New Oregon Director of Aviation Appointed

Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently announced the appointment of Betty Stansbury as the Director of Oregon Department of Aviation effective February 4, 2019. Senate confirmation hearings for Stansbury’s appointment will be held in late February.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Betty as our new Director of Aviation. Betty has a wealth of experience that makes her uniquely qualified for this position,” Governor Brown said. “I look forward to welcoming Betty, who has extensive background as an airport executive, back to Oregon in this new role.”

Betty Stansbury earned her Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, and is an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) with over thirty years of airport management experience. Betty has served in airports in Texas, Kansas, Oregon, Indiana, and most recently as the Executive Director of the Pitt-Greenville Airport Authority in North Carolina. Her prior service in Oregon as the Airport Manager in 1990s left her with a strong desire to return.

Martha Meeker, former State Aviation Board Chair, resigned her Board position as chair to serve as interim director during our most recent search following the retirement of former director Mitch Swecker. “Martha is a dedicated public servant and I’m grateful for her service during this time and pleased to reappoint her to the Board of Aviation,” said Governor Brown. Meeker will seek Senate confirmation to return to the Board in February.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.