flyers take an interest in management, many of which have helped govern the airport over the years.
Consequently, an aviation professional who makes decisions at odds with the interests or opinions of local users can invite controversy.
But so far, a broad coalition of stakeholders — from inside and outside the airport — is singing Rose’s praises. Many believe he is the right person to handle what has been a difficult assignment.
Rose is married and has four children. His wife, Cristy, is still living in Poughkeepsie, while their youngest child, who is 15, finishes the school year. They will be joining him in the Verde Valley eventually.
Rose got started in aviation by serving in the Air Force in logistics, transportation and coordination. When he was honorably discharged in 1979, he immediately began working at a local airfield while attending the State University of New York, Duchess on the G.I. Bill. In 1982 he joined the management team of Hudson Valley Regional Airport, becoming director in 1992.
Rose described himself as “an outdoor guy.” He had an outdoor guiding business in New York for 20 years.
“I was certified by the state of New York to hunt, fish, hike, birding, rock climbing, ice climbing,” he said. “I like to hunt, fish, hike, kayak, anything outdoors. Kayak’s probably my favorite.”
Rose is ambitious and excited to be with the airport, which he describes as the most beautiful in the country, uniquely situated on a mesa above the city.
“This airport is a gem. It’s an unpolished gem, and we are beginning to polish it up — for all the citizens of Yavapai County. It’s a tremendous asset.”
